Texas RV Travel blog

While looking around for new information on Port Aransas (last post), I happened to check the website of the University of Texas Marine Science Institute.  What a wonderful place.  Next time we visit Port A, we are going to the Visitor’s Center.  Now, if I can get Michael into the idea of Elderhostel, I will be on that barge trip next January.

University of Texas Marine Science Institute

The University of Texas Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) Visitor’s Center has seven aquaria that depict Texas coastal habitats and the organisms that live in them, including Spartina, black mangrove marsh, oyster reef, open bay bottom, rock jetty and offshore artificial reefs.

The planned Wetlands Education Center, known as Windows to the Sea, will occupy over three acres next to the UTMSI Visitors Center and the South Jetty. A marshland pond, planted with sea grasses and surrounded by coastal vegetation, fed by water from the Aransas Pass Ship Channel, will serve as an outdoor exhibit demonstrating the power of wetlands. Visitors may view migratory waterfowl and resident marsh birds from a surrounding boardwalk. Guided tours will penetrate the wetlands on interior boardwalks.

UTMSI sponsors an exciting Elderhostel Adventures Afloat program each January beginning in Galveston. The beautiful hotel barge, R/B River Explorer, navigates the intracoastal waterway through salt marshes including the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, ending in Port Isabel on the southern tip of Texas. Elderhostel programs from November through mid-April include a field trip to the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge to observe and study the endangered whooping cranes. The programs held in Brownsville and McAllen specialize in birding.

Teacher workshops and summer programs at UTSMI are aimed at upgrading the proficiency of classroom teachers at all levels by the introduction of marine science topics and techniques into the curriculum of all subjects, from science to art and history.

Summer camps for kids are learning experiences about science on such topics as:  about bays and beaches; seaweed, sea grasses and salt marshes; life as an oceanographer; sea creatures adaptation and ecology.

During the school year, visiting classes are taken board the R/V KATY to develop an understanding of the marine environment through measurement, observation and sampling.

Visit the website Science and the Sea for an understanding of the sea and its myriad life forms. Or the educational and Interactive Beach Debris website.

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Port Aransas

Port Aransas is an island paradise tucked away on the Gulf Coast, reached by car ferry from Aransas Pass or by driving up Mustang Island from Corpus Christi. Port Aransas is the only town on Mustang Island and inhabits 8 miles of the 18-mile long barrier island. Everything moves on Island Time in Port Aransas, so relax and enjoy all that this Texas treasure has to offer.

The bays, jetties and deep Gulf waters offer the finest fishing around. Take an excursion for sport fishing, spearfishing or scuba diving. Grab the Jetty Boat to St. Jo Island for a few hours or the day. Sign up for a sunset cruise, a gambling or a dolphin encounter.

Visit the Fennessey Ranch, 4,000 acres of wetlands, meadows and natural lakes for discovery and photography. More than 500 species of birds visit annually, making Port A one of the most popular birding destinations in Texas.

Rent a bike or electric buggie to zip around the town. Kayak, kite board or surf. Build a sandcastle or just lay back and relax the temperate climate. Remember, you are on island time.

RVers will love Port Aransas. Some of the RV parks in Port A are right on the beach. Others are located inland within walking distance to restaurants or on the trolley route. Some offer amenities like pools, wi-fi and cable.

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Texas Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo
July 3-6
Texas Cowboy Reunion Grounds; Business Loop 277
Stamford, TX 79553 (close to Abilene, Texas)
(325) 773-3138

The Texas Cowboy Reunion and Rodeo corrals about 500 cowboys from all over the Southwest and Texas for the world’s largest amateur rodeo. Rodeo prizes include cash, trophies and handmade saddles. Dance beneath the stars to live country, western swing and honky tonk music. Enjoy the fiddler contests, Western art show and cowboy poetry. Sample food served from chuck wagons.If this does not sound exciting enough, take a look at the Wild Mare Racing event.

Camping and RVing Notes:

Stamford Park (325/773-2411) has picnic sites, camping areas with hook-ups, cabins and a fishing house. Silo Scott Memorial Park (940/864-3779) has picnic and camping areas with hook-ups.

Lake Stamford is a 4,690-acre lake that is popular for fishing, boating, water skiing and some of the best fishing around. It is a power plant lake, so the fishing is good in the winter as well.

• Lake Stamford Marina, 120 Marina Drive, Stamford, TX 79553, (325) 773-2095
• Anchor Marina Lodge, 788 Anchor Lane, Haskell, TX 79521, (940) 864-3779

What to See and Do:

Evidently there is a lot of ghostly activity in Stamford and the surrounding area. Visit Ghosts of America for more information.

Make sure you visit the Texas Cowboy Museum  located at 113 S. Wetherbee Street, across from the Chamber of Commerce. View original paintings and prints by noted cowboy artists; farm and ranch artifacts from early 20th century, including living room/kitchen and blacksmith shop. The museum is open Monday to Friday from 8 am until 5 pm.

The Stamford Centennial Monument ?was sculpted by Throckmorton artist Joe Barrington, This 15-foot tall sculpture of a cowboy on a bucking horse crossing a railroad track was unveiled June 2000.

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You may view and walk upon dinosaur tracks in many areas of Texas.

Austin

I will never forget when I was walking to class at University of Texas-Austin and stumbled upon this old building that housed an entire dinosaur trackway from the Paluxy River. These tracks are famous because they depict the tracking of a plant eating dinosaur by a meat eating dinosaur. These tracks are impressive and are currently undergoing restoration.

Big Bend

Many bones and fossils have been found in Big Bend. I am going to research it and put it together as a separate post.

Blanco River

Outside of Blanco Texas in the Blanco River, you will see sauropod tracks. Read this post for more information: Have You Ever Seen Sauropod Tracks.

Boerne

The Boerne Lake Spillway has been made off limits to visitors. You may see casts of these tracks at the Cibilo Nature Center.

Canyon Lake

Heritage Museum of the Texas Hill Country has the most dinosaur tracks in Texas. These tracks were made formed in the upper part of the Glen Rose Formation, approximately 100 million years ago.

Canyon Lake Gorge

The Canyon Lake Gorge was created by floodwaters that escaped over the Canyon Lake Spillway during the Flood Event of 2002. A group of paleontologists from the University of Texas–Austin are “documenting fossil invertebrate fauna” within the Glen Rose formation exposed by the Gorge. “One especially fossiliferous unit has yielded specimens representing at least 60 species of 40 genera.” These fossils will be exhibited in the new Canyon Gorge visitor’s center. I have heard that there are dinosaur tracks, but cannot find any mention of them on the Canyon Lake Gorge site.

Dinosaur Valley State Park

The Paluxy River is one of the more scenic tributaries of the Brazos River and widely known for the dinosaur tracks exposed at various places in its streambed. Some of the tracks were collected and placed on exhibit at the American Museum of Natural History in New York; other tracks collected nearby were put on exhibit at the Texas Memorial Museum in Austin. Luckily, there are many left to view!

Dinosaur Valley State Park contains some of the best preserved dinosaur tracks in the world. The tracks are located in the Paluxy River, so call to make sure they are visible: 254/897-4588 The park’s Interpretive Center features a section of these sauropod and carnosaur (meat-eating dinosaur) tracks.

Facilities at the park include campsites with water and electric hookups, a picnic table, fire ring and/or grill; restrooms with showers. Backpack campsites are 1 to 2.5 mile hike in the North Primitive area (no restrooms in the area, water is available at the trail head); Day use only horseback riding is allowed in the South Equestrian Area; There are 12 miles of hike and bike trails. The area hosts many species of both resident and migrant birds including the endangered Golden-Cheek Warbler and the Black-Capped Vireo along with wildturkeys.

Fort Worth Museum of Science and History

Dinosaur Roundup will be on display June 7 through September 27, 2008 on the first floor of the National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame, the temporary home of the Fort Worth Museum of Science and History while a new facility is built. Explore Lone Star Dinosaurs online.

Houston Museum of Natural Science Hall of Paleontology

The Houston Museum of Natural Science’s Hall of Paleontology contains more than 450 fossils and fossil replicas, providing a vivid glimpse into the incredible 3.5-billion year story of life on Earth. From the humble trilobite to the mighty Tyrannosaurus rex, Visit their blog, BEYONDbones.

Waco Mamnoth Site

In 1978, two local residents found skeletal remains of 25 mammoths thought to have lived 68,000 years ago. Researchers believe all these mammoths died at this one place, from the same cause. The find is not available to the public, but plans for a National Park are on the table.

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History

On June 19, 1865, Union Major General Gordon Granger read General Order #3 to the assembled people in Galveston, Texas.

The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free . . .

Today, this historic event is celebrated around the world as not only an African-American independence day, but as a celebration of the culture, the history and the countless contributions made by people of color to the world. For more information, please read my post from last year, Juneteenth in Texas.

Texas Celebrations

June 8-19, 2008 - Celebrate Juneteenth where it began, in Galveston. This huge Juneteenth event includes a Jubilee parade, picnic, prayer services, musicals, educational exhibits, demonstrations and more. Please visit the Juneteenth website for more information.

June 14, 2008 - Elgin celebrates Juneteenth on the second weekend in June with a parade, pageant, dance and festival. The events take place in downtown Elgin at the Veterans’ Memorial Park. For more information, contact Byron Mitchell at 512-281-9582 or the Elgin Chamber of Commerce.

June 19, 2008 - The George Bush Presidential Library in College Station hosts Freedom’s Legacy: Drumbeats of African American Heritage. The Annual Freedom Walk will depart from the Lincoln Center at 9am en route to the George Bush Presidential Library & Museum. A free storytelling celebration will be open to the public from 10:30-11:30am featuring Elizabeth Kahura, Storyteller and Educator.

June 19, 2008 - Attend a Gulf Coast Juneteenth in Hermann Park in Houston at 7pm. This concert merges creole and cowboy culture, zydeco and gospel music, with a mix of blues, jazz and deep southern soul. The concert features the ReBirth Brass Band, Geno Delafose and French Rockin’ Boogie, Sherman Robertson and Trudy Lynn.

June 20-21, 2008 - San Marcos, Texas hosts the oldest known annual celebration of the ending of slavery. Festivities include an old fashion picnic, BBQ cook-off, and festivities for the entire family. Saturday activities will be held at San Marcos Plaza. For more information, contact Harvey Miller at (512) 396-4903. For BBQ cook-off (Saturday) information, please contact David Peterson (512) 738-2583.

June 20-21, 2008 - Denton Juneteeth Celebration includes beauty pageants, gospel extravaganza, BBQ Cookoff, co-ed softball and basketball tournaments.

Other Ways to Celebrate

This year, we have a Black democratic candidate for the President of the United States. Read the story of Barack Obama and his journey towards the White House.

Read the Buffalo Soldiers Tribute. Did you know the Black soldiers were nicknamed “buffalo soldiers” by the Cheyenne Indians out of respect and acknowledgment of the fierce fighting ability of the 10th Cavalry?

Explore Black Cowboys on the Internet. Did you know that The character, Joshua Deets, portrayed by Danny Glover in the movie Lonesome Dove,i s based on Bose Ikard. Bose rode with both Oliver Loving and Charles Goodnight.

Juneteenth * Remember * Celebrate * Learn * Discover

Tags: Juneteenth, June 19th, emancipation day

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