As we make our way toward Michael’s idyllic state park, full of childhood memories and days of camping, he takes my favorite route via Hamilton Pool Road. It is a gift I wasn’t expecting. Along the way, I asked him how many days of his childhood he spent at Inks Lake.
“A lot,” he says, “Sometimes we would camp for an entire month, and my father would commute to work.”
I’ve heard a lot of his stories but never knew this one. I did know he spent a vast amount of time with his dog and friends, roaming the hills and gullies and inlets of Inks Lake State Park; it was part and parcel of his life as a child, a teenager, and a young man.
His dog was bitten by a rattlesnake and is buried here. As a teenager, he and a friend tried swimming across the lake to investigate a girl’s camp on the other side but quickly turned back when they saw too many water moccasins in their path, swimming faster than ever before.
The lake invites. Beckons. Lures. I can understand why many moms, dads, and kids want to spend time in this corner of Texas. Much of the shore is empty and wild, but the areas designated for camping are tiny villages built of canvas and steel. Kids fish, swim, ride scooters, and play. It's a joyful sight.
This state park is a beautiful watery wilderness full of magic and places to discover for young and old alike. Even these days, we slip away from the dailiness of life, taking time for impromptu or well-orchestrated picnics at Inks Lake.
There are nine miles of trails to hike and explore, with a wildlife viewing area as a destination at the end of the Devil's Waterhole Nature Trail. You can fish from their docks, swim in the lake, bring your boat and ski, or rent a paddleboat, canoe, or kayak. The park also has life vests and paddles available for rent at the park store. Inks Lake is quite possibly one of the loveliest, least expensive places for a family to spend their summer vacation, have fun, meet friends, and commune with nature.
Inks Lake SP was created to provide flood control for the Colorado River, and in the 1930s, the LCRA began building dams – one of which resulted in the formation of Inks Lake. The State Parks Board acquired approximately 100 acres in the 40s. Today, there are more camping areas than picnic tables, with nearly 200 campsites and 22 cabins. Many sites are lakeside, some have easy access to the lake, and several camping loops have playgrounds.
A Pretend Camper's Breakfast
Papa's Delicious Scrambled Eggs with Salsa
Breakfast Potatoes
Country Sausage
Fried Bread
Orange Muffins
A camper at heart, Michael jumped at the chance to cook breakfast outdoors. This meal required a bit more hauling than just a simple picnic basket or a tote on wheels; along with the food, there was a small Coleman stove, a teapot to boil water, a French press coffee maker, and a frying pan or two. But all the hauling and all of Michael's work was worth it. Memories flooded the air, and Michael's breakfast was delicious.
Even though it was my week to cook, the only thing I supplied was orange muffins shaped like the winged insects of summer. Ladybugs and butterflies joined us that day.
A riff on a Victorian Orange Peel Cake recipe I discovered decades ago, these orange muffins are among my favorite breakfast treats. They are redolent with the taste and fragrance of orange and kept moist by the addition of pureed, sweet, moist raisins.
One day I stumbled upon a Nordic Ware pan with muffins shaped like flying backyard insects: 2 each butterflies, dragonflies, bees, and lady bugs. I was charmed and immediately ordered one. Still available online, each indentation takes 1/3 cup batter to create a whimsical treat.
NOTE: Do not use old raisins that have been sitting around for months, buy fresh moist raisins. Have all ingredients at room temperature and loosen your flour with a wire whisk before measuring.
Orange Muffins
Makes 15-18 muffins
• 1 large orange
• 1 C moist dark raisins
• ½ C butter, room temperature
• 1 C sugar
• 2 eggs, room temperature
• 2 C flour,
• 1 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 C buttermilk, room temperature
Preheat oven to 350°F. Remove peel from the orange (no white pith) with a vegetable peeler. In a food processor, combine the orange peel and raisins and pulse until a dark paste forms. Set aside. In a stand mixer, cream sugar and butter until smooth. Add eggs and beat until fluffy. Whisk together flour, baking soda, and salt. Add to the sugar-butter mixture alternately with buttermilk. Mix well after each addition. Add the raisin-orange mixture to the batter and mix until combined. Using a 1/3 cup measure filled to the top, scrape batter into parchment-lined muffin wells. Bake until golden brown and firm to the touch, about 20 – 25 minutes.
A lifetime food enthusiast and cook, Charlotte Caldwell loves to entertain and enjoy fine food in the beauty of the outdoors. She has catered everything from weddings to charity events and, of course, picnics. She is the author of “Charlotte’s Texas Hill Country Picnics,” from which these columns appear.
