I have yet to visit the Presidio La Bahia in Goliad on a sunny day, but I guess that’s appropriate given the historical context of the place. The mission / fort is of course the place where Colonel Fannin and his men agreed to an honorable surrender after four days of fighting the Mexican army, only to be unlawfully executed upon the orders of Generalissimo Santa Anna. Today the mission has been repaired and restored to its former beauty. Unfortunately the point of interest is often overshadowed by popular locals like the Alamo. Not to take away from the significance that place; far be it from this Texan! But Goliad is an often overlooked jewel of a stop that should be visited more than it is. It’s both beautiful and significant.
From Goliad we made for the coast. We rode the Port Aransas ferry and headed for Mustang Island State Park. On the way ate from the second major Texas food group, seafood. After seeking local counsel we stopped into a restaurant / bar called Kody’s. The “décor” was… rustic. The food was incredible! Seafood allowed us to check another box on our list of traditional Texas cuisine experienced. Fish planks, shrimp sandwiches, fried oysters, gotta love dining in an ocean front town! After dinner we proceeded to the stop that was both an event and an accommodation.
An extended family member once wrote on Facebook that they longed for a foreign shore. Well they’re clearly not from Texas! As a young man I have grown up somewhat apologetic about the Texas Gulf Coast. I have often conceded that the sand is inferior to that of other states and beaches. However, over the last few years of visiting our Texas Coast and reading on its history I’ve come to Love it. Its cities have a culture and a mystique all their own. They have survived hurricanes (in Galveston’s case two), pirates, revolution and civil war. They show the characteristics of the American old south, a seaside community, and the American southwest all blended together. This stop was a first in the seven years I’ve been leading these trips. I’ve been to Mustang Island before, but never camping with a group of students, and no I’m not actually crazy. Overall the kids did great. As a class we built a fire on the sand, cooked hot dogs, and camped in tents. They slept till 7:30, got up, broke camp, and we were on the road just in time to avoid soaking in a morning thunder shower. It was a great time. Hopefully future Tours of Texas will include similar visits to state parks.
Another 5:30 am meeting time and departure! The seventh such since I started teaching at Kings Academy. I never sleep well the night before. I lay awake or barely asleep thinking of all the things I have to do before leaving. And my work has increased exponentially since my son came. In spite of this fact I still love these trips. I do my best to mix in new stops and experiences every year. This is both for me and returning students.
Our next stop of the day was the USS Texas. Its massive guns are always a favorite for the students. For me it’s the mundane elements that are most intriguing. The mess halls, on board post office and comm. centers all remind me that there were actual lives being led in those spaces, and the men aboard were trying to maintain any possible sense of normalcy. Most impressive for me is the battleship’s history. Turns out the Texas turns one hundred this year! Its keel was first laid in 1911, and it served through two World Wars and the Korean War.
As a closing side note the Houston traffic was of course a bear as we headed to the south west. And since the GPS wanted to send us down “shorter” routs we decided to have dinner while traffic died down. We stumbled into an authentic Mexican restaurant called Taqueria Arandas. I immediately sensed that we had chosen wisely when the television featured a Mexican sketch comedy show, and it seemed most of the kitchen staff was only fluent in Spanish. It was a terrific meal! If the rest of the trip goes as well as that dinner I’ll be one happy man by the end of it.
Many people who would classify themselves in the Indian food connoisseur (I apologize for using french) category still don’t even know that there are two Indian restaurants in Tyler.
They mention that they are a vegan friendly restaurant but this doesn’t mean they don’t serve meat.
Traditionally speaking, football is king in Texas, but this year is a little different.