A video we made of our last trip to houston with some of the more prominent sites along the way pointed out. From Frisco to Dallas on the North Dallas Tollway, Merge onto I35 South, Woodall Rogers Freeway connecting to I45 South …. all the way from Houston.

Sites pointed out and prominently displayed ….

Klyde Warren Park Tunnel
Downtown Dallas
Fountain Place
Reunion Tower
Perot Museum
Historic West End is clearly visible

Dallas Design District and a few of the more prominent buildings along the freeway

Addison – A restaurant and night life mecca

Mary Kay Cosmetics Headquarters

Silver I Heart Radio Building (A lot of the local radio stations occupy space in there as does the Korean Consulate)

Plano

And other Sites

A short clip of one of the songs we got together to perform in a little club in Spring, Texas called the Blue Giraffe …. on “Friday Open Mic Night.

Absolutely wonderful time we had down there with friends!!

Blue Giraffe

I had a little job to do in Fredericksburg, Texas. We planned a trip to Enchanted Rock State Park for a few days around this job. We recently acquired a travel trailer and this little excursion was our firs time to actually use the new camper for an outing. We were not disappointed!! We stayed at Oxford Ranch Campground and listened to a nightly serenade of crickets, bullfrogs and coyotes in a pop out tent on the back of our trailer. We walked the property and marveled at the wildlife in our little rural hamlet.

Finding our way to Enchanted Rock ….

We left Fredericksburg headed toward Enchanted Rock on Ranch Road 965 …. our first glimpse of the featured attraction was just stunning.

We just passed by and went out to set up camp at Oxford Ranch about ten miles away from the park. After setting up camp we returned to find the approach from the east is just as stunning.

Our Time inside Enchanted Rock State Park …..

I wanted a photo, specifically and tactically taken from the view from the west …. hoping to have reflection in Moss Lake to the west of the hill. Depending on how one wishes to get there …. we took Echo Canyon Trail which is fairly strenuous, although shorter than the other alternatives. I got my shots of Enchanted Rock, however … the lake was too choppy for decent reflection the entire time we were there. Made 3 hikes back to Moss lake and each time the chop was in the way. It also remained far too cloudy to make any night exposures of the area. We will plan another trip down at some point in the future when conditions are more favorable to shots I’d like to get …. for now, please enjoy these.

Observations

This is a very nice state park. All we saw was clean and pristine. There were very few people in the park the days we were there starting Sunday afternoon and ending Monday afternoon. Trails were well marked and easy to follow. The views were incredible. Well worth taking the time to visit this park. We totally enjoyed our time, there. We highly recommend using Oxford Ranch Campground as your base of operations while visiting the park … we loved our time there!!

Links

Texas Parks and Wildlife Page

Hill Country Guide – Oxford Ranch

Texas Gulf Coast – Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, Texas

Headed out of the City of Corpus Christi on our continuing Texas gulf coast vacation, we made our first stop at Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. We saw a whooping crane way off in the distance and hiked a trail about a mile in length. We took the auto tour around the backside of the refuge and saw several white tailed deer and a few osprey. The visitors center was awesome and the folks running it were very nice and attentive. There are a couple really photogenic spots, like this massive tree that one cuold easily get lost under. Nice coastline. Lookout tower at the very back overlooking wetland areas. Just a beautiful place to spend some time. Pick a warmer day than we did, though …. lol!!

The highlight of the early leg of the journey was when we ran across a flock of hawks, all redtail as far as I was able to determine, in a group of eight or nine feeding on a raccoon. I have never seen a group of hawks feeding. I have seen two working together, never a flock. As soon as I saw them I pulled over and several scattered into the surrounding trees. One stayed put and continued to tear away at flesh. I was able to inch ever closer, little by little. To the left is the result of a lot of patient approach and a hawk that was determined to continue to feed. Ultimately we departed the area and they all presumably finished dinner, together.

Texas Gulf Coast – Port Lavaca, Texas

After leaving the refuge we drove farther up to Port Lavaca on the Texas gulf coast. We simply took a rest and looked around. Halfmoon Reef Lighthouse was once out in the water to mark the channel into Matagorda Bay. The coast guard sold the structure and it was moved inland to point comfort. Later it was given to the Port Lavaca Historical Board and moved to Port Lavaca where it was restored and still stands today.

The rest of the drive was peaceful and mostly boring untile we got to Freeport, crossed the bridge to the south end of the island. Loving the view of the ocean and the beaches until it got dark. We ambled on in to Galveston, ate and bedded down for the night.

Texas Gulf Coast – Galveston, Texas

Galveston was a really fun city to visit. Downtown is all spruced up and there’s a really nice shopping district. Way better than it was in the 90s when we went down there. We went to the railroad museum in the old rail depot. Nice displays in the buildings to interact with, and our daughter had a blast! There was a PILE of actual rail cars and engines out back, many of which were open to climb right in to touch and feel. Dining Cars, Mail Car, Box Cars, Crane Car, Locomotives. This is a great way for children to feel history. Displays of rail memorabilia, dining car cups, saucers, plates, a model railroad, ticket counter, buttons to press to make signs light up …. it took hours to take it all in. Phenomenal place worth every penny of entry fee, and it wasn’t much.

 
 
 

The Historic Downtown District is shoppers delight. Lots of specialty shops, food, drinks, entertainment and the best part, for me, was the architecture. Well worth taking a few hours and walking about, just to look around and maybe indulge a little. There is something, there, for the entire family. They even have an old style soda fountain!

 
 
 
 
 
 

We also visited a couple city parks, went through several neighborhoods, walked the beaches, the pier was a little disappointing. The fishing pier was partially destroyed by a hurricane and it wasn’t nearly as long as it once was, but was a lot of fun to be out there, nonetheless. We looked at the Pleasure Pier, but in all honesty, it was way too cold to have a good time riding outdoors. We skipped that, this time. We went down to the docks and bought some amazing fresh gulf seafood to bring home with us. We watched the pelicans race for the trash the dockworkers threw out their back doors for quite a while.

The other place we went that really sticks out in my mind was Seawolf Park. We toured two ships, the WWII era submarine USS Cavalla and the WWII Destroyer Escort USS Stewart. What an amazing walk in historical perspective. Being inside the submarine, especially, and the imagination of time spent undersea during a war in that vessel was …. well, sobering. It is really hard to imagine what those folks endured. One gets an up close and personal self guided tour through both vessels with very few areas that are inaccessible. Great family fun and a great real time lesson in history for the little ones.

Another great part of Seawolf Park is just being on the grounds. There was a few spots for wildlife to congregate and nice areas to sit, relax, and take in the view. We learned that ships use the ship channel, often, off the eastern side of the park …. and where there are large ships on the move, there are dolphins having a party. We saw several dolphins at this locatin, as well. They were so much fun to watch. Well woth spending the time to watch the very animated festivities.

Texas Gulf Coast – Sadly, Homeward Bound

We hated to get back home to reality, but we had to. We took the ferry across the ship channel to take the long way around up the Texas gulf coast then back to Houston and hit I-45 headed north. None of us had ever been on a ferry, before, so we had to. The dolphins in the channel swam next to the ferry and our daughter’s eyes were glued to the water as we crossed. Was a nice drive through some pretty country and a relaxing way to leave ….. until next time.

More Information:

City Of Galveston Information

Texas Gulf Coast – Harlingen, Texas

On the way from South Padre to Corpus, we spent a little bit of time in Harlingen, Texas. No trip to the Southern Texas Gulf Coast is complete without a trip into Harlingen. We visited the Harlingen Arts and Heritage Museum, as well as, the Marine Military Academy Iwo Jima Memorial and Museum. They are both built on the former grounds of the Harlingen Army Air Field and later, Harlingen Air Force Base. Other things built on former Air Base Property of approximately 960 acres include the Valley International Airport, and Texas State Technical College.

First off, the Arts and Heritage Museum is full of historical exhibits. Structures that were moved into the property include Paso Real Stagecoach Inn, The first house built in Harlingen (1904), and Harlingen Hospital. The stagecoach inn has a room set up with period furniture that travelers would have found accommodating as they rolled into town to spend the night. Another room in the inn has all sorts of displays …. an old telephone operators station from early in telephone history, an old post office and several other artifacts from early in the 20th century. The hospital is set up with medical equipment and other artifacts from the same period. The home is beautifully decorated, as it would have been in that era. Fascinating displays found throughout the facility to peruse.

Just down and across the street is the Marine Military Academy. The Iwo Jima Memorial is simply an imposing site to behold. The memorial in Harlingen is the original model of the memorial at Arlington National Cemetery. It took several minutes to take in the enormity. Even writing this is dredging up the feelings I had at the site …. Walking around the grounds one feels an automatic sense of reverence. There is a grave, right there, at the memorial. Harlon Block of Weslaco, Texas, one of the Marines depicted in the famous photograph of the raising of the flag at Mount Surabachi, is enshrined at this memorial. He is actually the marine at the base of the flagpole in that photograph. The sense of respect one feels at this place is overwhelming.

We also toured the museum across the road from the memorial. It is a small museum absolutely filled and bulging with artifacts. The retired Marines that were in the building when we were there, were more than happy to show us around and tell stories. We were mesmerized and could have easily stayed all day. If a person has any time at all to spend in Harlingen, this area at the Military Academy is an absolute must see.

Texas Gulf Coast – Raymondville, Texas

Raymondville is a quaint little town. The county seat of Willacy County. We went to the HEB grocery to stock up on food supplies and snapped a photo or three in town. The Texas Theater is, without any doubt, the neatest structure in town. I really hope one day someone restores it and it reopens!

Texas Gulf Coast – Sarita, Texas

Sarita is a tiny town within the 400,000 acre area of what once was the Kennedy Ranch, named for the daughter of the Kennedy Ranch owner, Sarita Kennedy. Sarita is the County seat of Kennedy county, which is the least populated county in the state of texas. There doesn’t seem to be more that about 60 total structures in the entire town. A Museum (The Kennedy Ranch Museum) and the County Courthouse are the sum total of commercial structures that appear to still be in operation. The museum was closed, as was the courthouse, we pressed onward.

Texas Gulf Coast – Kingsville, Texas

Kingsville is a good sized town. Kingsville is the county seat of Kleburg County, Texas. We spen a little time looking around and found the town to be nice and pretty, for the most part. We didn’t happen along to see anything of significant interest to us, but, we do plan to be back in the near future to explore a little more. It was starting to get a little late and we really wanted to get into Corpus Christie, before nightfall. We moved on …..

Texas Gulf Coast – Corpus Christi, Texas

Corpus Christi was so surprising on several levels. Heavy, heavy industry along the north side of town. Driving through what I would really call slum territory wasn’t at all appealing with a wife and daughter along. Our impression of Corpus Christi is …. well, a dump, to put it mildly. A lot of the actual town is very run down and dirty. Personally, I wouldn’t ever care to return to Corpus until that city, somehow, finds a way to clean up and at least give the impression that it is a Texas Gulf Coast city. It is almost shameful how bad it is in town. By far, Corpus Christi is the worst city in the state we have seen so far. Most of the cities and towns we have been to in Texas are deeply involved in urban renewal and restoration …. Not this one, not at all. Memorials and historic attractions that are closed off, not working, or both. Buildings literally falling apart and/or boarded up. Still, though, there were several bright spots in town, several things to see that really are worth seeing. We spent our first evening in town at Bayfront Science Park. There was a wedding underway at the water feature, so we stayed back. We went to the adjacent seawall and had a beautiful view of the Causeway all lit up as well as the USS Lexington, also known as the “The Blue Ghost” in the crisp night air.

The following day we saw several things. There is a collection of old homes along Chaparral Street in the 1600 Block with a visitors center and displays. We took the tour and highly recommend it. After the tour we went back to Bayside Science park to enjoy the water feature and that was worth it. Very relaxing and beautiful grounds of the Art Museum of South Texas. We crossed the bay to board the USS Lexington. What an education! WWII era Aircraft Carrier in service from 1942 until 1991. Planes on the flight deck, all sorts of interactive displays, educational movies, memorials, reflections. A realistic look into the service of the Navy at sea. Thoroughly enjoyed every moment on board and definitely worth the price of admission. Late in the day we crossed over to Padre Island and went north to see Port Aransas.

In Port Aransas we looked around a very nice little village and ended up at Roberts Point Park where we had a wonderfully relaxing time …. well except for the excitement of seeing dolphins up close. That was pure adrenaline pumping excitement for our daughter. A huge ship was coming by and the dolphins were in the wake out in front just having a blast. Like I said in the earlier post, the dolphin watch cruises are OK, but seeing dolphins like this is far more entertaining, even though it is a shorter scene. In port aransas the ships are fairly close, so even basic pair of binoculars will allow a good view.

We went on to the south to the national seashore at the south end of Padre Island …. it was almost closed when we got there. We spent a few minutes looking around, and left, headed back to the hotel for the night. The sunset while we were headed back to Corpus from Padre Island was spectacular!!

Next we are headed to Galveston …..

More Information

Harlingen Arts and Heritage Museum
Marine Military Academy

Christmas on the Texas Gulf Coast Part 1 – South Padre Island and the trip south

The trip included most of the Gulf Coast with extended stays in South Padre, Corpus Christi, and Galveston. We intended to see the entire coast or at least as much of it as we were able to in two weeks. We stopped in every little town on the way to South Padre that made sense to stop in. We took in the Christmas scenery and enjoyed the “quaintness” of several small towns and county seats between Austin and South Padre Island.

Luling, Texas

The first little town that caught our attention on the way was Luling. For one thing, we were hungry and the Dairy Queen downtown looked so inviting. For another thing …. the oil pump Jacks were decorated for christmas!! I mean, if you have a pump jack, you might as well decorate it, and they did have pump jacks! Pleasant surprise!

Beeville, Texas

We eased on into Beeville. What a pretty little town with a beautiful county courthouse! Our eyes were really cought by the theater near the courthouse. The Rialto Theater in Beeville is being restored! Open house was scheduled for the 2 days after after we passed through …. we considered staying in the area to do the open house, but, decided to press on. The Barber shop on the right side of the entry took me back 45 years to a photo of my first haircut and my memories of going to the barber shop as a kid. The barber shop was still equipped with original chairs and utensils of the trade. Simply amazing. The snack bar on the left was almost totally empty.

The rest of the trip down was nice. The country roads in these sparsely populated counties were long and boring, but, the little towns along the way made the boredom worthwhile. We passed through the additional towns of: Kennedy, Alice, and Falfurrias. The Pioneer Theater in Falfurrias is also being restored. I just love the old theaters and am so happy to see another being saved. We rolled into South Padre, just in time, to continue the adventure.

Facebook Page for the Rialto Theater, Beeville (Pics of the barber shop on their page, too!!)

South Padre Island, Texas

We Spent three days in South Padre and the surrounding area. Christmas eve the temperature was 90 and we even got to swim in a churning ocean. A cold front came through that afternoon and the temp dropped to what I would call, cold. We stayed at the LaQuinta, right on the beach, and there were several places to see right in the immediate area. Audubon center right across the street, Sea Turtle Rescue within walking distance, A State Park/Beach next door, The Beach right out the back door. The seagulls even flew right up to the balcony where we sat out every morning looking at the beach and drinking coffee ….

South Padre Island Birding & Nature Center

The Birding & Nature Center is quite nice. Many many feet of boardwalk and many, many species of wildlife. All sorts of migrant birds, shorebirds, raptors, as well as just plain old birds. Reptiles, frogs, turtles, alligators. Aquatic life. We spent several hours at this location. There is a fee collector and ticket spitter right on the side of the Audobon Center building or you can enter the area at the convention center building. The island bus will drop you off, right there.

The office was closed during the time we were at South Padre. Next time we go, we do hope the office and visitors center is open. The photo opportunities were amazing. This is a must see on the island.

Birding and Nature Center

Sea Turtle, Inc.

Another fantastic visit is to the Sea Turtle, Inc. Building. There is no charge to enter, although, they do have a donation box. After a person has seen the work these folks do, it is almost a certainty they will donate. Take the kids and they even get to feed a turtle. There is no better sight that seeing a child connecting with a creature, an amazing experience we will not soon forget.

Sea Turtles (Another Must See!!)

Dolphin Tour

For us, the dolphin tour we went on was worth it for the first time, but, in the future will be a take it or leave it. We found a better way to really see the dolphins beyond what is seen from a boat following a pod. If we find a swim with the dolphins or an operator that brings them in really close, we’ll report on that in the future. Just watching fins come out of the water wasn’t really all that impressive. In Panama city we watched dolphins come into the beach to “swim with the humans” …. now THAT was impressive! We found in Chorpus as well as in Galveston a ship channel close enough to the shore so one can watch the dolphins jump out of the water in front of the passing ships. That was also impressive to see them having fun in their environment. See the pics in part 2 and 3 of this trip.

Port Isabel

Great little town across the causeway. We climbed the lighthouse, toured the grounds. Did a little shopping in the area. Went to several of the small museums. Walked the pier and had a few drinks. All in all, we had a really good time in Port Isabel.

Brownsville

Brownsville was a little depressing, in some ways. Huge fences and security measures that totally block any view of the Rio Grande. Downtown area that was boarded up and just plain dirty in several areas.

We had set out to see a few things and the things we did see, we liked. We drove the downtown area and enjoyed a little of the architecture. We found out how someone can make a wrong turn and have to go across the bridge into Mexico, easily.

We went to the children’s museum to see a costume exhibit. We truly enjoyed seeing the costumes of the indigenous peoples of Mexico and Central America. Loved the colors! The presentation was fantastic and we were completely unfettered to look around without any pressure.

The museum is located at Dean Porter Park which also had the Christmas dollhouses and lights all set up. Each little house had its own theme. The park itself was very clean and there are numerous sculptures on the grounds. We highly recommend this little excursion into Brownsville. We didn’t go, but, the Gladys Porter Zoo is very close by, as well. One could easily keep the kids busy for an entire day in this little clean spot of Brownsville.

We wanted to go to the Historic Brownsville Museum. It is housed in the old Santa Fe Rail Station (which is a stunningly beautiful building), but, it was closed. We did go to the Stilman house museum. Fantastic displays of Texas history and the house itself was beautiful!

We also went to Fort Brown. Very enjoyable walking around the old fort buildings.

Boca Chica

Boca Chica is effectively a ghost town out on the end of the tip of Texas. Very few signs of life and plenty of abandoned dwellings and structures. The beach is quite nice, though.

Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge

Another highlight of this trip was the time we spent at the wildlife refuge. We were able to see species of creatures that we never have seen in our little area of the state. The most striking of the species we saw, here, was the Green Jay. We also saw a Crested Caracara and several other raptors. And the numbers of feathered creatures were very high. This area is the winter grounds and the flyway for the great migration every winter. Take a few hours and make the journey to the refuge. It will not disappoint!

This concluded the time we spent in South Padre. We had a very enjoyable three days that we are going to reproduce. There is so much more to do and see in this area.

Next Stop – Part 2 On the way to and in Corpus Christi, Texas …..

Texas Coast Trip 2013

Yep, we are at it, again …. headed back to the Texas Gulf Coast …. planning another fun-filled trip to the Texas Coast! We just love it, down there. We will head out of Dallas through Waco, Victoria, Corpus Christi, and finally back to South Padre Island. 9 Days of travel and sightseeing on roads we have never traveled and towns we’ve never seen and a few places we have been to, before.

We will be bridge-hunting in Fayette, Lavaca, and Gonzales counties. Golf in Victoria, Harlingen, South Padre, Brownsville and Lampasas. Town, Theater and Courthouse visits in as many places as we can along the way. Wildlife Viewing and Hunting at three or four Wildlife Refuges in our path …. Aransas, Laguna Atascosa, Padre National Seashore, and possible Balcones Canyonlands.

Texas Coast Travel Plans in the works:

Day 1 Dallas to Waco on 35E then US77 south to Victoria. Stopping for photo opportunities along the way at several turn of the 20th century bridges and in small towns.

Day 2 Golf in Victoria, then continuing south on US77 to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge some town and sightseeing along the way to Padre National Seashore and ending the day in Corpus Christi.

Day 3 Head South along US77 taking in some sights and towns along the way to Harlengin and another round of Golf and then on out to South Padre.

Days 4, 5, 6 will be spent at on the Texas Coast at South Padre with short trips as far as Brownsville. Laguna Astacosa National Wildlife Refuge, a couple more rounds of Golf, walking the beach, visiting, sightseeing.

Day 7 We will head up US 281 Visiting and Sightseeing along the way to Marble Falls, Texas.

Day 8 We may stop at Balcones Canyonlands, we will play another round of golf and make our way to Temple.

Day 9 We might play another round …. we will head back to Dallas and end our journey.

Texas Coast Trip Links:

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge

Padre Island National Seashore

Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge

Research for Bridge Hunting

Research for theater locations

At the conclusion of the trip, we will post our reviews of the different things we saw and we’ll post a lot of photos. Stay Tuned!