2022-07-14 TRR Rockport Rally Meet and Greet

 Several Roses were already on site at Wildernoess Oaks  several days early even though the rally didn't start until Thursday afternoon.  Since Elaine and Teresa had not been to this area before, we took advantage of our free time and headed over to Goose Island State Park to see The Big Tree.

The tree is actually much more impressive in person than this photo taken from a distance. Did I mention that it was very hot and humid?

While no one is allowed near the Big Tree, there are other trees in front that are available for photos and even for kids to climb. This one had a branch resting on the ground.

We also drove through the rest of the state park. Fishermen were busy fishing and cleaning their catch. There were plenty of cranes and other birds waiting to help clean up the remains.

The park has sites right on the water's edge that have a covered picnic area along with great views and an ocean breeze but no other shade. The pier has all been redone since the last hurricane and it is really long. There are plenty of sites in another area with lots of shade and most sites have good separation. There were lots of available sites on this weekday.

We had an official Meet and Greet late Thursday afternoon. Everyone brought appetizers and hors d'oeuvres to share so dinner was pretty much out of the question as we were full. A couple of our full-timers drove over from Port Aransas to catch up with friends.

We had pulled pork sliders, ham and cheese sandwiches, chicken and bacon pinwheels, deviled eggs, and a host of other goodies. We also had a birthday cake for Jimmie and Judith.

A number of us decided to hit the pool after we were done. It's a salt water pool which everyone loves. No pool pictures were taken, lol. The rally was off to a great start.

Another Day in Paradise

After we checked out the Big Tree in Goose Island State Park, we headed back toward Rockport. Goose Island State Park is open but only one of the campgrounds is in use. The one right along the beach is closed as is the big fishing pier thanks to Hurricane Harvey. Our destination was Paradise Key Dockside Bar and Grill. Two of our group didn't go to the Big Tree so they were waiting for us at the restaurant. Even though it was quite warm and humid (and buggy), we sat out on the covered patio where the fans and breeze off the water kept us cool enough and the mosquitoes away.

The food was great and so was the service. The restaurant has a very nice atmosphere.
 My success with selfies is definitely not on a par with many others but this is looking out at the bay.

 

Back at the resort, we had happy hour, potluck leftovers, and then played our own version of Bingo (everyone wins). Sorry but I didn't get any pictures. The resort activities director Jan and our own Carolyn Patin coerced us into karaoke.

 

Believe me when I say that everyone should be grateful I am just posting the picture rather than the video version.



From Pirates to The Big Tree...Goose Island State Park

How can you beat a Pirate breakfast? The Resort put this on for everyone so we were there bright and early.....well, 9AM anyway.

They were prepared for a crowd.

Pancakes.....plain, chocolate chip, or blueberry anyone?

And bacon or sausage or both....please!

Plus coffee and orange juice.

Yummy breakfast!

You can tell we all enjoyed it.

 

Every bite of it! 

They even brought around more coffee and orange juice.

As soon as we were all done with breakfast, we headed out to Goose Island State Park to see the big tree! The Big Tree is estimated to be over 1000 years old probably closer to 2000 years old. Also called the Lamar Oak because it is located near the old town of Lamar which was destroyed in the Civil War.

Other large trees can be climbed on just because they know kids will do that.

The Big Tree is 35 feet in circumference, 45 feet tall, and has a crown spreading over 95 feet and it is protected by a rail fence. It has survived between 45 and 50 hurricanes, droughts, and other disasters. It was named the largest tree in Texas in 1969 but is now second to one found in Brazoria County in 2003.

There are also many smaller things to look at that are also very interesting.

The Big Tree to your right and the Gulf of Mexico to your left.....what more can you ask to see.

Well, we wanted to see the camping areas in case we came again. There are numerous camping spots right next to the beach like this.

Some repair work was in progress maybe from storm surge. It is pretty flat in this area.

There is a really long lighted pier for fishing.

There were bags of these shells bagged up by the pier.

We also toured the other camping areas which are much larger in the woods. Many of them were really nice very private sites.

Next on the agenda was a trip to a winery for wine tasting.

Some people got there before we did.

However, there was plenty of room for us.

They had two long bars all set up.

After we did the tasting and picked up some wine to take home, we headed out to Paradise Key for dinner.

It's a very large restaurant with inside and outside seating.

We only had to wait about 10 minutes before they had a table set up to seat all of us.

Dinner was really good and there was a wide variety of food to choose from.

Another great day in paradise!

Rockport, Fulton, and Goose Island State Park

Just so you can enjoy......this is the view out the back window of my RV. That's a good size bird and an even bigger Jack Rabbit.

Judy or Birdie will have to identify the birds.

For some reason, the color isn't too good on these two photos.....probably to do with distance and enlargement.  These Jack Rabbits are waaaay bigger than the Traveling Longdogs. I had forgotten how big they are and how many there are of them too.

 

Our destination today was Rockport and Fulton so I headed north across Corpus Christi. I had to take a couple different highways once I got through town and wouldn't you know it, the GPS locked up as I was changing highways.

And, of course, the navigator was not paying attention because he was way too relaxed.

Fortunately, I had looked at a paper map before we left so we didn't have much trouble. We headed past Aransas Pass.....

and took Business 35 right along the coast.

Rockport is a colorful little town with an eclectic downtown area.

This mural was on the side of a small building housing an old-fashioned barber shop.

There are art galleries and interesting little shops.

They have benches at the corners with big umbrellas over them.

I love the harbors because I love boats and ships.

After we walked around town checking things out, the Traveling Longdogs graciously waited for me in the truck all the windows opened several inches. It was not that warm out and there was a good breeze so they were very comfortable....except for Willy. He let me know a couple of times that he would prefer to accompany me before he laid down and took another nap.

I had lunch at the Rockport Daily Grind. My sandwich was great, they had lots of good choices including several different kinds of quiche.  And the coffee, let's just say Starbucks could take some lessons on what coffee should taste like.

With tables outside and inside as well as a counter, there was room for a number of people and there were several different groups enjoying coffee and lunch. I would definitely recommend a stop there if you come to Rockport.

There used to be a number of grand hotels in Rockport but you will still find plenty of places to stay with or without your RV.

Lots of eye candy here.

We headed along the coast to Fulton. I think these posts are favorite roosting areas.

Love this shot.  And this guy was right next to.....

.....Pelican Pier, of course.

I think these are shrimp boats in this harbor.

I've heard a lot about this Texas State Park and I finally get a chance to check it out.

The ranger at the gate was really nice when I told her I would like to check out the park for a future visit. She gave me a visitor's half hour pass instead of charging me the day use fee. There are two different campgrounds and they really are different.  One is in the woods with lots of trees and bushes and privacy between most of the campsites. Many are little areas carved out of the jungle of bushes.  The other campground is right along the water with a covered picnic table between each site. Sites are close together but if you want to fish, you might want to be here. Sorry but I didn't get pictures in the campgrounds.

I passed the boat lunch ramp on my way to check out the water sites and look at the crowd gathered there. Everyone is very interested in the catch of the day. There is a bait house on the right of the ramp.

There was one other sight I wanted to check out at Goose Island State Park. I had to go in a completely different direction down this road.

Yes, I wanted to see the Big Tree.

This ancient oak is over 1000 years old and is one of the largest trees in the country.

It is surrounded by a fence so you can enjoy it but not climb on it. There are lots of other oaks that you can take your picture on.

It really is amazing and beautiful.

These younger trees are the Big Trees offspring and you are allowed to take pictures on their branches.

We headed back towards Corpus Christi but there was one more site I thought we could fit in.

The Fulton Mansion is about 135 years old and was apparently in need of a little work.

This is the view looking from the bay back towards the mansion. Regular tours are not in effect right now but it is a beautiful home and was very modern for it's time.

I planned to stop for some diesel on the way back to Corpus Christi because I saw several places for $3.59 but I pulled in really quick when I saw this service station with diesel for $3.48!  The prices were very clear when I took the shot with my cell phone so I don't know why there are black bars across them.

All the pictures beginning with Goose Island had to be taken with my cell phone because my camera battery died so they aren't quite as good.

I have one more picture to show you.  It's not a great picture but I wanted you to see.  The Traveling Longdogs and I were out for a walk after we got back from our trip today. Across the road from the RV Park, there were two coyotes. I think they came from the wildlife area along the water's edge and then crossed the road into this field.  Needless to say, we made a quick about face and headed back down the inner road we were on. After the dachsies were safely in the RV, I went back with the truck and took this picture. I think the "Scare Light" will be on when we do the final potty run tonight.