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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Horseback Trails

McKinney Roughs Nature Park is located about 15 miles east of Austin on Highway 71. McKinney Roughs spreads over 1,100 acres and includes horseback riding (not camping). McKinney Roughs has two equestrian trail heads. Several of the trails offer scenic overlooks, cross pine groves and grasslands, as well as offer access to the Colorado River.

Trailhead gates are opened at sunrise and closed at sunset every day to allow trail riders access to the trails during optimal riding times. Fee is $10 per rider. Equestrian passbooks can be purchased for $250, which includes 50 passes. To check if equestrian trails are open, call the 24-hour trail information hotline at 1-800-776-5272, Ext. 7427.  Link to the trail map in PDF.

BastropTexas.net has some great photographs of McKinney Roughs park.

Hiking Trails

McKinney Roughs contains the most extensive collection of hiking trails to be found in Central Texas. The official park website mentions over 15 miles of trails, with more planned in the future. $3 per person. No biking and no dogs on trails. View the details at Texas Hiking website.

Photograph from Happy Horse Hotel website. All rights reserved.

Area Campground

Happy Horse Hotel has tent and rig camping (water and electric only). There are a few openings for the May Full Moon Ride on May 16 and May 17) . $35 for each horse/rider, which will include the $5 ride ticket. The ride will last 60 to 90 minutes after mounting up, and riders must be able to comfortably trot and canter their horses, since timing is everything. Call 512-303-0589 for more details and exact times.

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Photography by Earl Nottingham © Texas Parks and Wildlife Department

Did you know there is a place in Texas where you may view the history of the Great Plains, which includes 260+ million years and six major geologic periods? The story is told in the sandstone cliffs and multicolored clays that form gypsum-laced pedestals, hoodoos and slides of the canyonlands. Standing on the bedrock of the Southern Plains, you will agree that Caprock Canyons State Park amd Trailway is unlike any other area of Texas.

Caprock Canyons State Park was Park of the Month November 2007. Below is an excerpt from this article:

Imagine a place where marbled redrock canyons slice through a vast landscape dominated by table top-flat plains, where miniature mountains pierce an azure sky, where historic railroad bridges seem to float in space and the descendants of ancient bison herds graze native grasses . . .

After the Visitors Center and the Discovery Center, the park road winds from the escarpment to the canyonlands below. Lake Theo, accessed by the first turn-in to the left along the park road, offers fishing, swimming and non-motorized boating. The next right is Honea Flat Camping Area, where you park your RV. Down the road and to the right is Wild Horse Camping Area, the equestrian camping area.

After a couple of miles, as the road descends into the canyons of the North Prong and South Prong of the Little Red River, you will find Red Tent Camping Area on the left, the trailhead of the Upper and Lower Canyon Trails to the right. The road ends at South Prong Tent Camping Area. There are two primitive camping areas on the canyon trails.

Caprock Canyons State Park includes the Trailway, a 64-mile Rail-to-Trail conversion. Used for hiking, mountain biking and horseback riding, this multi-use trail begins at South Plains on top of the caprock escarpment and ends at Estelline in the Red River Valley. On the way from escarpment to river valley, the Trailway crosses 46 bridges and includes a trip through Clarity tunnel, home to a colony of Mexican free-tailed bats (April through October).

Notes:

• All visitors must obtain an entrance permit to use parking area and trailway.
• Overnight campers must obtain permits at the park headquarters.
• Day-use fees may be paid at pay stations located at each trailhead.
• Do not tie animals to man-made structures.
• The Mexican free-tailed bats living in Clarity tunnel are very sensitive to traffic, noise, light and human presence. Walk your bike through the tunnel.

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While researching the information for the Big Bend Open Road Race, I found a wonderful tool to use to explore Big Bend. VisitBigBend.com has added an interactive map that allows you to take a virtual trip to Big Bend. There is a layer for Google Earth that you download.

However, if you do not want to download a layer for Google Earth, there are two other interactive maps you may view. These maps are annotated with photographs, points of interest, driving loops, trails and parks.

• River Road Flyby Video
• National Park Flyby Video

Over one million acres of public land in Big Bend National Park and Big Bend Ranch State Park offer endless opportunities for camping, hiking, mountain biking, canoing, kayaking, horseback riding and off roading. Click a link below to find out more about Big Bend activities.

• River Trips
• Backcountry Vehicle, ATV & Jeep Tours
• Horseback Trips
• Mountain Bicycles
• Hiking
• Bird Watching

RVers

Big Bend National Park has three campgrounds with paved access that are suitable for tent camping, trailers, and RVs. Campsites are $10 per night, and a small fee is charged for using the reservations system (www.ReserveUSA.com or 1-877-444-6777). Each of the three improved campgrounds has a dedicated group campsite available for reservation, for $3 per camper.

Rio Grande Village, located on the east side of the park, has the only available hook ups for RVs. No reservations taken, just register at Rio Grande Village Store. The campground has 100 sites, flush toilets, running water and a dump station.

The Basin Campground, Is rugged and hilly, most sites are unsuitable for RVs. The main road to the basin has lots of curves, and a 15% grade. Trailers over 20 feet and RVs over 24 feet are discouraged. Of 60 sites, 23 are on the reservation system.

Cottonwood Campground, on the west side of the park, is along the banks of the Rio Grande, near Castolon and convenient to Santa Elena Canyon. There is potable water pit toilets, but no dumping station. The 31 sites are open year round and are first-come, first-served basis.

Primitive Backroad Sites exist at 30 locations scattered along back roads in the park. Many of these sites require a high-clearance or 4-wheel drive vehicle to reach. Camping at these back road sites is free, but a back country permit from Park Headquarters is required.

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