Leave a Comment / Self Care, Texas State Parks / By Susan Svec
When the Best Trips Are the Ones You Don’t Plan
I want to tell you something I have been thinking about since the moment I pulled into Sea Rim State Park completely unannounced — at least to myself. This kind of day is one I wish I had more of — experiencing a reset you didn’t plan! It can bring you so much Joy.
We had been in Galveston the day before, and that morning I realized I had forgotten to film a segment I needed. After I finished filming and we were getting ready to leave, I commented to Jerry that I always love visiting these parks. I wish we could go visit another one right now.
He looked at me and said, “You’ve been wanting to see Sea Rim. Let’s go.”
“Right now?” I asked.
“Why not?”
So we did. No stopping back our hotel room. No planning. We just drove over two hours from Galveston to Sea Rim State Park, near Sabine Pass, close to Port Arthur and Beaumont. I had ever been to that corner of Texas, even though I am a native Texan. And what we found there was exactly what I didn’t know I needed.
I’m so glad you’re here. Grab something warm, and come walk the boardwalk with me.
| Sometimes resetting your energy is doing the spontaneous thing. |
Sea Rim State Park: Not What I Expected
I’ll be honest — Sea Rim is not what I expected. I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect, but it surprised me in the best way.
What you find there is a series of boardwalks stretching out over marsh and coastal wetland terrain, right on the Gulf Coast. At one shelter stop, I could see multiple paths branching off in different directions — one to the left, another to the right, each leading somewhere quiet and unexpected. It felt less like a park you march through and more like a place that invites you to wander.
And the wildlife is very present. Multiple signs remind you to watch for alligators. I didn’t see any that day, but I kept an eye out. A fish jumped near the boardwalk. The air had that heavy, coastal quality that I find either exhausting or grounding depending on the day — and that day, it was grounding. I saw some herons in the low marshy water while walking out on one of the boardwalks.
A Spontaneous Decision and What It Taught Me
There is something worth saying here about what it means to actually rest. Experiencing a reset you didn’t plan can be truly liberating.
We spend a lot of time trying to plan our way into peace. We put the vacation on the calendar. We schedule the quiet weekend. And sometimes that works. But what happened at Sea Rim reminded me that there is another kind of reset — the kind that happens when you listen to the quiet impulse that says: just go.
A few hours after leaving Galveston, I was walking a coastal boardwalk I had never seen before, watching the light move over the marsh, and feeling genuinely lighter. Not because I had done everything right. Because I had let myself be spontaneous for one afternoon.
That matters at every stage of life. Especially this one. Would I have gotten to Sea Rim. Yes, certainly as some point as I am working through my quest of all 88 Texas State Parks. But it wouldn’t have been this day. And this day was just perfect!
Don’t box yourself in with planning every event or worrying about every contingincy. Go with the flow sometimes a get the benefits from a reset you didn’t plan!
| Surprises are fun. Options are fun. That is part of what keeps us young — heart, mind, and spirit. |
The Boardwalks and the Branching Paths
One of the things that made Sea Rim feel distinct was the layout of those boardwalks. It is not a single loop or a straightforward trail. There are options — shelters, branches, different directions you can take depending on what you feel like exploring.
I stopped at one shelter mid-walk and just looked out. In the distance I could see another shelter, another stretch of boardwalk, another path going somewhere I hadn’t been yet. And I thought: this is what choosing your own path actually looks like. Not one dramatic fork in the road. Just a series of gentle choices, one after another, each one taking you somewhere you wouldn’t have gone if you hadn’t moved in the first place.
I find a lot of my thinking about this season of life in moments exactly like that one.
What Your Skin Is Telling You After a Coastal Day
Coastal air is a particular kind of exposure. The humidity, the salt, the wind — your skin registers all of it, even when you don’t.
After a few hours on those boardwalks, I wanted something simple and grounding for my skin. Something that worked with what my body had just been through rather than against it. That is the philosophy behind everything I make: fewer things, better chosen, rooted in nature.
So when I got back to our hotel room, I took a shower and used my Frankincense & Myrrh Body Oil. Aaahh!
What we put on our skin matters. And so does the intention behind it. A product that was made to support your body — not correct it, not fight the signs of living — is a different kind of thing entirely. That shift in perspective is part of what this whole series is built around.
| 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.Sea Rim is stop 9 of 88. This one arrived unplanned. Maybe that was the whole point.If you are in a similar season — looking for a way to slow down and approach your skin and your life with more care — you are welcome to walk this with me. |
Practical Notes for Your Sea Rim Visit
- Location: Sea Rim State Park, near Sabine Pass, TX — close to Port Arthur and Beaumont
- 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
- Park highlight: The boardwalk system over coastal wetlands — take time to explore the branching paths rather than rushing one direction
- What to bring: Water, sunscreen, insect repellent, comfortable shoes, and a little extra patience — the alligator signs are real
- Best time to visit: Early morning or overcast days; fall and winter are ideal for the heat and humidity
- Worth noting: The multiple paths and shelters make this feel more like an exploration than a single trail — give yourself time to wander
FAQs
What is a 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.
Is Sea Rim State Park worth visiting if you are not a birder or serious naturalist?
Yes — genuinely. I went in knowing very little about it, completely spontaneously, and found it to be one of the more peaceful and visually interesting stops on this journey so far. The boardwalks create a sense of exploration rather than a linear walk-and-back. If you like quiet coastal environments and are open to wherever a path takes you, Sea Rim will reward you.
What does spending time in nature have 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 rooted in natural ingredients, it becomes a genuinely holistic approach to aging well.
How do I follow along with this series?
Subscribe to my YouTube channel for new park episodes each week [LINK], and bookmark this blog for the written companion posts. Each post goes deeper into the themes from that visit — nature, graceful aging, sketching, and caring for yourself well at every stage of life.
Sea Rim State Park is stop ___ of 88 on my Texas State Parks Quest. New episodes post every Thursday. If this resonated with you, share it with someone who could use a good unplanned afternoon.