While I didn’t start out intending to explore the nooks and crannies of Texas, I did end up visiting a wide variety of places and learning much about this exceptional State. Below you’ll find a variety of places I visited and enjoyed.
Beaumont’s Fireman’s Museum – The oil industry in Texas began near here and for decades this town boomed. While its suburbs still thrive, the core of the city has decayed terribly. Each time I revisit I’m drawn to the few things which seem alive and this museum is one of the best.
Galveston’s Sea Wall – This coastal playground of Houston is often the victim of horrible weather. One defense is an extensive sea wall that runs along the city. It’s wide and terrific for walking and biking. Oh, and it protects from storms.
Padre Island’s Beaches – The U.S. protects various stretches of seashore to preserve their natural character. Along the bottom of the Gulf Coast of Texas, this is one of the most remote. It’s been on my list to visit for a while. Now: done.
Corpus Christi’s Bridge – The bay of the city is framed by a beautiful arc of land protected from the sea by Mustang Island. However, to connect the various land masses requires bridges and none of them is as large or as beautiful as this.
Brownsville’s Stillman House – The town lies at the mouth of the Rio Grande across the border from Mexico. This reality was ripe for exploitation in the early years of our country. The Stillman family got rich by taking advantage of the situation and at the same time helped to build the city of Brownsville.
Mission’s La Lomita Chapel – Ever since discovering a tiny eight-seat chapel in Canada, I’ve had a soft spot for tiny churches. Throw in a history and a bit of importance and my interest is piqued. La Lomita fit the bill having been built in 1865, been a landmark along the Brownsville – Roma Trail, and having the town of Mission named for it.
Laredo’s Republica del Rio Grande – For several years there was a country whose capital was Laredo? I had no idea but this fact was reason enough to visit. Turns out that budget cuts have reduced the staff for Laredo’s two primary museums to a total of one staff member. Seems he spends most of his days at the Heritage Museum. I saw zilch.
San Antonio’s Institute of Texan Cultures – AAA rated this museum highly but I didn’t know what to expect. Turns out it chronicles the origins of the foreign peoples who migrated to Texas and now call Texas home. In addition it has a spectacular multimedia show on Big Texas. The museum was exceptionally well done and educational.
Texas Hill Country’s Devil’s Backbone – I didn’t understand the geologic character of Texas till I drove this scenic route. The hill country is the transition from the high plains to the low country (where I’d spent the previous week). The eroded sandstone of the plateau had created hills and valleys where water gathered creating green.
Austin’s Lyndon Baines Johnson Presidential Museum – Some presidents are great but it’s not recognized till after their time in office. Kennedy’s Vietnam was LBJ’s downfall but while he left office in an air of defeat, his Great Society and Civil Rights programs changed the country in ways that bettered the world.
College Station’s George H.W. Bush Presidential Museum – This President had my respect for his broad competence, his integrity and his work ethic. He wasn’t a Reagan or a Lincoln but he managed the job well. His was a Presidential Museum I wanted to visit. His son’s is one I’ll be avoiding for a very long time.
Davis Mountain’s McDonald Observatory – For years I listened to short news items sponsored by this observatory. The Davis Mountains had pulled me back to explore and, though I’d visited before, so why not visit again? This UofT facility is located here because the night sky is very, very dark.
Fort Davis – As settlers moved west they followed well established trails. For decades, those trails needed to be kept safe from Indian attacks so forts were established periodically. Fort Davis is a well preserved fort worth visiting. However, my favorite part of visiting was hiking to the top of the hills behind it and taking pictures.
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