Lake Livingston, I presume?

After a few years of paddling the waters around Houston, I have settled on a handful of favorite destinations -- beautiful, peaceful places I savor returning to season after season. You'll see their names appear repeatedly here on my blog. But as much as I enjoy these familiar haunts, the itch to explore new places is always there in the back of my mind.

So when I pulled out of my driveway before sunrise on Saturday, I steered my car toward a new destination: Lake Livingston in the piney woods northeast of Houston.

After launching at the state park on the southeast side of the lake, I needed a destination. The wooded shores of Pine Island on the horizon looked inviting, so I turned my bow in that direction and started paddling.

Let me tell you a funny story about Lake Livingston. It's really big! And that inviting island turned out to be about three miles from the launch. Once I got there, it did prove fun to explore. It was ringed with sandy beaches and covered in dense woods full of birds. I circled the island slowly, landing a couple of times to look around and to take a break under the shade of a weeping willow. During my picnic, I spotted what I believe were a pair of bald eagles, though they were too far away for me to get a really good look.

By the time I was done with my snack, the clouds had started to build ominously. I took to the water again and paddled vigorously back toward the launch. I'm glad to have added Lake Livingston to my destination list and I imagine I'll be back again -- but I think I'll pick a day that's a little cooler and with less chance of lightning!

More Pictures From Lake Livingston