Leave a Comment / Self Care, Texas State Parks / By Susan Svec
I’ve Been Here Before — Just Not Like This
I’ve been to Galveston Island many times over the years. Growing up in Corpus Christi, being near the water has always felt like home. And at just about a four-hour drive, it is an easy getaway by Texas standards — especially with access to a timeshare right on the beach, complete with a full kitchen.
So yes, the island is familiar to me. I’ve even passed the entrance to Galveston Island State Park more times than I can count.
But this was the first time I actually stopped to explore it — and I had no idea what I’d been missing on the bay side of the island.
It is peaceful in a way that surprises you. Quiet, calm, and full of simple beauty. The kind of place where you can slow down, notice the wildlife, and just listen to the gentle sounds of nature.
Watch the full episode below — then keep reading for more from this visit.
Not the Beach You’re Expecting
I know what you’re probably thinking: why is Susan not on the beach?
I made my way to the beach side too — and I still love it. But what I wanted to bring to you is the part of Galveston Island that most people drive right past. The bay side. The part that is still wild and a little unexplored.
This is the side with ponds and birds and sea oats and marsh grasses. It is open and unhurried in a way that felt immediately different from the more familiar stretch of Galveston I’ve always known. I saw people kayaking, fishing, camping, and others simply wandering the trails or taking in the view from the observation deck — just like I did.
And after I visited the beach, I came back with a new appreciation for just how quiet that bay side really was.
“There’s something special about discovering the slightly wilder, quieter side of a place you thought you already knew.”
Resetting Isn’t Complicated — But It Does Take Intention
That is something I have been thinking about a lot lately. Resetting your energy is not complicated. But it does require intention. It does require, to some degree, taking action and choosing to be somewhere that is going to help you do that.
For me, that means coming out to a state park. There may be other people around — but most of them are quietly seeking the same thing. Lots of birds, open sky, trees. Nature does it for me.
Everything feels a little more open here. You notice things differently. The heat, the light, the sound of the water. It settles something in me that a busy day cannot.
I hope you find your way to doing some version of that for yourself, too.
“Resetting my energy, renewing my spirit, making my skin feel calmer — which comes from making all of me feel calmer — is not complicated. But it does require intention.”
A Little Something About This Place
Galveston Island State Park sits on the western end of Galveston Island, spanning both the Gulf beach side and the quieter Galveston Bay side. The bay side protects one of the few remaining coastal prairie and wetland habitats along the upper Texas Gulf Coast — a landscape that once stretched for miles and now exists in only a handful of places. It is a reminder that wild things endure when we choose to protect them.
The Sketch: Learning to See What You Have Passed By
I brought my sketchbook to Galveston, as I bring it to every park on this journey. Sitting on the bay side with the marsh grasses and open water in front of me, I was reminded that slowing down long enough to draw something forces you to truly look at it.
I had driven past this park for years. And here I was, finally still enough to see it.
The sketches from all 88 parks will eventually illustrate a book I am writing about this journey. So each drawing is not just a record of the visit — it is a piece of something larger being built, one park at a time.
The Lavender Lotion Bar: What I Carry and Why
I brought my Lavender Lotion Bar to Galveston. Since it is solid, it travels pretty much anywhere — in a purse, in a bag, even on a plane. I created it so you could have a moisturizer with you whenever you needed it, without worrying about spills or liquids.
After a few hours outdoors — especially in Gulf Coast air — your skin registers the wind, the salt, the humidity swings. A quick application of something gentle and natural is simple maintenance. The kind of small ritual that closes the sensory experience of a day in nature the right way.
My approach to skincare has shifted considerably as I have gotten older. I do not believe aging is something I need to fight anymore. I tend to it and support it — with fewer, better things. Formulations rooted in nature. Products that feel like care, not correction.
That philosophy is what every product I make is built around. And it is what this entire series is built around too.
“At this stage of my life, making my skin feel calmer comes from making all of me feel calmer.”
The Quest: 88 Parks, One Practice
The Texas State Parks Passport gets a unique stamp at each of the 88 parks in the system. I am visiting every single one, and documenting what each stop teaches me — about nature, about tending to yourself well, and about what it means to age with intention rather than resistance.
Galveston Island State Park is stop 7 of 88. Cedar Hill was where the practice began. Galveston is where I learned that a familiar place can still surprise you, if you finally stop long enough to let it.
This is not a race. It is not a travel vlog. It is a guide to showing up for yourself, one park at a time.
If you are in a similar season — looking for a way to reconnect, slow down, and approach your life with more care and less urgency — you are welcome to walk this with me.
Practical Notes for Your Galveston Island Visit
- Location: 14901 FM 3005, Galveston, TX 77554
- Day use hours: Typically 8 AM to 10 PM — confirm current hours at the Texas State Parks website
- Entrance fee: Standard Texas State Park day use fees apply; the Annual Pass is worth it if you plan to visit multiple parks
- Don’t skip the bay side: Most visitors head straight for the beach — the bay side trails, ponds, and observation deck are where the wildlife and quiet are
- What to bring: Water, sunscreen, comfortable walking shoes, binoculars if you enjoy birds, and something grounding for after — your skin will thank you
- Best time to visit: Weekday mornings tend to be quieter; spring and fall are ideal for birding and mild temperatures
- Worth noting: The observation deck on the bay side offers a peaceful, wide-open view that feels very different from a typical beach visit
FAQs
What is the Texas State Parks Quest?
The Texas State Parks Quest is my personal journey to visit all 88 official Texas State Parks. Each visit is documented through video, journaling, and sketching — with a focus on how time in nature supports graceful aging, skin health, and intentional living at every stage of life.
Why do you sketch at every park?
The sketchbook is one of the anchoring practices of this whole journey. Sketching forces me to slow down and truly look at where I am — which is both a meditative practice and a creative one. The sketches from all 88 parks will eventually illustrate a book I am writing about this journey, so each drawing is also building something larger.
What does spending time in nature to do with skincare and aging?
More than most people realize. Chronic stress accelerates aging both internally and in the skin — contributing to inflammation, collagen breakdown, dryness, and reactivity. Time in nature measurably lowers cortisol, supports better sleep, and reduces systemic inflammation. Combined with thoughtful topical skincare, it becomes a genuinely holistic approach to aging well.
What is the Lavender Lotion Bar and why did you bring it to this park?
The Lavender Lotion Bar is one of my own handcrafted formulations — something I created so you could carry a real moisturizer with you anywhere, without worrying about spills or airport liquids rules. It is solid, travel-friendly, and gentle. After time outdoors in Gulf Coast air, it is a simple, calming way to tend to your skin. I made it for myself first, and it became one of the products I reach for most when I am away from home.
Galveston Island State Park is stop 7 of 88 on my Texas State Parks Quest. New episodes post every Thursday. Next stop: Sheldon Lake State Park. If this resonated with you, share it with someone else who is ready to slow down.
References & Links
Internal Links
Texas State Parks Quest Series