Time continues to fly by as we enter our last 2 weeks here
in Rockport. Thought you’d be interested to know that Rockport, Texas was
chosen by readers of USA Today and 10Best as one of the 10 ‘Best Coastal
Small Towns’ in the US. It ranked #5! Now that Rockport has been “discovered”
we hope it continues to maintain its small town charm. (One of our other
favorite places ranked #2.) Here’s the link to the full article: http://www.10best.com/awards/travel/best-coastal-small-town/
“The full list of winners in the 'Best Coastal Small Town' contest
category for 10Best Readers' Choice is as follows:
- Saugatuck, Mich.
- Ogunquit, Maine
- Gulf Shores, Ala.
- Rehoboth Beach, Del.
- Rockport, Texas: Across the Aransas Bay from Corpus Christi, the streets of Rockport
are lined with art galleries -- the town claims to have the highest
percentage of artists in Texas. The pedestrian-friendly downtown is filled
with shops and restaurants, and more often than not, accommodation takes
the form of old fashioned motel courts. Windswept oak trees and large
swathes of protected coastal wetlands make this section of the Texas Gulf Coast
one of the loveliest.
- Mystic, Conn.
- St. Michaels, Md.
- Chincoteague, Va.
- Ocean Springs, Miss.
- Duck, N.C.
A big congratulations to our winners, and next time you're planning a trip
to the coast, remember that good things come in small packages.”
A trip to historic Victoria, Texas was on the calendar for
Monday. First a bit of background on Victoria.
”Victoria County, Texas is where the history of Texas
began. French explorer Rene Robert Cavalier, Sieur de La Salle, arrived and
established an outpost near the southern tip of present day Victoria County, in
1685, making it the only county in Texas where all 6 flags have actually flown.
LaSalle’s intrusion into Spanish territory forced
Spain to reinforce its presence near the Louisiana border with a series of
missions and presidios. By the 1770s Spanish missions and presidios had fallen
back to Goliad and San Antonio. It would be 140 years from La Salle’s arrival
before the Republic of Mexico approved Don Martin de Leon’s request to
establish a colony on the lower Guadalupe River, at a place known as Guadalupe
Victoria until Texas gained her independence from Mexico in 1836; since then
the town has been known as Victoria.
Victoria was among the original 23 counties
established by the First Congress of the Republic of Texas on March 17, 1836.
The city of Victoria was subsequently chartered in 1839.
Despite the typical problems of Texas settlements
during this time (Indians, disease, and war with Mexico), Victoria prospered.
Its principle sources of livelihood were agriculture (mainly cotton) and
ranching. Following Texas’ independence from Mexico and subsequent statehood,
Victoria became primarily an Anglo settlement, growing rapidly during the 1840s
and 1850s.
Victoria became a cosmopolitan community in the latter
part of the 19th century. Its newspaper, The Victoria Advocate, founded in 1946, is the 2nd
oldest newspaper in the state. During the 1930s the oil and gas industry
emerged as a vital force in Victoria’s economy. Sadly, with the wealth
generated from the petroleum industry came the wholesale destruction of some of
the city’s grandest structures. Founded in 1980, Victoria Preservation has
dedicated itself to the protection and preservation of the city’s architectural
heritage. The Victoria of today is a
modern city, but one which has not lost its small town charm. It’s definitely
worth a visit.” http://www.visitvictoriatexas.com/
We dragged Bob and Sharon along with us to explore this
lovely little town, located about an hour northeast of Rockport. Our first stop
was to the Visitors Center where we obtained lots of interesting stuff on the
area. Our first important stop was to eat breakfast, and we were directed to
Ramsey’s Restaurant, a wonderful eatery just around the corner from the Visitor
Center.
Ramsey’s Restaurant is really a step back in time, and is
one of the last old school diners. We were impressed by the wait staffs’
ability to take orders without writing anything down—and getting it right! We
stuffed ourselves on omelets, pancakes, French toast, bacon and sausage, along
with gallons of coffee. Yum-yum!
It’s said that along with all the locals, State
representatives, railroad commissioners, political candidates for governor,
cattle ranchers, cowboys, pro baseball players, a retired NFL football coach,
movie stars, and country and pop singers have all been spotted enjoying the
fare at Ramsey’s.
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| Notice Buddy Holly's gold record for "Peggy Sue"; it's hanging in Ramsey's Restaruant! |
Ramsey’s was established in 1948 by Jess and Minnie Ramsey,
who had owned other successful restaurants in Victoria. They were dedicated to
serving great food along with excellent customer service. (Yup, on both
counts!) Jess passed away in 1968, but Minnie continued their vision. After
several attempts at leasing out the restaurant, and never being satisfied with
the quality provided by new management, she always took the restaurant back. In
1995, Minnie finally made the decision to sell the restaurant, as long as she
could find the right person to take it over and keep up her standards.
With just a conversation over the phone, the current owner
Derel Reaves was curious enough to drive down from Houston to visit the
restaurant, on the off chance that this might be the opportunity he was looking
for. After just a few minutes sitting on one of the stools
at the coffee shop counter and talking to the customers and staff, it was
obvious Ramsey’s was a gem. Everything about it just felt right. From the old
1950’s terrazzo floors, to the coffee shop with the ranchers drinking coffee
and gossiping, the volume of people coming in and out, and the ease and flow of
a charming country family diner, it was perfect! Derel purchased the restaurant
from Mrs. Ramsey, and their friendship and mutual respect continued for many
years as they talked business and discussed restaurant management styles. Derel
Reaves still owns and runs the restaurant with the same standards began by Jess
and Minnie years earlier. And…one of Ramsey’s original cooks, Minnie Goode, is
still running the kitchen and is the heart and soul of so many of the recipes
that are loved by loyal customers. It’s worth a stop!
Our next stop was the Texas National Zoo, designated the National Zoo of Texas in 1984. Although small, the zoo showcases more than 200 native Texas and exotic animals of over 90 species. In addition, it features educational programs as well as special events throughout the year.
Our next stop was the Texas National Zoo, designated the National Zoo of Texas in 1984. Although small, the zoo showcases more than 200 native Texas and exotic animals of over 90 species. In addition, it features educational programs as well as special events throughout the year.
Here are just some of the
photos taken at the zoo.
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| Notice Jasmine, the Macaw: she had been so stressed before she arrived at the zoo that she plucked out all her breast feathers. Gradually they're growing back and the handlers are quite optimistic that they'll all come back. |
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| Clockwise from top: American alligators, American badger, Peccaries, Cotton-topped Tamarin |
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| India Blue Peafowls (or peacocks); they were stuttin' their stuff for the Rio Grande Turkey. These birds were walking free throughout the zoo. |
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| Clockwise: Ruddy Duck (blue bill), Scarlet Ibis, and the lovely Roseate Spoonbills. These birds were roaming/flying freely through the aviary as we walked through, so we were able to get up close and personal. Cool! |
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| Clockwise: there were quite a few Emus in the pen, and some were getting up close hoping we had food to share. The Sandhill Crane is in the bottom right; then the White-tailed Hawk. |
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| Clockwise: Lions, Red-ruffed Lemur, Tiger, Ring-tailed Lemur and a Red Wolf. |
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| Clockwise: 9-ring Armadillo, Burmese Python, Broad-banded Copperhead, Texas Tortoises, and Spiked Lizards |
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| Clockwise: Barred Owl, Blue and Gold Macaw, Sun Conures, and the Green-winged Macaw |
From the zoo we took a
driving tour through a part of Victoria’s historic district. Although there are
80 homes and properties on the tour, we were able to see only about a quarter
of them before heading back to Rockport.
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| The homes above were just some on the Historic Victoria Tour. Names and a description and history of the homes can be found on the link provided above. Most homes date back to the mid- to late 1800s and early 1900s. |
Tuesday I attended “Stitch
and B…”—our numbers are dwindling—but we gals still had a great time. This time
it was mostly chatting, not stitching or b… Ha! At 11:30 about 30 of us gals
from Bay View and a few other RV parks in the area met for lunch at China A, a
local Asian restaurant buffet, as a final outing together. What fun! China A
has 6 or 7 very long buffet lines offering everything from traditional Chinese
and Japanese (sushi) to more American-style foods. We finally waddled out
around 1:00. Good food, good memories, wonderful friends.
Later that afternoon we
spent a couple of “happy hours” at Steve’s and Karen’s. It was one of the last
times we all would be together before they all head home.
Wednesday we welcomed Joe
and Ida back from Houston, following her intense treatment at M.D. Anderson
Cancer Center. Her last sessions really took their toll on her, but the
prognosis is very positive. Ida still needs to return for a couple more
treatments, but they’re here in the park for the next couple of months. Sadly,
this means that we say “so long” to Lucy, their adopted cat and our “foster
child”, as they’ll now take over caring for her. Lucy is a bit confused and
still comes back to us for food but we dutifully carry her over to Joe and Ida
to be fed.
That evening we headed to
the clubhouse for one of our last Wednesday night happy hours and dinners.
Dinner that night was prepared by guest chefs Larry and Pat, who have been here
in the park for a few months. (Larry also grilled our hamburgers, hotdogs and
fish sandwiches for the Friday lunches.) The menu included fresh spring rolls,
egg foo young, egg rolls and ham fried rice. YUM-YUM!!! Of course, this was
followed by the obligatory fortune cookies. Good job, guys—we’re looking
forward to seeing you in the fall, and more of your culinary goodies!
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| Top: Guest chefs Larry and Pat from South Dakota Bottom: Chef Betty teaching us how to make spring rolls |
A trip to the laundry and
Walmart was scheduled for Thursday. We try to go 2 weeks without having to do
laundry; prices aren’t bad, as it costs us about $10 to wash and dry. Always
good to get that out of the way. That evening we played Pegs ‘n’ Jokers with
friends Bill and Carole, and Jamie and Annie. Sadly, the gals won only 1 game
of the 3 we played. Dang…
Friday was the end of the
season happy hour. Almost 70 people showed up to share stories, snacks and
memories. An added draw was guest musician Jef Wilson who provided music for listening
and dancing. We certainly enjoyed the evening. (I brought lemonade champagne
cocktail, which was a BIG hit with everyone!)
“Jef—with one ‘f’—Wilson
is a native Texan, now residing in New Braunfels. In the 40 years he’s been in
the business of entertaining, Texas has always played a major part in his show.
Jef has found the heart of what he loves: Texas music and Texans. His music, as
a solo act or with his band, the Rip Tones, can rock your world or take you
down a country road. This was his second or third visit to Bay View—folks love
him.
Saturday we said our
farewell to Bob and Sharon, as they began their trek home to Missouri, with a
first stop in Dallas to see her brother. Our section of the park is getting
very “empty” as more and more folks are packing up and heading home.
That evening we attended
the Easter cantata, “Two Crowns,” at First Baptist Church of Rockport. We
brought along friends Marge, and Bea and Mike. It was an evening of beautiful
music and the wonderful message of the true story of Easter.
“Two
crowns were placed before Him, so different to behold.
Two
crowns of different meaning, one of thorns, one of gold.
Two
crowns that tell the story of a blameless life laid down.
The
King of endless glory must choose between the crowns.
So He
gives up all His riches, sets the golden crown aside,
takes
up the crown of torment, His royalty denied.
He
gives His life to free us, takes our sine an takes our loss,
and
in return we give to Him three nails and a cross.”
In past blogs I've mentioned Pastor Scott Jones almost weekly while we're here in Rockport; here's his photo.
Afterward we stopped at Dairy Queen for blizzards,
burgers and fries. Yum-yum! What a perfect way to end a perfect evening! It
turned out that almost the entire choir showed up there, too, to enjoy a bit of
deliciousness!
Sunday morning Dick and I headed to the pool to “catch
some rays.” (The Sunday services were replaced with another presentation of the
cantata.) With Dick’s work schedule it’s been difficult to spend time at the
pool together (although I've been quite often with friends). We spent almost 2
hours there, enjoying the pool, sunshine and chatting with friends before
heading back to our coach to clean up for the ice cream social and Pegs ‘n’
Jokers. Sadly, the gals couldn't catch a break, losing all 3 games to the guys.
Boo-hoo!
Friends Marty and Steve were planning to leave Monday
morning, heading north to their home in Michigan, so Sunday evening about 10 or
12 of us joined them on their patio for a final happy hour (this year) with
them. We enjoyed the beautiful late afternoon weather, with temps still in the
high 70s, chatting and laughing for a couple of hours. Good times, great
friends. We’re all planning to return in the fall for another season together.
Even though our time is short here, we’re still managing
to find things to do, and time to spend with good friends. They've all become
family to us during these 6 or 7 months spent together.
That’s it for this week. Thanks for hangin’ with us. We
love and appreciate you all.
Have a safe and blessed Easter.
RJ and Gail
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