We Fell in Love with Wichita Falls, Texas!
Initially, I didn’t expect much from Wichita Falls but after spending a week exploring, we quickly fell in love with the people and the area! After arriving at the Wichita Falls RV Park and introducing our Travel Cat, Kolohe, to her new Easter Peep basket, we ventured out to explore the Wichita Bluff Nature Area, an entrance literally steps away from our RV!
The river walk was stunning, with chocolate brown waters and vibrant wildlife. We saw white egrets, herons, listened to the loud frogs, and were serenaded by bright red cardinals. Unsure of the trail's length, we turned back after two miles to ensure we had enough water as it was hot! Four miles was enough for our first walk of many along the river! We highly recommend staying at Wichita Falls RV Park - the staff are very friendly and having the nature path right outside is wonderful!
If you don’t choose our RV park to settle into don’t worry. Wichita Falls embraces natural beauty with walking trails, lakes, and memorials, offering close encounters with Texas flora and fauna. You forget you're in a city of 100,000 while strolling the Wichita Buff Nature Area or enjoying the trail system and waterway at Lake Wichita Park. There’s no excuse for not getting your steps in or dusting off a bike to explore! Be sure to check out the beautiful tribute to our amazing military vets at the Veteran’s Memorial and then hike to the tallest point in Wichita Falls!
No trip to Wichita Falls is complete without a trip to Lucy Park and the Riverbend Nature Center. We spent a couple hours enthralled with an impromptu presentation by curator Kevin who is a walking encyclopedia of all Texas creatures great and small. If you’ve watched a few of our other videos which involved snake encounters, you know I’m not a fan. At all! But honestly, under Kevin’s patient tutelage I began to relax and was inspired by his enthusiasm to interact with the creatures in the exhibit. If you find yourself at the nature center - find Kevin! He’s a true professional wildlife ambassador who clearly has found his niche in life. Round out your time at the center by walking the gorgeous trails and be sure to stop and read the educational signs you find along the paths. Although the center is in a bit of a remodel, we still found a lot to see and do, easily spending a couple hours.
One of several paths to explore at Riverbend Nature Center.
After working up an appetite it was time to find some food! Wichita Falls has so many options that are sure to appease even the most discerning foodie. During our week stay we sampled the iconic red taco at Casa Manana, the local favorite charcuterie board and wine at Hook and Ladder Coffee and Wine Co, enjoyed excellent brews and flatbread pizza at Wichita Brewing Company, and were treated to a crazy good steak dinner with all the trimmings from our good friends Steve and Jan at McBride’s Land and Cattle Co. We rounded out our exploration of the food and drink scene at the Speakeasy Distillery which is owned by the retired firefighters who also own Hook and Ladder. We highly recommend venturing downtown to explore and sample the great food offerings!
People often ask how we find our adventures and I always recommend either an in-person visit to the local Visitor’s Bureau or at the very least, a quick search online to peruse the website. I was surprised to find a extremely well thought out and beautiful website dedicated to all things Wichita Falls. Check it out by clicking this link: Discover Wichita Falls. Using this site I was able to find the gorgeous street art scattered throughout the city. We spent an hour or two driving and walking around downtown to find each artwork, and then reading the backstory via the website. Here’s a sneak peak of my favorites!
When we settle in an area, we always try to find an experience or excursion which showcases the volunteerism and passion of the locals, something unique to the city or town we visit which sets it apart from the typical tourist spots. Enter in the Wild Bird Rescue Center situated near the shores of Lake Wichita Park. Director Melissa Rose welcomed us with open arms and her enthusiasm for the resident bird ambassadors and current rehab patients was quickly evident! Just like Kevin at the Riverbend Nature Center, she’s a walking encyclopedia of her niche. What a gem to visit with and watch her interact with the raptors! We’ve always said you can assess the true character of a person on how they interact with animals, and Melissa’s reverence toward every bird we saw her interact with quickly revealed her kindness, patience, and determination to honor these beautiful animals. Thank you for what you do Melissa!
Aaron and I have visited several wild animal rescue facilities ranging from large cats, goats, wolves, birds, to your average domestic animal shelter. Walking the grounds at the Wild Bird Rescue Center quickly set it apart as the best facility we’ve encountered for raptors. Wow! Executive Director Jeff Bryant has outdone himself in designing a well thought out, luxury habitat for the Bird Ambassadors. Check out our video below to see the birds (my fav was Morticia) and then head on over to their website to donate or, if you are in the area - become a volunteer!!! www.wildbirdrescuewf.org
