We drove over on Saturday to look around and to paddle the kayaks. I lived in Rockport when I was in high school. In 1978, my first summer job was at the Sea Shell Shoppe. Walking into that store this weekend, was like stepping back in time. Nothing had changed: the same shelves, the same layout and if I'm not mistaken, some of the same merchandise.
The Sea Shell Shoppe may not have changed much, but the town certainly has. It has grown and flourished. Tourism is still big business though. This time of year, the RV parks and vacation rentals are filled to capacity with people from colder climates. We used to refer to them as Snowbirds, but now we call them Winter Texans.
After our tour and my remembering how things used to be, we went to Goose Island State Park where we intended to paddle, but after checking it out, I changed my mind. While we were there, we stopped to see Big Tree.
It's surrounded by a fence to keep people from getting too close, so it's impossible to get a perspective of it's size. More impressive than its size to me though, is its age. It is estimated to be over 1000 years old.
Afterwards, we decided to check out Lighthouse Lakes Paddling Trail in Aransas Pass. We should have come here first. This type of paddling is what I'm most interested in.
You can't tell from the picture, but on the other side of the boat channel is a series of mangrove-lined estuaries. It's advised to paddle with a map of the trail and a GPS, as it's easy to get turned around in the maze of channels. We're coming back when we have more time. It was too late in the day to start out on a serious paddle.
As long as we were so close, we took the ferry across to Port Aransas. Drove out to the beach and walked along the jetty until about sunset, then found a nice restaurant on the harbor to eat dinner.
It was a very full and enjoyable day. Round trip (including all the driving after we were there): 370 miles.
* I'm working on a scarf. The stitch pattern is K3, P3 for one row, then P the knit sts and K the purl sts on the next row. Yarn colors are alternated every two rows creating an interesting design.
The pictures look great, I'm glad that you had a good day trip! The scarf looks good too!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had a perfect day. Next time you'll know just what to do, but you sure had fun finding out. Love the tree (and the scarf).
ReplyDeleteYour trip sounds absolutely heavenly! It's 3 degrees below zero today, and I can't get my car doors open! I think next year, I'll be a Winter Texan! :-)
ReplyDeleteYes, it sounds - and looks - like a perfect day! You make me want to look seriously into getting a kayak. Your comment about canoes being too tippy made me rethink them, but perhaps a kayak would be good for paddling around on the lake.
ReplyDeleteAnd I always love the pictures you post with shells in them. Did working at the Sea Shell Shop start your love of shells, or did you work at the shop because you liked shells?
And your scarf looks like a perfect pattern, too - visual interest, but not a complex pattern so it's easily memorized.
I couldn't help but stare at that tree. For perhaps an unnaturally long time. Love your pictures! :-)
ReplyDeleteYour beautiful pictures always make me think I'm living in the wrong part of Texas! ;-)
ReplyDeleteThat looks like a neat outing.
ReplyDeleteThe tree is amazing!
How fun to walk down memory lane. What a surprise it must be to drop in at the Sea Shell Shop and find it just as it was! The tree picture is really unique. I too love trees.I've never seen one like that. The pattern on the scarf is really interesting. I'll be watching the progress! Knit on!
ReplyDeleteYou are making me want to leave my beloved east coast with all these beautiful pics!
ReplyDeleteI think the State of Texas should be paying you a stipend for increasing tourism. Your pictures are always so pretty, and they really do make me want to come and visit there.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the great post and pictures, I do like that old tree.
ReplyDeleteI guess you can get a lot of knitting done in 370 miles!
ReplyDelete