Texaswithall: All About Texas

Texas With All: Everything About Texas

The coastline of south Texas, which state residents half-jokingly refer to as the Third Coast, curves from Port Arthur on the Louisiana border (a shipping and petrochemical town and the birthplace of Janis Joplin) on the much-touristed Gulf Coast, down past the urban monster of Houston, to the Rio Grande, the border with Mexico. Giant, cosmopolitan Houston dominates everything; its great wealth has led to a thriving arts scene, but ultimately it overpowers, rather than relates to, the rest of the region. Geographically and culturally, this area has two distinct faces. To the east are the seaside resorts of the prairie, rolling away from the hills and forests of east Texas. Much of the coast is feeling the strain of rapid property development, but there are still unspoiled stretches along the Padre Island National Seashore . In the south, a Hispanic influence spreads north from the fertile Rio Grande Valley. The border towns here have little charm and are only of interest as points of entry into Mexico for cheap shopping and entertainment. Uniting south Texas is the hot, swampy climate; Houston, especially, is unbearable in the summer, one reason for the mass exodus to the coast.

You only have to look at the number of condo developments along the Gulf Coast to see that this is a major tourist destination. The climate ranges from balmy at Galveston to subtropical at the Mexican border, but everywhere it's windy: Corpus Christi rivals Chicago as the gustiest city in the States, and a devastating hurricane in 1900 all but leveled the city of Galveston. The fierce tide, progressively gnawing away at the beaches, may pose a threat to tourism, but for now Galveston offers history, shopping and low-key relief from uptight Houston, while Corpus Christi to the south makes the best base for the beaches of Padre Island National Seashore. Rockport, a weathered resort on Hwy-35, is convenient for the Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, sheltering endangered whooping cranes, armadillos and alligators.

 

The unabashed resort town of Corpus Christi is reached along the coast on Hwy-35 from Houston or Galveston, or on I-37 from San Antonio. Originally a rambunctious trading post, it too was hit by a fierce hurricane, in 1919, but recovered, transforming itself into a center for naval air training, petroleum and shipping. Much of the population is Hispanic. There are many activities available such as fishing, sailing and water sports across the channel from Corpus Christi on Padre Island.

The barrier islands of Padre Island National Seashore stretch just offshore for 110 miles south of Corpus Christi, almost down to the Mexican border. The frontier between Brownsville and Matamoros is not very interesting, however; for a brief taste of Mexico, head almost due west from Corpus one hundred miles to Laredo . (US-83 runs along the Rio Grande between Brownsville and Laredo.) Away from the coast, the fertile landscape begins to dry out and citrus groves give way to the brush and mesquite of a region of huge ranches, where Mexican vaqueros once held sway.

Padre Island National Seashore is not quite as unspoiled these days as its reputation might suggest, with its ranks of condos advancing steadily, but it remains a good destination for bird-watching, beachcombing and camping. The park is easily accessed by car, but cab services in Corpus Christi will make the trip for around $30 (Star Taxi tel 361/884-9451).The park itself is open 24 hours, with a $10 admission charge per vehicle, good for one week. Camping on the beach is free, but permits are $5 for the primitive Bird Island Basin and $8 for the semi-primitive Malaquite Beach Campground . Note that an impassable canal divides the island, meaning that the pricier and much more touristy South Padre Island in the south can only be reached from the mainland - it's a three-hour drive from Corpus Christi.

Brownsville, just across from South Padre Island, is a scruffy, semi-tropical resort, populated by retired Texans on winter vacation, where you'll hear more Spanish spoken than English. To cross the border into Matamoros, walk across Gateway Bridge at International Boulevard. Wealthier than Brownsville, and considerably larger, the Mexican city is not terribly inspiring, but it has a good market, Mercado Juarez, on calles 9 and 10, and an untouristy main plaza at Calle 5, dominated by the cathedral. If you're intending to stay in Mexico or venture further than twenty miles or so, you must pick up a tourist card from the Mexican Consulate at Twelfth Avenue and Washington Street in Brownsville.

In 1890 Galveston on the northern tip of Galveston Island, the southern terminus of I-45 was a thriving port, far larger than Houston fifty miles northwest; many newly arrived European immigrants chose to stay here in the so-called Queen of the Gulf. Thanks to its pretty historic district and its popularity with Houston residents seeking a summer escape, Galveston's undergone a certain revitalization.

The downtown beaches of Seawall Boulevard are a constant reminder of Galveston's struggle simply to exist: murky, rocky and protected behind a ten-mile-long seawall from the ever-encroaching tides and the threat of further hurricanes. Stewart Beach Park, the most convenient beach for downtown, is geared toward family fun and gets very crowded; the wide R.A. Apfell Park , further east, is marginally quieter during the week, but has live music some weekends and a lively bar. Both of these beaches charge $5 per car.

Houston has relentless Texan pride, and above all its refusal to take itself totally seriously, give it a perverse appeal, while its well-endowed museums and rich nightlife mean there is always something to do. That Howard Hughes came from Houston makes absolute sense; eccentric, domineering and sordid, the millionaire typified all that makes the city intriguing.

There is good reason why Houston exists at all; it was founded on a muddy mire in 1837 by two brothers from New York who hoped it would become the capital of the new Republic of Texas. For all their wild claims about its potential as a port, and its (imaginary) urban attractions, the more promising site of Austin was made capital in 1839. However, by then Houston had somehow established itself as a commercial center. Oil discovered in 1901, and, like the city itself, unpredictable and heading for obsolescence became the foundation, along with cotton and real estate, of vast private fortunes. Among the most famous of the philanthropists responsible for the development of downtown Houston was the cruelly named Ima Hogg. Her city improvement projects were largely cosmetic, however, and the contradictions of urban life are still writ large here, where abject poverty coexists with ostentatious wealth.

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