There are only maybe three places in the continental USA where a person can get, more or less, away from winter: Southern Florida, South Texas, and parts of the Southwest. We haven't spent a winter in Florida yet but have heard that it can be very crowded and very expensive. The Southwest can be crowded and expensive (near San Diego or Los Angles), it can be desolate and dusty (in the desert of Southwestern Arizona), and it can be cold and wet, as it was this year. South Texas varies from year to year as well, but our first experience with wintering in a warmer place has been a good one. Both of us really like the Rockport area. It's hard to beat the weather. People are very friendly, there's great fresh seafood, it feels laid-back and comfortable. I think we'll be back again.
A couple days ago we drove over to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. This place is only about 20 miles from our camper the way the pelican flies, but about twice that far by car. The Refuge is 115,000 acres of grasslands, live oaks, redbay thickets, tidal marshes, and sloughs. Over the years storms and the waters of the Gulf of Mexico have shaped this land which is now home to an unbelievable variety of birds, reptiles, and mammals. On the way into the park, before we were even there, we saw what we thought was a small cat or something running up the side of the road ahead of our car. It turned out to be a little black pig! Maybe "piglet" would be a more accurate term since it wasn't very big. We paced it as it slowly ran up the side of the road, long enough to get a picture of it.
During the few hours we spent in the park we saw more wild hogs (what that little guy turned out to be), whitetail deer, armadillos, and too many types of birds to mention. There are about 500 Whooping Cranes here, one of the largest accumulations of this endangered species that exists anywhere in the world. Also of note, there are alligators in the park although we didn't see any during our first visit. Additionally I'm happy to report we didn't see any of the more than 40 types of snakes that slither around the park, 5 of which are poisonous. There's a 16 mile driving loop with many pull-offs and hiking trails, so many opportunities to get out of the car and commune with nature.
The out-of-the-way location of the park reduces the pressure from people that only want to quickly add it to their list of places they can say they've been to -- those that make the long drive back into the park are the ones that really want to be there. So there's very little pressure from others and often we were the only ones on a walking trail. I'm sure there are many more animals watching us than the other way around. I really enjoy watching critters in a natural setting and I'd highly recommend this place to anyone who feels the same way.
Yesterday, Saturday, we visited the Fulton Mansion. Just a few blocks from our camper and right along the shore of the bay, this house was the home of a George Fulton and his family during the late 1800's. It isn't particularily large, as mansions go, but is notable for the quality of workmanship and it was the first house in the area that had running water, a gas lighting, and central heat. It was built from wood shipped in by boat from Louisiana. The walls, both exterior and interior, are a foot thick and are solid wood -- no spaces between wooden studs here. It was built in the same manner they used to build grain elevators in the Midwest years ago... boards laid flat, stacked up, and nailed together... board on board. The floors are also solid wood with a thin layer of shell-crete (concrete with crushed seashell aggregate) over the top. To say this place is solid is somewhat of an understatement. They say there's enough wood in this house to build a small modern subdivision. It has withstood hurricanes, including one with a storm-surge that filled the first floor with 6 feet of seawater and a small boat through the front door.
After the owners died, the remaining family sold the place and, after a few more years as a private residence, it sat vacant for many years, was turned into a restaurant during the 50's and even a trailer park at one point. In 1976 the State of Texas purchased the property and restored it to it's former grandeur. A visit to the mansion is a good way to kill a couple hours and learn a little along the way.
We're getting our minds around the idea that we're leaving here in a few days. But adventure awaits over the next hill. Today, Sunday, we're going back to the Aransas Wildlife Refuge -- but this time with our bikes. We're planning to bike the 16 mile loop.
T
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