When the World Gets Loud: Lake Tawakoni State Park

Leave a Comment / Self Care, Texas State Parks / By Susan Svec

When the World Gets Loud

There is a moment, not very long after you step onto a park path, when something shifts. The noise does not disappear exactly. But it moves further away. The birds get louder. The trees get closer. And whatever was pressing on you at home starts to feel, at least for a little while, like someone else’s problem.

That is what I came to Lake Tawakoni for. And that is what I found.

Lake Tawakoni State Park sits about an hour northeast of where I live, tucked along one of the largest reservoirs in northeast Texas. The day I visited was sunny and cool — the kind of spring day that feels like a gift. There were children playing down at the little beach, their voices carrying across the water. And I found myself a quiet, secluded spot, opened my sketchbook, and let the world get far away.

Which, at this point in my life, I have learned to recognize as one of the most important things I can do.

When the world gets loud, I find that walking down the path a little bit, listening to the birds, being among the trees really helps quiet everything down.

What the Water Does

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I have noticed that water does something particular to the nervous system. You do not have to swim in it or do anything with it at all. You just have to be near it. Something in the body recognizes it and starts to let go.

Lake Tawakoni was created in the 1960s when the Sabine River was dammed to form one of the largest reservoirs in northeast Texas. Before the water came, this was farmland and open prairie. Now it is a state park — a place set aside, deliberately, so that people could come and do exactly what I was doing. Sit. Breathe. Let the water work.

I find that remarkable. That someone decided this needed to exist. And that seventy-some years later, it still does.

I was sitting in a little secluded area, and the world seemed pretty far away. Which I think is a good thing.

The Sketch: Grasses, Limbs, and Learning to Look

I brought my sketchbook, as I bring it to every park on this journey. This time I sketched what was right in front of me — little weeds and grasses, some limbs, the quiet tangle of things that grow at the water’s edge without anyone planning them.

I am not an accomplished artist. I want to be clear about that. But that is not really the point. The point is that when I sit down to sketch, I have to actually look at what is in front of me. I cannot glance at it. I have to study it — the way a stem bends, the way light catches a blade of grass, the way things grow in the directions they want to and not the directions anyone planned.

That kind of looking takes time. And taking time is, in itself, the practice.

By the time I was done, the internal noise had quieted. I could hear my own thoughts again. Which is the whole point of this journey, really.

Sketching just calms me and makes everything feel better. Which is kind of the point of this whole thing.

The sketches from all 88 parks will eventually illustrate a book I am writing about this journey. Which means every time I open that sketchbook, I am not just drawing a park. I am building something that will outlast the visit.

What Nature Does for Your Skin — and Your Energy

There is something measurable that happens when you step into a quiet outdoor space. It is not just poetic. Chronic stress drives cortisol production, and cortisol is one of the more underappreciated contributors to dull skin, inflammation, and accelerated aging. When we genuinely slow down — not just scroll more quietly, but actually stop — we give our bodies a chance to lower that cortisol, reduce systemic inflammation, and support the skin’s natural repair processes.

Inside-out health is not a wellness trend. It is the quiet foundation of aging well. And Texas State Parks, it turns out, are very good medicine.

Lavender Chamomile Soap: What I Carry and Why

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I brought my Lavender Chamomile Soap to Lake Tawakoni. It felt like the right one for a day like this.

What most people do not know is that I originally created this soap for babies. Years ago I had a line called Little Angels — lavender and chamomile products designed specifically for infants and little ones with sensitive skin. A body butter, a lotion bar, and this soap. The soap was the one that sold best. So when I eventually stepped back from that line, I kept this one. I renamed it to match the format of my other soaps — named simply for the essential oils inside.

Lavender and chamomile are two of the gentlest essential oils there are. I chose them for babies because babies deserve only the most careful ingredients. It turns out those same qualities — calming, gentle, suited for sensitive skin — are exactly what I am looking for at 68. The world does not need to be harsher on your skin than it already is. This soap works with your body, not against it.

There is a little oatmeal in it as well, though not as much as my Lavender Oatmeal Soap. It is a gentle soap. The kind that closes a day spent outside exactly right.

I made it for babies. Turns out it is exactly what I need too.

When the World Gets Loud: What This Visit Is Really About

The theme of this episode is one I did not have to look very hard to find. It was already there in the reason I left the house that morning.

When the world gets loud — when the noise of it starts to crowd out the things that actually matter — nature is where I go. Not to escape. Not to avoid anything. But to remember what quiet feels like, so I can bring a little of it back with me.

At 68, I have learned that quiet does not arrive on its own. You have to go find it. You have to make the decision to show up for yourself — to take the drive, walk the path, sit beside the water. And when you do, the world has a way of rearranging itself around you.

That is what Lake Tawakoni did for me on this particular spring morning. I arrived with some noise in my head. I left with a sketch, a stamped passport, and considerably less of it.

Slow living, recharging, natural skincare — all of it together, out in nature, appreciating what Texas has given us.

The Quest: 88 Parks, One Practice

The Texas State Parks Passport gets a unique stamp at each park in the system. I am visiting every single one — 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.

Lake Tawakoni is stop four of 88. (Maybe 89 — I understand a new park may have just joined the system.) Purtis Creek was last week. Huntsville State Park is next — Jerry and I are heading down to Galveston and plan to stop in the pines on the way.

This is not a race. It is not a travel vlog. It is a practice. And you are welcome to walk it with me.

If you are in a season where the world is getting loud and you are not quite sure how to quiet it — consider this an invitation.

Practical Notes for Your Lake Tawakoni Visit

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• Location: 171 Park Road 54, West Tawakoni, TX 75474
• Day use hours: Typically 6 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 lake itself — one of the largest reservoirs in northeast Texas, with beautiful open water views and a small beach area
• What to bring: Water, sunscreen, a journal if that is your thing, comfortable shoes, and something grounding for after — your skin will thank you
• Best time to visit: Spring and fall mornings are ideal; the water is beautiful in low light and the park is less crowded early in the day
• Worth noting: There are quiet, secluded spots away from the beach area that are perfect for sketching or simply sitting with the water

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From This Blog

• Bonham State Park: Peace Is Something You Protect  —  Previous episode in the Texas State Parks series
• Purtis Creek State Park  —  Stop three of 88
• Natural Skincare for Sensitive Skin  —  How fewer, better ingredients make a difference
• Lavender Chamomile Soap  —  Shop — Susan Soaps & More

From Around the Web

• Lake Tawakoni State Park  —  Official Texas Parks & Wildlife page
• Texas State Parks Passport  —  How to get your passport and start collecting stamps
• Texas State Parks Annual Pass  —  Worth it if you plan to visit more than a few parks
• Nutured By Nature  —  American Psychological Association — research on nature and stress
• Benefits of Lavender Essential Oil for Skin  —  National Institutes of Health — published research