Mustang & Padre Islands PLUS

This day of scouting started with a huge New Holland tractor and freshly plowed rich black dirt.

 

Our scouting took us to Aransas Pass across the FREE Ferry to Port Aransas and Mustang Island.  We rode by Mustang Island State Park...not stopping.  Below a Cougar waits to cross on the ferry.  Accepted measurements are 85' long, 8' wide, and 13.6'   high.  Ferry is about a 5 minute ride. 

This part of the barrier island is starting to fill in with condos and beach houses.

Padre Island National Seashore is the longest remaining stretch of undeveloped barrier island in the world.  70 miles long.  It is called a barrier island as it protects the mainland from direct hits from storms.  Padre has a varied history... American Indians, Spanish explorers, shipwrecks, and once used as a US Navy bombing range.  So, don't pick up any metal you may find.  This land was once given to a Spaniard who was a priest.  Priests cannot own land so his nephew ran this once cattle ranch. It is noted for its abundant bird and marine life.

Jim was fascinated with the near beach terrain.  A true Texas prairie with tidal flats.

Five of the world's seven sea turtle species are found in Texas...leatherback, hawksbill, green, loggerhead, and Kemp's ridley you see here.  Majority of the nestings found here on Padre Island are by the Kemp's ridley sea turtle.  Their existance has declined due to harvesting of eggs, food, and leather for boots.  Texas and the Republic of Mexico have joined forces in an attempt to re-establish a nesting population on Padre Island National Seashore.

 Malaquite Beach Campground on Padre Island is camping on the beach with NO HOOK-UPS.
They do have potable water and a dump station.  Shower house, too.  A we'll see IF we camp there this year or not.


The Gulf of Mexico is a little rougher here than when last seen in Mississippi.


Not much here....except quiet with ocean and bird sounds.

Across the bridge to Corpus Christi we found El Potro Taqueria y Restaurant in their bright orange building for a real Mexican meal.  Was the best yet.  Nice friendly atosphere with good prices.

Then my GPS whisked us along TX 358 to 181 Expressway out of town across Nueces Bay where I got a photo shot of the National Landmark World War II Aircraft Carrier USS Lexington.

 

 

 
Back on TX 35 we had two more stops to make.  Goose Island State Park at Rockport, TX...where there is beach and wooded camp sites.  They were almost full.  Here we learned about the Texas Pass card to keep from paying $5 per person per day. It is a usage FEE.  So, we figure it would pay for itself in one week.  Below...The Big Tree, named State Champion Coastal Live Oak in 1969, is thought to be one of the largest in the nation. Estimated to be over 1,000 years old, the Big Tree has a circumference of 35 feet, is 44 feet in height and has a crown spread of 90 feet.

Our last stop was Aransas National Wildlife Refuge along San Antonio Bay.  The 70,504 acre refuge is host to an exotic array of wildlife.   Our eyes grew wide as we swept the Blackjack oaks and prairie grasses for anything to move.  Our curvey road paid off.  We rounded a bend with a picnic area ahead to see a huge javelina (collared peccary) with piglets running everywhere.  As they heard the truck's engine they darted into the woods behind the picnic area. 

 On our way out of the refuge  the ferel hogs were at the same picnic area with piglets darting again into the thicket.

Further down the road was an occasional deer...bucks and does.  Aransas has a reputation as one of the prime birding spots in Texas.  Over 392 bird species have been cataloged here.  The refuge's most notable visitor is the endangered whooping crane.  There was a nice observation tower at the end of our road for their viewing.

We did not take the 16 mile one-way drive as it was nearing dark and the park closes with locked gates 30 minutes after dusk.  So, saving this for a return trip.

 

Around another bend a large cat crossed the road in a big hurry.  After research...it had to have been a Bobcat.  The Puma cat only frequents this area about once every 5 years.  As we exited the refuge, there were a couple herds of deer totaling 25-30 deer eating and frolicking in the grassy meadow.  The young deer were fun to watch as they scampered about boofing at one another, jumping and bucking sideways with one jumping a fence only to crawl back under at the other end of the lot.  LOL

 

Back near Port Lavaca is the ConocoPhillips plant...an American multinational energy corporation.  They work to find and produce oil and natural gas.  ConocoPhillips is the 3rd largest integrated energy company in the US and the 5th largest refinery in the world.  What an unusual night time light show as we drive by.  This place is huge with this only a portion of the plant.

Truck filled with gas at Buc-ee's in Port Lavaca @ $2.79.9 per gal.  We headed along scenic TX 1289 with no night time deer (that we could see) and TX 185 back to our little 5er abode at Port O'Connor, TX.  With heat and water turned OFF for the day, our abode temperature was 56 degrees.  Did not take long to warm it up with the house propane and 2 electric heaters.  :D

Today, Tuesday, it is overcast...49 degrees with NW winds 11-16mph.  Not sure what we'll do today.  Something fun, I'm sure.

Take care...be safe...see you by the campfire.