Monday, March 9, 2015
EXPLORING ROCKPORT "TEX-PEDITION"!
The small town of Rockport, Texas ( population about 7,500 ) is a resort town on the Gulf Coast. Considering the history of severe tropical storms and hurricanes, it works hard to preserve any historic buildings that have withstood such harsh weather conditions. This photo shows the home built in 1868-69, by John Mathis. Mr. Mathis was instrumental in laying out the plans for the town of Rockport, and was its first mayor in 1870.
Besides the historic structure, the windswept oak trees are listed as a tourist attraction!
Being surrounded by water, it is not surprising that boating is a very popular activity in the area. 
These weather-beaten docks are all the evidence that remains of the town's once-prominent place in the shipbuilding industry.
The 
Many of the properties that line the bay are available for rental to visitors, on both a short term or long term basis.
This plaque along the shoreline provides a glimpse into Rockport's Shipyards history. The first record of a ship being built here was 1880. More ship-building took place for World War I, with the presence of a large shipyard that had over 900 employees in 1917. Shipbuilding also took place here during World War II. More information on the history of this area is available by clicking on www.rockport-fulton.org .
One of the buildings that I visited downtown has been restored into an indoor galleria, where one can wonder the halls and find a variety of retail establishments.
There was a time when Rockport's future looked very dismal, especially with the decline of the shipbuilding industries; however, more recently, there seems to "be a light at the end of the tunnel", in terms of economic recovery.
One thing helping to provide this light, is Rockport's art scene. This oil painting was on display, with the addition of real electric lights, at the top of each painted lighthouse, in one of the local galleries.
Many of Rockport's shops have a birding theme, because this area is known as one of the major birding areas in the USA. Twice a year, thousands of migratory waterfowl and other birds arrive to nest and breed on the nearby islands and estuaries. 
Stores offering bird identification books for the hundreds of birders who visit, are a welcome sight to those who want to enjoy some "fowl play" while in the area.
By remodeling rundown buildings on Austin Street for use as galleries and studios, the Rockport Art Association sparked a restoration of neighboring buildings that now house shops and restaurants. 
The efforts of the Rockport Art Association can be an example to other small towns, interested in rekindling their market share of the tourism industry. I am using this image as a visual aid to help me remember one of my First Place 4 Health ( www.FirstPlace4Health.com ) memory verses that says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Jeremiah 29:11 . I am thankful that God's plan for me included a visit to Rockport, Texas, because it gave me "MILES OF SMILES"! Tricia
Sunday, March 8, 2015
ALLEGRO KEY EXPEDITION!
Being a native of the Ozark Mountains who had not spent much time on the Gulf Coast, I had never heard of Key Allegro. However, when I was walking along the Rockport, Texas, shoreline, I could see a lovely area across the water that looked like a picturesque marina, that would be a good place to take some photos. So I followed the little road that hugged the Rockport shoreline, until I crossed a small bridge, and found myself in a place called "Key Allegro" ( www.keyallegro.com ). Those boats I was seeing were moored at the Key Allegro Yacht Club. Driving along the island's main boulevard, I discovered that there were numerous canals throughout the island, all of them lined with luxurious homes, and many with private docks for storing small watercraft.
It was pretty obvious from the uniformity of the trees, signage, and landscaping that this was a well-planned, sophisticated residential community. Being the curious person I am, I "googled" it, and found out some of its history. The early settlers called it "Nine Mile Point", and the island was first used commercially by the Cushman Meat Packing Company, in the late 1860's. Then Austrian Fran Frandolig, a horseman who had delivered cattle to Cushman Meat Packing Company, homesteaded the property after the Cushman company vacated the land in 1878. Frandolig and his family established a large fig orchard and vineyard. They sold their fruits, vegetables, and wines to the citizens of nearby Rockport and Fulton. The Frandolig family sold the property shortly after 1901. Then the severe hurricane of 1919 leveled everything on the island, and returned it to its uninhabited state. Its mud flats were used by duck hunters and fishermen. In 1958, the local navigation district began to do dredging in the area to facilitate water vessel navigation, and offered the property up for development. The island was purchased in 1961, by Carl C. Krueger, Jr., who had a vision of what it could be. He started selling lots, built a beach house, built a water system, and cut canals into the island structure. To get people interested , Mr. Krueger even invested in a dolphin show---hoping people would come and see the dolphin perform, and maybe see a parcel of land they wanted to buy. "Allegro" is a musical term that means "lively", and perhaps the lively dolphin show was enough to get the ball rolling on the development of the location. After a few years, the sparsely populated island became a resort community with a cosmopolitan flair. 
Friday, March 6, 2015
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