Austin Business Journal notes that the low Lake Travis level, attributable to the Texas drought, has had a significant impact on lakeside business. We feel fortunate that Inks Lake is more or less constant level, and has been unaffected by the drought.

Inks Lake State Park offers several programs and activities this month, and October is a great time to visit!

Inks Lake State Park is located at 3630 Park Road 4 West. Entrance fees to the park are $5 for a day pass for those 13 and older or $4 a day if staying overnight. Admission is free for children 12 and younger.

Free programs — with park admission — include:

• Free fishing with the ranger, 5-6 p.m. Fridays: Free catch-and-release program with poles and worms provided. Meet at the park store.
• Hike the Hill Country, 1-4 p.m. Oct. 8 and 22: Challenging 4-mile hike with a Master Naturalist for experienced hikers. Bring water and wear closed-toe shoes. Meet at the Pecan Flats Trailhead.
• Stumpy Hollow Hike, 9-10 a.m. Oct. 15 and 29: Explore the wildlife, flowers, trees and more with a Master Naturalist. Meet at the Pecan Flats Trailhead.
• Texas Time Travelers, 2-4 p.m. Oct. 22: Special presentations by Trappers Jack and Wayne about fur trading, trapping and the life of early settlers.
• Creatures of the Night and Star Party, 6-10 p.m. Oct. 29: Meet and learn about life-size creatures, receive treats and gaze at the stars. Meet behind the park store. The park also will hold programs for a fee. Participants should pre-register or pay the fee at least a half-hour before the program begins.

These programs include:

• Geology Rocks, 10 a.m.-noon Saturdays. Cost is $3: Hike and learn about the geology and rock formations in the park. Meet at the park headquarters.
• Electric boat cruise, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays except Oct. 29. Cost is $16-$20: Sign up for the cruise at park headquarters and meet behind the park store. Pre-registration is required.
• Owl Prowl, 6:30-8 p.m. Oct. 9. Cost is $3: Meet at the park headquarters for a guided hike about owls.
• Moonlight Paddle, 5:30-7:30 p.m. Oct. 8. Cost is $15: Meet at the park store for a guided, moonlit tour on the lake. Must be 18 years or older. Pre-registration required at the park headquarters.
• Canoe/kayak basics with tour to Devils Waterhole, 9-11 a.m. Oct. 15 and 22. Cost is $12 for adults, $10 for children 12 and younger: Learn the basic paddling, boating skills and safety. Bring water and wear sunscreen and water shoes. Kayaks and canoes provided. Meet at the shoreline by the park store. Pre-registration is required.
• Breakfast with the Birds, 8-10 a.m. Fridays. Cost is $16-$20: Enjoy a light breakfast and bird-watching boat tour on the lake. Meet behind the park store. Pre-registration is required.

To pre-register for programs, call the park headquarters at (512) 793-2223. For more about the programs, call the park naturalists at (512) 793-4689. For more about the park, visit www.tpwd.state.tx.us.

Killeen Daily Herald has a story called “Looking for Peace and Quiet? Head to Inks Lake.” This is especially true in the fall and winter, when there are fewer recreational visitors to the lake. Clear Creek Cove has a lot of visitors off-season who have relaxation in mind, as well as folks who “fly south for the winter” from much colder climes.

Directly across from Clear Creek Cove, there’s a golf course that became part of Inks Lake State Park years ago. Due to the ongoing budget crunch, the State Park couldn’t afford to operate the golf course anymore, so they’re returning the land to the wild. This article says how that’s going. We’ve definitely seen an increase in bird traffic since the golfers are no longer there, and I suspect the turtles are pleased that they’ll no longer have to dodge golfballs. We’re looking forward to the evolution of that beautiful open space.

We had a productive work day at Clear Creek Cove Thursday. When we arrived Wednesday evening, we discovered there as a problem with the air conditioner, but it was benign, a quick and relatively inexpensive fix Thursday morning. The air was crisp and cooling, the yard and the lake were beautiful, and we were energetic, getting quite a lot of work done in the limited time we had – devoting much of our time to cleaning out the storage building and getting the house ready for today’s guests.

Fall and winter at the lakehouse are relaxing. The lake is placid, beautiful, and calming. It’s great to be away from the city, hiking and hanging out, watching the stars at night. Thanksgiving and Christmas are especially wonderful at the lake. In the Christmas season, consider visiting nearby Johnson City and Fredericksburg, both of which are especially festive.

(Marsha notes that the Sierra Club is having a hike at Enchanted Rock on December 11. More information here.) That’s just one hour’s drive from Clear Creek Cove.

Roy B. Inks

Like Bob Scruggs, original owner of the home at Clear Creek Cove, Roy Banford Inks was a car dealer who got his start when automobiles first appeared. We ran across a short biography of Inks, who was also a former Director of the Lower Colorado River Authority who pushed to have a dam on the Colorado River completed… which was eventually named Buchanan Dam, after U.S. Rep. J.P. Buchanan, who helped secure federal funds to complete the project after the original builder declared bankruptcy. Inks’ bio notes how hard it was to get the dam completed after the original investor went bankrupt. It was after a trip to Washington to support Buchanan’s legislation to get the dam finished that Inks developed an eventually fatal case of pneumonia.

Taste of the Hill Country is an event showcasing local restaurants and wineries, generating public interest for these establishments and providing a fun and flavorful evening for area adults. This is your chance to sample the most popular menu items from dozens of local restaurants, wineries, caterers, chocolatiers and more, all under one roof. These samples will range from barbeque to Mexican food, merlots to aperitifs, and everything in between.

The event will be held in the expansive Galloway Hammond Recreation Center, just minutes from historic downtown Burnet. There will also be a silent auction featuring goods and services donated by local vendors. With so much of the community expected to attend, it should not only be a great evening, but also prove to be a great networking event. [Link]

According a blog post here, Lake LBJ is a great place to find catfish.

Lake LBJ Lake LBJ, so named after famed Texan and former president, Lyndon B. Johnson, is part of the Colorado River’s Highland Lakes. This huge lake spans over six thousand acres from Granite Shoals to Kingsland, Texas. The big three (flathead, blue, and channel) cat are abundant in this lake, and a day on the lake can easily net you a catch of forty plus fish in the 5 to 40 pound size range. Particularly good, is the spot where the Llano and Colorado rivers converge. This location is especially good during the winter months. This area provides great opportunities for those who prefer fishing the bank.

It’s not far from Inks Lake:

Bluebonnets at Clear Creek Cove

The 25th Annual Burnet Bluebonnet Festival is this weekend, and this year’s a particularly great year – with all the rain, we have a riot of wildflowers all over the hill country. Great time to visit Marble Falls, Burnet, and Llano. Check out the schedule of events (pdf). Also starting this weekend – the Texas Wind and Wildflower Trail. Follow this link to more photos of bluebonnets.

Here’s a picture that tells a story – a graph of combined storage levels of Lake Travis and and Lake Buchanan. Note the significant dip in from 2005 to 2010. Levels are rising again in 2010 thanks to recent wet weather. Clear Creek Cove is on Inks Lake, which receives water from Lake Buchanan and has a more or less constant level, unaffected by drought. (Source: LCRA)