We continued to enjoy Texas until last Friday. Each area we visited offered new wonders. After leaving the Harlingen area, we headed up the coast to the Corpus Christi area, staying in Aransas Pass. This area reminded us of Ft. Myers Beach. Lots of beautiful waterfront with a variety of boats, great restaurants on the water, and lots of waterbirds to enjoy. A free car and passenger ferry takes everyone from Aransas Pass to Port Aransas on a 24-7 basis. Port Aransas is a beautiful beach town that includes Mustang Island, another driving beach, the north section of Padre Island, and a protected beach to windsurf. It reminded us of our old friend,Ward who windsurfed into his late 70's.
The endangered whooping cranes migrate to this area of Texas each fall. We took a boat from Rockport-Fulton to see them. They migrate from Wood Buffalo Park in Alberta, Canada. They mate for life, fly in family units and are territorial. The cranes are five feet tall and have a 8 foot wing span. Their babies are brown for the first year. We watched them chase other cranes from their territory. The Aransas wildlife refuge is acquiring more land since the cranes are expanding as their numbers increase. They were down to only 22, but now there are over 500. We saw many water and shore birds from the boat also. A entire flock of roseate spoonbills flew up as we approached. We spent another day at the Aransas WLR on land. Lots of alligators and birds were seen from the trails and the overlooks. The gulf coast was rugged and wild. In Corpus Christi, we visited the Museum of Science and History that included a Smithsonian exhibit which showed the results of Columbus coming to America. The Santa Maria and the Pinta replicas were housed there after their US tour. It was amazing to stand on a boat that crossed the ocean with about 25 men on board, no bunks or galley. The deck had a huge slope, causing all the water that washes over to drain easily. It is amazing that they thought these boats could get to China. Lucky they ran into America. Another area of the museum featured a 16th century carved wood ceiling from Castille Spain.It was magnificent. The USS Lexington, a retired aircraft carrier from WWII, is now a museum and located here. We toured it in Key West many years ago.
We left the coast to visit San Antonio and its wonderful River Walk. It was our third visit to San Antonio and enjoyed a visit to the missions again. There is a beautiful parkway that conects the four missions and the Alamo. The missions date back to the early 1700's and several are active parishes today. The architecture of the missions reminded us of Europe. The interiors of the missions were very simple with altars made for the "day of the dead". It is their custom to remember their deceased loved ones with decorated altars. We then spent a beautiful evening walking thru River Walk and enjoying the party atmosphere.
Austin, the capital of Texas, is a great city. We were given a tour of the Capital building by a woman from Nigeria who immigrated to Texas many years ago. She gave a theatrical performance as she showed us the complex and recalled the history of Texas. A stop at the Bob Bullock Texas State History museum was next. It traced the history of Texas from the time of the Indians until present day. The University of Texas campus was unique. The area around San Antonio and Austin is called the "Hill Country". Indeed Texas does have hills and we took a great drive in the country to see them. One of our favorite stops was Johnson City and the ranch of LBJ. His Texas White house was located on a beautiful piece of land near the Pedernales River. It was interesting to review all the legislation that was passed during his presidency. Things like Medicare, Medicaid, public television and special education were all passed while he was in office. His mother was a college educated women, which was extremely rare in that time. In addition to school, she tutored he and his family at home. There was a huge live oak tree in the front yard of his home where he hosted his Texas BBQ parties. We enjoyed the German towns of New Braunfels and Fredericksburg with their German replica buildings. Authentic German menus delighted us as did the beautifully decorated rooms inside the restaurants. Another jewel of Fredericksburg was the Admiral Nimitz World War II museum. This was his home town and the museum traced WWII from beginning to end. Story after story about the war and its effect on Americans reminded us how difficult it was to be at war. As Grandma Eleanor used to say, we sold the car since you couldn't get gas to run it or tires to run on. All of those were needed for the war.
Our final stop in Texas was Port Arthur which was hit by Hurricane Isaac on Sept 13th of this year. Blue tarps were the standard roof with entire towns like Sabine Pass completely destroyed. We visited a boat harbor near the gulf and there was very little that was salvageable. A very sad sight to see. The Gulf Coast Museum was a treasure, containing memorabilia from many musical artists who grew up in the area of Port Arthur. One of the most famous is Janis Joplin. To see Janis pictures and hear her music again brought back many memories. The oil industry is vibrant in Port Arthur. Refinerys everywhere!
Leaving Texas after more than 3 weeks there, we headed east to Lafayette Louisiana, the home of one of our favorite cajun restaurants, Prejeans. Their etouffee and gumbos are incredibly delicious. We toured a museum and home which reviewed our Acadian history. Then on to New Orleans, we should have rested up for this one!!
The spirit of New Orleans is contagous. We were happy to see improved conditions after Hurricane Katrina. We were here 3 years ago, it was a nightmare. Rebuilding was evident everywhere. The streets of the French Quarter were alive with street performers, artists, and characters. The Green Bay fans were in town for Monday nite football, so they were partying in the bars. We found a great Zydeco band and enjoyed dancing and singing those old southern favorites. We stayed east of New Orleans in Slidell and viewed the wildlife refuges in the area. Bayous with cedar knees and birds were everywhere. I found myself kayaking with the alligators again.
As we head to Dauphine Island,AL for the Thanksgiving week, we wish everyone a very Happy and restful Thanksgiving!
Monday, November 24, 2008
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Santa Fe, NM to Harlingen, Texas
Our final side trip in the Santa Fe area was to the Los Alamos area with stops at Bandelier National Monument and Jemez. Jim had visited Bandelier about 25 years ago when working on a project for Argonne at Los Alamos. It was great to return. The road to Bandelier was spectacular with cliffs and canyons, mountains and mesas. The ruins were in a wilderness area that seemed undisturbed in the years since the Indians left. The walk started in the canyon to see the ancestral pueblo of the Anasazi Indians that once farmed this land. The Indians lived in this area from the mid 100's to the mid 1500's. The canyon walls were volcanic rock that had solidified into unusual shapes.The walls of the canyon were filled with cave rooms used by the Anasazi. Ladders were braced against the rock formations to view the rooms. It was eerie to imagine what it would have been like to live in these rooms and in this rugged area at an altitude of 6500 feet. Our final climb consisted of about 250 ladder steps that led us to the ceremonial cave. There was a ladder down into the kiva to view the room below. The view from this high cave was spectacular. We looked down below at the canyon, a stream and the cottonwood trees whose leaves were a brilliant yellow-gold. Our next stop was Jemez Springs which led us on a search for some natural springs but instead led us to a beautiful waterfall. Jemez is a town of monasteries. We viewed the Handmaidens of the Precious Blood nuns walking comtemplatively on their grounds. Another feature of the area is the Valles Caldera National preserve. The caldera was formed by a volcano that erupted about one million years ago. The preserve is home to many animals including elk, black bears, and mountain lions. It is one of the best elk hunting grounds in the US.
Leaving the Santa Fe area, we travelled down route 25 to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge south of Socorro in the town of San Antonio. The refuge is well known for the thousands of white snow geese and sandhill cranes that live here in the winter. Not yetat its peak , we saw hundreds of white snow geese on a single small lake. At some unknown signal, they all took flight at the same time to another lake in the refuge. The sound was deafening. It sounded like a jet taking off. The sand hill cranes were busy during the day grazing on the corn fields planted by local farmers for the birds. and roosted in the ponds at night. The cranes were endangered and the habitat was designed to increase their numbers. A festival of cranes is held here later in November.
Continuing thru New Mexico, on our way to Roswell, we passed the " Trinity Site" , the site of the first atomic bomb testing. No access is given to the public, but just driving by this site sent a shiver down your spine. We stopped in Roswell, the site of a possible UFO event in 1947. The International UFO Museum/ Research center proved to be very interesting with pictures, testamonials and newspaper articles dealing with what supposedly happened on a farmer's field with the landing of a UFO containing alien people. Many sightings of UFO's are documented in this museum. You leave the museum wondering when and if we will ever know for sure. Another highlight of Roswell was the Roswell Museum & Art Center. It contained a large collection of Southwest culture, including models of conquistadors in full battle array, cowboys and soldiers. There was a large collection of weapons used in early days. The science area contained the inventions of Robert Goddard, the "father of modern rocketry". He tested many of his unusual inventions in the Roswell area. The art collection featured a spectacular mural of an Indian ceremonial dance and other southwestern artists.
Continuing west, we arrived in Ft Davis, Texas for a visit to the McDonald Observatory. we were treated to an evening of star gazing using the Observatory's 36 inch telescope to view Jupiter and its moons. Other objects seen were double stars, nebula, and even objects not in our galaxie. An added bonus were the shooting stars and sattalites we saw crossing the sky. It was a breathtaking evening up at the top of 6800 foot Mount Locke, one of the highest points in Texas. Marathon, Texas , the gateway to Big Bend NP, was our next stop. We had visited this wonderful NP 3 years ago and were delighted to return. Unfortunately, since the hurricane hit this area in July, the Rio Grande river has overflowed its banks and closed all the canyon hikes we loved. The river looked muddy and rough and the workers were bulldozing mud and plowing it like snow. We enjoyed the park and its roadrunners and deer. Marathon and Ft Davis have the Texas flair with old buildings and elegant hotels. We met a group of seniors travelling in restored Model A Fords. They were driving them throughout Texas and we met them again at Big Bend.
Driving from Marathon, we hugged the Rio Grand thru Del Rio, Eagle Pass, and spent the night in Mission. A visit to Bentsen-Rio Grande state park gave us our first look at a Green Jay,a Great Kiskadee, and a screech owl. Amazing birds ! We continued on to Harlingen to attend the Rio Grande Birding Festival for a few days. We learned to look on the wires for the Crested Caracara and the Kestral. We learned the call of the Plain Chachalaca and saw many hawks and falcons. One trip was a boat ride on the Rio Grande and a visit to King ranch, one of the largest ranches in Texas. We were lucky to see the Ferruginous pigmy owl that roosts there. Many new wading birds were seen in this area including the black necked stilts, avocets, and curved billed curlews. On a trip to South Padre Island, we saw the marbled godwit with its incredible pink legs. That was a first for us. The beach at South Padre is driveable although we saw some non 4 wheel drive vehicles stuck in the sand and needing a tow. The beach is wild and beautiful with huge crashing waves and some unusual shells. It was great to walk on a wilderness beach on the Gulf of Mexico again. Brownsville was another interesting town to visit. It was so close to the Mexican border that you had to be careful not to go thru the border without realizing it. We enjoyed another wildlife refuge and a visit to the Gladys Porter zoo, the home for many cranes from Africa and Asia. Each bird was vibrant in color and a joy to observe.
Leaving the Santa Fe area, we travelled down route 25 to the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge south of Socorro in the town of San Antonio. The refuge is well known for the thousands of white snow geese and sandhill cranes that live here in the winter. Not yetat its peak , we saw hundreds of white snow geese on a single small lake. At some unknown signal, they all took flight at the same time to another lake in the refuge. The sound was deafening. It sounded like a jet taking off. The sand hill cranes were busy during the day grazing on the corn fields planted by local farmers for the birds. and roosted in the ponds at night. The cranes were endangered and the habitat was designed to increase their numbers. A festival of cranes is held here later in November.
Continuing thru New Mexico, on our way to Roswell, we passed the " Trinity Site" , the site of the first atomic bomb testing. No access is given to the public, but just driving by this site sent a shiver down your spine. We stopped in Roswell, the site of a possible UFO event in 1947. The International UFO Museum/ Research center proved to be very interesting with pictures, testamonials and newspaper articles dealing with what supposedly happened on a farmer's field with the landing of a UFO containing alien people. Many sightings of UFO's are documented in this museum. You leave the museum wondering when and if we will ever know for sure. Another highlight of Roswell was the Roswell Museum & Art Center. It contained a large collection of Southwest culture, including models of conquistadors in full battle array, cowboys and soldiers. There was a large collection of weapons used in early days. The science area contained the inventions of Robert Goddard, the "father of modern rocketry". He tested many of his unusual inventions in the Roswell area. The art collection featured a spectacular mural of an Indian ceremonial dance and other southwestern artists.
Continuing west, we arrived in Ft Davis, Texas for a visit to the McDonald Observatory. we were treated to an evening of star gazing using the Observatory's 36 inch telescope to view Jupiter and its moons. Other objects seen were double stars, nebula, and even objects not in our galaxie. An added bonus were the shooting stars and sattalites we saw crossing the sky. It was a breathtaking evening up at the top of 6800 foot Mount Locke, one of the highest points in Texas. Marathon, Texas , the gateway to Big Bend NP, was our next stop. We had visited this wonderful NP 3 years ago and were delighted to return. Unfortunately, since the hurricane hit this area in July, the Rio Grande river has overflowed its banks and closed all the canyon hikes we loved. The river looked muddy and rough and the workers were bulldozing mud and plowing it like snow. We enjoyed the park and its roadrunners and deer. Marathon and Ft Davis have the Texas flair with old buildings and elegant hotels. We met a group of seniors travelling in restored Model A Fords. They were driving them throughout Texas and we met them again at Big Bend.
Driving from Marathon, we hugged the Rio Grand thru Del Rio, Eagle Pass, and spent the night in Mission. A visit to Bentsen-Rio Grande state park gave us our first look at a Green Jay,a Great Kiskadee, and a screech owl. Amazing birds ! We continued on to Harlingen to attend the Rio Grande Birding Festival for a few days. We learned to look on the wires for the Crested Caracara and the Kestral. We learned the call of the Plain Chachalaca and saw many hawks and falcons. One trip was a boat ride on the Rio Grande and a visit to King ranch, one of the largest ranches in Texas. We were lucky to see the Ferruginous pigmy owl that roosts there. Many new wading birds were seen in this area including the black necked stilts, avocets, and curved billed curlews. On a trip to South Padre Island, we saw the marbled godwit with its incredible pink legs. That was a first for us. The beach at South Padre is driveable although we saw some non 4 wheel drive vehicles stuck in the sand and needing a tow. The beach is wild and beautiful with huge crashing waves and some unusual shells. It was great to walk on a wilderness beach on the Gulf of Mexico again. Brownsville was another interesting town to visit. It was so close to the Mexican border that you had to be careful not to go thru the border without realizing it. We enjoyed another wildlife refuge and a visit to the Gladys Porter zoo, the home for many cranes from Africa and Asia. Each bird was vibrant in color and a joy to observe.
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