As you drive into Port Lavaca, Texas, (
www.portlavaca.org ) one of the first unique structures you see, is this hexagonal-shaped light house (made of cypress), located at the town's community center. It has been moved from its original location of Half Moon Reef, where it was built in the 1850's, attached to strong iron pilings, to form a three-story lighthouse. It is said to be the oldest wooden lighthouse remaining on the Texas coast. Its beacon went out 12 miles, to warn sailors of sandbars and reefs between the open sea and the Texas Gulf Coast. However, during the Civil War, the light was disabled by Confederate troops, in an attempt to disrupt federal efforts to capture Southern blockade runners.
The lighthouse greeting, is a clue to the importance of boating and fishing, in this haven for the many "Winter Texans" who come here from Canada and colder parts of the USA, to spend October through April.
Since the adjacent lands are "flat as the proverbial pancake", I got the impression that many of these boaters used pedal-power to make their supply runs, as bicycles were prevalent everywhere on the dock!
The calmer waters of the marina are a "must have" for boat moorings, because Port Lavaca holds the record for the highest wind speed ever reached! During Hurricane Carla in September, 1961, winds were recorded to gust up to 170 mph! On the day I was there, the weather broadcast said the winds were 55 mph! As I was filling up my gas tank, the wind actually blew the nozzle out of the tank! I don't recall ever being outside in that much wind in my entire life!
Although the population of Port Lavaca is listed as around 12,000, it can boast some boutique shopping experiences that compare with towns of a much larger size. I spent about an hour wandering through this store, as the tremendous variety of merchandise it offered was a visual delight!
The title of this mural is "Main Street on Parade" and alludes to the town's colorful past. A clue to that past, is in its name, as "La vaca" means "the cow" in Spanish. At one time, the shipping of cattle, was an important part of this town's economic purpose. Not only that, Port Lavaca, was the location of shipments of camels, during an "experiment" the U.S. Military authorized, to test using dromedaries for transport purposes, in their Southwest operations!
The Lavaca Theater is no longer used for current movie releases, but its distinctive sign remains as a landmark on the town's Main Street.
This Confederate Artillery Battery Silhouette, with the Gulf waters in the background, is a reminder that this area was also touched by the conflicts of the Civil War, even though the battles fought here may not be as famous as the ones back East around Gettysburg. Since I had a great grandfather that died in the Civil War, I am using this image as a visual aid for one of my First Place 4 Health (
www.FirstPlace4Health.com ) memory verses that says, "Do not grieve, for the joy of the LORD is your strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)
This sturdy bench is bolted onto concrete to withstand the strong winds, and make sure it is available, for those who want to sit and gaze at the horizon! It may have been empty when I was there because many of the "Winter Texans" had already left, and the local folks were at work in one of the large manufacturing facilities that are nearby: Alcoa, Formosa Plastics, and DuPont all have plants in the area.
There is a very nice Nature Walk beside the water, that provides folks with a level place to do their outdoor exercise strolls.
This board walk enables the visitor to get "up close and personal" with the wildlife of the estuaries, without damaging it from foot traffic.
The covered gazebo on the water's edge would be a welcome repose from the sun, during the hot days of summer.
Lighthouse Beach is a man made beach, and has covered picnic tables, swimming, and shower provisions. I liked the way the shower nozzles were "camouflaged" adjacent to the artificial palm trees!
The tire tracks on the beach show that no one had used it since it was groomed earlier in the day. The row of black dots in the middle left of the photo show the beach is being patrolled by platoon of birds---hundreds were all lined up on the fence, as if waiting for a performance to start!
I couldn't resist my urge to start walking towards these birds to see how close I could get, before they all flew away. Some of them never did fly away! I surmised they were more afraid of losing their spot in the line-up, than they were of some lady with a camera!
A new fishing pier was built for Port Lavaca in 2006. Notice it has lights for night fishermen. Game fish harvested here include Red Fish, Flounder, Drum, and Speckled Trout.
I was more intrigued by this sailing catamaran that I was by the fishing boats. Sadly, I never saw anyone take it out during my brief visit to these waters.
Fishing is an important part of the local economy, especially for shrimp and oysters. This boat was unloading its catch during my visit. So even though the nickname of the town is "Port of the Cow", I did not see a single cow anywhere, while touring Port Lavaca! However, later in my trip to the Texas coast, I was able to enjoy dining on some of their fresh seafood, and it gave me "MILES OF SMILES"!. Tricia
Goliad State Park in south Texas has something for everyone: History buffs will be intrigued by the Visitor Center, with American Indian and Spanish colonial artifacts, and dioramas that tell their story. The park's 188-acre area also has camping, picnicking, hiking trails, boating, fishing, and swimming. Goliad State Park is less than a mile from the small town (population about 2,000) of Goliad, Texas. The town may be small in population, but it is large in history, as it is listed as one of the oldest towns in Texas!
Goliad State Park is where you will find Mission Espiritu Santo De Zuniga, a reconstructed 1749 church. Guided tours of the mission are available, which show the church's period furnishings, as well as a workshop that displays period craft materials. A museum displays exhibits that tell of mission history and daily life of the Spanish missionaries and Karankawa Indian converts. 
Although there is no charge to check out the Visitor Center, a small fee is in place to guide visitors through the church, which is located a short walk from the Visitor Center (phone 361-645-3405 for updates about current hours of operation). 
At its peak, the mission was headquarters for hundreds of residents, with vast herds of livestock that supplied Texas and Mexico.
The architecture of the Visitor Center reflects that of colonial Spain, and the Spanish-style archway makes a nice frame for this photo. 
Historical markers emphasize what the Visitor Center, Mission Museum, and textbooks teach about the location. If you have ever celebrated "Cinco de Mayo", you have a connection with Goliad State Park! That is because this area was the birthplace of Ignacio Zaragoza, the general in the Mexican army, best known for defeating French forces on May 5, 1862! Hence, "Cinco de Mayo" is celebrating that victory! The park also has the ruins of Rosario Mission, which is now an archaeological site. 
Just across the San Antonio River from the mission and Visitor Center, you will find the impressive Presidio La Bahia, which is a fort constructed by the Spanish army. It was the only Spanish fortress for the entire Gulf Coast area from the mouth of the Rio Grande to the Mississippi River. Civilian settlements sprang up around the Presidio in the late 1700's. 
Besides being a fortress, there was also a small Catholic chapel within the walls of the Presidio. Presidio La Bahia is a fort, however, and not a mission. The chapel (called Our Lady of Loreto Chapel) was erected in the quadrangle for the sole use of the soldiers and Spanish settlers living in the town of La Bahia, surrounding the fort. It is the oldest building in the compound, in continuous use since the 1700s. The chapel is still used for services. 
The First Declaration of Independence was signed inside the fort's chapel in 1835.
The chapel is also where General Fannin's men were held during part of their captivity before being massacred. James Fannin was the commander of La Bahia Presidio. He and his men were executed by Mexican Soldiers outside the walls of the Presidio, March 27, 1836, in an event called The Goliad Massacre. 
All these different flags flying at La Bahia attest to the many conflicts that it witnessed over the decades. Soldiers from Presidio La Bahia assisted the Spanish army fighting the British along the Gulf Coast during the American Revolution. This action gives Goliad the distinction of being one of the only communities west of the Mississippi River to have participated in the American Revolution!
La Bahia is ranked as the most attractive of the Presidio sites in the U.S. For all the readers who enjoy eating beef, it is also interesting to note that La Bahia is where the cattle industry of America had its beginnings. The soldiers of the Presidio presided over vast herds from the nearby missions, and supplied troop escorts for cattle drives to supply other settlements in the Spanish Southwest. 
When I first drove by this location, I had no idea what it was (students from Arkansas are not required to take a course in Texas state history---a fact that astonished my Texas-born-and-bred-and-educated brother-in-law!). The thing that caught my attention was the architecture, because I noticed immediately it was the same design as the tourism logo for Puerto Rico. I had purchased a ceramic candle holder with this design when I visited Puerto Rico, so I look at this design element every day. The turret along the walls of the fort serve to GUARD it from unwelcome invaders. Therefore, I am using this image as the visual aid to help me learn one of my First Place 4 Health ( 