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Hi, I'm your Texas host, Joe Crawley
I'm delighted to provide to you information, insights and "local" insider information about visiting and traveling in the Lone Star State. Best wishes and I hope to hear from you soon,
Joe Crawley is American Airlines' web site founder and first webmaster. He created a number of employee (nonrev) publications as a member of the AA Corporate Communications team. He has an intimate knowledge of Texas cities and towns. Joe hosts a nonrev Internet resource web site at www.joecrawley.com .
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Joe,
We are planning a driving trip for my fall vacation. We were going to drive between SFO and SEA, but because with our new pay and day cuts we will not have the time or money.
Anyway, we now are planning to drive down the only part of the US Gulf Coast we have not been to - Galveston to Brownsville. And yes we do know it is still Hurricane season. Here are our questions.
Is there a senic road that follows the coastline? Do you have suggestions of cities to stop in, things to do along the way? What historic places, buildings are must sees? Are there any lighthouses that are open to tour? Of course any hotel or travel tips is always appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
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[This message was edited by CSSup on September 18, 2002 at 09:40 PM.]
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Joe,
We have now nailed down the week of our driving trip down the Gulf Coast of Texas. We plan to start either November 13th or 14th from IAH and drive down to the Mexico boarder.
Are there any festivals going on?
Any suggestions for lodging in Galveston or Corpus Christi. And any barrier islands that are good to visit.
If anyone else out there have ideas please post them. We appreciate any help with our planing.
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Joe:
Welcome aboard. Am going to check out your website now.
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UNLIKE CALIFORNIA, TEXAS HAS NO single highway that hugs the coast. To stay as close to the shoreline as possible you have to zigzag around, navigating some twenty roads making your way from Galveston to Corpus Christi. You’ll drive through plenty of time-warped towns, pass more chemical plants than you can imagine, and see plowed field after plowed field. Where are the palm trees and breathtaking views? You’ll find them, all right, but it takes a while.
You can begin at the San Luis Pass Bridge, on the western end of Galveston, where you pay a $2 toll and say good-bye to the Island's multimillion-dollar beach houses. You are now on Follets Island, but it offers little more than a couple of houses and a bait stand. Still, this is the only stretch of drive where you can actually see the Gulf of Mexico. This view should in no way be confused with the grand vistas along the Pacific Coast Highway. You won't see blue water crashing against jagged rocks, only coffee-colored waves gently lapping the sand. But, hey, it's Texas. Ironically, the name of the road is Blue Water Highway.
You will soon arrive in Surfside, a small community of beach shacks at the south end of the island, and I suggest you to stop for lunch at the Red Snapper Inn. You’ll be impressed by the excellent service and good food, from sautéed soft-shell crabs to shrimp poorboys. With appetites sated, resume your drive and head toward Freeport, a desolate community that butts up against the Dow Chemical plant at Oyster Creek, which, along with the cleverly named Plant A and Plant B, forms the largest facility of its kind in the nation. You will begin to see huge pine trees as you approach the small town of Jones Creek. You will pass, at least, six historical markers in just two miles—and a couple of signs that say "Prison Area: Do Not Pick Up Hitchhikers"—before turning off to the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge, a 27,000-acre jewel where you can spot hundreds of snow geese.
After leaving the park, find your way to FM 521 West and head for the South Texas Project Visitors Center. Map out your route to include the STP nuclear-power plant. A little spot off the road will be ideal for a photo-op. A man in a dark SUV may ask you why you are in the area. Security has been beefed up since September 11.
Pick up Texas Highway 35 and head to Palacios, the City by the Sea. Longhorns stand grazing in a pasture as you make your way by the Luther Hotel. Lyndon B. Johnson and movie stars like Rita Hayworth stayed at the Luther during its glory years, but those days are long gone. Don’t expect too much and don’t stay there. Take a look and move on.
Stay at the new Best Western in Port Lavaca, a small fishing town about 25 minutes south. Eat dinner at Captain Joe's Seafood and Grill, which offers delicious entrées like grilled shrimp seasoned with cilantro and grilled yellowfin tuna. Then drive through Port O'Connor and Seadrift and pick up Texas Highway 35 to continue on toward Rockport. A must-stop on this route is the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, where, from November through March, you might spot a whooping crane if you're lucky. After completing the fourteen-mile auto tour of the refuge, stop to take photos of alligators before getting back on the road. You’ll pass mile after mile of plowed fields until you arrive at the Copano Provisioning Co., which is a great spot to get some baked goods for a little pick-me-up. Reinforced, you’re now ready for Goose Island State Park, the home of the state's largest coastal live oak tree. The Big Tree, also known as the Goose Island Oak and the Lamar Oak, is more than one thousand years old and has a trunk that measures 35 feet in circumference. Legend has it that the Karankawa Indians used it as a council tree.
After you leave the park, the terrain on 35 changes, as palm trees replace the empty fields. The Rockport-Fulton area is a charming community along Aransas Bay that is filled with tiny shops, restaurants, and art galleries (the region supposedly has the highest concentration of artists in the state). Take a left on to Fulton Beach Road, and you’ll pass many seafood vendors, piers, and the Fulton Mansion State Historical Site. The three-story house, which was built in the 1870's by cattle baron George Fulton, boasted state-of-the-art luxuries when it was completed, such as central heat, gas lights, and flush toilets. A suggested inn for the night, Hoopes' House, is a smartly decorated bed-and-breakfast built in the 1890's. You’ll be about fifteen minutes from Aransas Pass and the ferry to Port Aransas, and you can go to Port A for dinner at Beulah's at the Tarpon Inn, definitely the area's best restaurant. Beulah’s entrées of duck with sweet-potato hash and pecan-crusted amberjack are worth the drive.
The next day, your first stop can be the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, which is a research facility with a few displays on saltwater fish. Beyond the institute is the South Jetty, a granite and concrete structure that stretches for a mile into the Gulf. You can watch dolphins play alongside fishing boats and gulls dive for fish in the waves. At the beach catch some rays while gazing at the coastline that stretches for miles. Now this is paradise. If you not in a rush to get to Corpus, take your time and enjoy it.
Directory:
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge; from the Rockport-Fulton area, take Texas Hwy 35 North to FM 774, then go east to FM 2040; 361-286-3559; $3 per person or $5 per vehicle
Best Western, 2202 Texas Hwy 35 North, Port Lavaca; 800-WESTERN; rooms $59 to $74
Beulah's at the Tarpon Inn, 200 E Cotter Ave, Port Aransas; 361-749-4888; dinner only; closed Mon and Tues
Captain Joe's Seafood and Grill, 802 Fulton, Port Lavaca; 361-552-2900; brunch only on Sun, closed Mon
Copano Provisioning Co., 6619 Texas Hwy 35 North, Rockport; 361-729-8248; lunch only on Mon, closed Tues
Fulton Mansion State Historical Site, 317 S Fulton Beach Rd, Fulton; 361-729-0386; closed Mon and Tues; $4, students $2
Goose Island State Park, 202 S Palmetto, Rockport; 361-729-2858; $2 per person per day, children 12 and under free
Hoopes' House, 417 N Broadway, Rockport; 361-729-8424 or 800-924-1008; rooms $120
Moonlight Bay Bed and Breakfast, 506 South Bay Blvd, Palacios; 361-972-2232 or 877-461-7070; from $65 for a single room to $200 for a suite
Red Snapper Inn, 402 Blue Water Hwy, Surfside Beach; 979-239-3226; no credit cards
San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge, 6801 County Road 306, Brazoria; 979-964-3639
South Texas Project Visitors Center, FM 521, 7 miles west of Wadsworth; 361-972-5023; closed Sun
University of Texas Marine Science Institute, 750 Channel View Dr, Port Aransas; 361-749-6711; closed Sat and Sun
Best wishes,
Joe
<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by CSSup:
Joe,
We have now nailed down the week of our driving trip down the Gulf Coast of Texas. We plan to start either November 13th or 14th from IAH and drive down to the Mexico boarder.
Are there any festivals going on?
Any suggestions for lodging in Galveston or Corpus Christi. And any barrier islands that are good to visit.
If anyone else out there have ideas please post them. We appreciate any help with our planing.
<a href="http://www.nonrev.net/correspondents/images/coyne.jpg" target="_blank">http://www.nonrev.net/correspondents/images/coyne.jpg</A>
<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
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Joe,
Thanks for the info. We found some great hotel rates for Texas in November. I will write on how the trip went.
Now for the question:
I have never been to a rodeo. It has always sounded exciting.
Would you know where I could find a list of times and places for rodeos in Texas?
Suggestions from anyone on a good rodeo to attend would also be appreciated.
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Joe,
We just got back from our adventure up the Texas Gulf Coast. Since we did not have a set itinerary we made no reservations in advance. But brought along coupons from www.roomsaver.com and the booklets found at Shoneys or rest stops. Flying into IAH we drove to the Southern tip of Texas to follow the coast all the way north.
Our pre-formed ideas of what Brownsville looked like was blown to pieces. We found it to be a modern growing town. With malls, subdivisions and chain stores being built everywhere. South Padre Island was quiet off season. With one of our coupons we stayed at the Holiday Inn South Padre with a beach view for only 49.00.
The next morning after my husband played one of the many under 20.00 area golf courses. We headed north to tour the charming city of Corpus Christi. The tour of the Aircraft carrier the USS Lexington is well worth the time. We spent so much time touring the ship we were unable to get to the Texas Aquarium next door. Since our goal was to be in Galveston the next day we headed north to a small artist town named Rockport to stay at the local Holiday Inn Express (yes, I do feel smarter) overlooking the bay.
The next morning winding our way up the coast we discovered small fishing villages, large ranches, and everything to do with oil or gas. We stopped along the way to check out birds brought to the area by the numerous wildlife preserves up and down the coast. One field contained a huge flock of Sandhill Cranes, a sight that we will remember.
Unfortunately Galveston was disappointing. Having read about the Hurricane of 1900 that killed 6000 people, I insisted we drive around the historic district. Though the old Victorian homes were charming, traffic was bad and the roads were crowded. We then headed for the free ferry going north to Port Bolivar. I love boats, so the ferry was a real treat. As we left the dock dolphins played around the bow. Seagulls tracked our path and we were greeted at the end of the journey by a lighthouse and it's historic buildings.
As we headed for Port Arthur I was surprised to find on the Bolivar Peninsula cows enjoying what would be considered in Florida as prime beach property. In fact in Texas cows seemed to have more rights to the scenery then Tourists. Heading into Port Arthur there was just one more thing my Husband wanted to show me. The bridge on 87/73 going south is the almost straight up and down. Giving us a great view of the sunset and moonrise.
Though the coast changed in weather and topography, one thing stayed the same. We found all the Texans we met warm and welcoming. I would say the people of Texas made our trip a wonderful.
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