Aransas National Wildlife Refuge - Austwell, Texas

Aransas National Wildlife Refuge - Austwell, Texas

The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge is a 114,657 acre protected area situated on the southwest side of San Antonio Bay along the Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Texas. It is located in parts of Aransas, Refugio, and Calhoun counties near Austwell, Texas.  Because they are still in post-hurricane Harvey recovery, they weren't charging admission when we went, but the regular cost is relatively cheap ($3).

You've likely visited a natural and mostly undisturbed place that you consider special. This place is special and is one of those places for me. It is a beautiful place set aside for wildlife to thrive and for humankind to appreciate.

This protected area is one of the places the Whooping Crane migrates to each year. It summers in Wood Buffalo National Park, Alberta Canada where it breeds and raises its young. But in the winter they migrate to South Texas to teach their young the migration route and to fend for themselves.

In the winter you have the unique chance to see one of the rarest birds in North America, the Whooping Crane.

(Photo credit: The Audubon Society)

Whooping Crane (above)

There are also Alligators, Bobcat, Deer, many different species of Ducks, Duckbill Roseates, Egrets, Pelicans and every other kind of bird you can imagine.

Duckbill Roseate (above)

The park features two viewing platforms so that you can view the marshes and hopefully spot some birds. One of the platforms is 40' tall and the other is 20'. You get a great view from here and we actually got to see a family of Whooping Cranes. in the marsh and flying.

These were Whooping Cranes but we only had Cell phones for photos

Dense Old Growth Live Oaks (over 500 years old)

Lurking and waiting

There were Vultures everywhere (damn they make a guy nervous, especially when they start circling around above us as we walk along the path).

All the Ducks in a Row

Desert on the Bay

Lots of Fish in San Antonio Bay

The Texas Surf Museum - Corpus Christi,Texas

The Texas Surf Museum - Corpus Christi

My wife and "surf legend" Martha shows us how to "Hang Ten" (sorta)

We recently visited the The Texas Surf Museum in Corpus Christi. It was an interesting place filled with memorabilia from the history of surfing in South Texas. Website: The Texas Surf Museum..They tell you on their website that "Just like the waves the museum is always  free - 7 days a week!"  But, to be true, they also tell you it's closed on Mondays, so make that 6 days.

Since we had never been to a surf museum, we didn't really know what to expect. This one is mostly about the locals and the local board makers. It's sort of an interesting place to visit.  There is a kiosk that shows a movie about how boards are made. and another that talks about the surf legends of the area. 

Truthfully this museum is fun but if it weren't free I am not sure I would have gone.  Still, it is worth stepping in and "ridin the wave." Did I mention it's free?

Out in front of the museum there is a concrete replica of a legendary "Woody." Kinda makes you want to hit the beach right?

Surf boards belonging to local legends and even one with the signatures of the "Beach Boy's." 

The Texas Surf Hall of Fame

Yes, they do this. Surfing the waves behind oil tankers. Who'd a thunk it?

Victoria Texas & The Museum of the Coastal Bend

A Trip to "The Museum of the Coastal Bend"

(Click on any photo to enlarge)

We haven't  dropped off the face of the earth and aliens haven't abducted us.  We've actually been out and about around our Texas winter home.

We like to explore the areas near where we camp. Our winter thus far has been spent in Aransas Pass, Texas. We arrived at Southern Oaks Luxury RV Park on December 15th 2017. For once we have had the opportunity to really get to know an area.

To that end, we made a plan to see everything we could see within an hour or so of Aransas Pass and we've managed to do a lot of things. This is the first of three blogs and our recent explorations 

Victoria, Texas 

Victoria is a beautiful town and offers a lot of amenities. It is also a historic and interesting place. It boasts the first pharmacy in Texas which currently house a really cool restaurant called the Rosebud Fountain and Grill. Worth a stop ...it's a combo of new and old, with vinyl records for sale along one side of the building and your waitress taking orders on her tablet.

I think Elvis is a little "light headed"

At the city parking lot we saw large murals depicting long gone businesses. These murals represent how they looked back in the day.

There's also the oldest deli in Texas.  We didn't go in, but the tourist literature says it's good.

The town offers a map that of historic buildings and residences. If you get to Victoria be sure to find a map at the visitors center and look at the city and it's historic past.

The courthouse is a beautiful building, right across from their park in the center of town.

Interesting architecture also abounds, with some of Texas's biggest names in architecture designing many of the homes and buildings.

The Museum of the Coastal Bend

The museum houses a lot of artifacts dating back to humanity's first appearance on the coastal bend of Texas. 

 People of the Coast

The museum is loaded with information about the Texas Coastal Bend.  According the archaeologists it's where people first inhabited Texas.

The French had a large influence on the Texas coastal bend

After the French

James McFaddin worked to improve the hardiness of his cattle and started cross breading. He is pictured here with "Prince" a Brahman bull which he purchased from Hagenbach Animal Show in 1904. Prince was the foundation on which McFaddin built his herd. They were quarter breed cows that were sturdy enough to stand up to the intense summers on the coastal bend.

Below a pair of Vaquero (Mexican cowboy) try to wrestle one of the quarter breeds into submission for branding.

If you are near Victoria please stop and take a tour of the Museum and this nice town in South Texas.