I’ve Lived in Texas for 34 Years, and This Distant Seaside City Is the Most Peaceable Place within the State

About two hours southwest of Houston lies Matagorda Bay, a small seaside city for vacationers looking for solitude and a break from on a regular basis life. Not like different seaside cities in Texas, Matagorda Bay is sleepy. You received’t discover crowds, buzzing bars, and site visitors right here; as an alternative, you’ll encounter wide-open stretches of sand, tiny mom-and-pop eateries, and never a complete lot happening besides fishing, shelling, birding, kayaking, and some different outside pursuits.

It’s the place I’m going to unplug and the place, throughout these transitional moments in life, I’m going to mirror and relaxation. And through these chilly, darkish winter months, it’s a glimmer of much-needed heat and daylight.

Matagorda Bay sits the place the Colorado River spews into the Gulf. This brackish water teems with wildlife — notably sought-after fish akin to redfish, black drum, and flounder. You may see a dolphin zip by within the river, or a Kemp’s ridley sea turtle feeding close to the jetties.

Matagorda’s marshes are a haven for birds, too, which flock to the world year-round, however particularly throughout winter migration. Greater than 300 species have been noticed right here, and Matagorda has been primary on the North American Audubon Christmas Hen Rely since 1997.

“It’s such a particular place partly due to its distinctive geographic options, together with the Colorado River, the Gulf of Mexico, and the wetlands — every of which has its personal ecological range,” says Danielle Wolfe, a program coordinator with LCRA Parks.

All through the marshes and alongside sandy seashores, guests will see pelicans wading round piers with their gular pouches stuffed with fish, ospreys, warblers, terns, herons, egrets, black-necked stilts, and roseate spoonbills, that are a vibrant bubblegum-pink coloration, attributable to their shrimp eating regimen. “My favourite is the belted kingfisher,” says Wolfe. “They will fly as much as 36 mph, make their nest by digging burrows within the banks subsequent to a physique of water, and have a 3rd eyelid that enables them to see underwater.”

If you’re able to hit the water, head out onto the Colorado River close to the jetties, the place you’ll be able to row alongside empty seashores and park your kayak within the sand for a little bit of land exploration. The entire Texas shoreline is taken into account public land, from the water to the dune line. After leaving your kayak on a sandy financial institution, stroll down the jetties towards the Gulf, the place you’ll discover a wide-open seaside stuffed with seashells. Lightning whelks (our official state seashell), shark eye moon snails, and murexes are just some of the shells discovered right here. On a latest journey, I had the seaside to myself, with hundreds of shells mendacity within the sand in entrance of me, ready to be admired.

Texas seashores and a few areas close to Matagorda Bay Nature Park are open to the general public free of charge, however the park additionally provides guests every day entry to their 1,334 acres of protected land. Greater than 900 acres of the park’s protected wetlands will be accessed via a locked gate, just for guests going birding, kayaking, mountain climbing, and extra. The park additionally presents guided walks and birding excursions, and guests should buy day passes to spend time within the wetland space. Guided kayak excursions can be found via their Paddle and Stroll program, and tools is out there to lease via Matagorda Bay Nature Park.

The place to Keep

You may keep at Matagorda Bay Nature Park, the place 10 new bungalows have been inbuilt 2023 proper alongside the Colorado River. Lodging embrace full kitchens and bogs, comfortable residing areas, a gasoline grill, and personal decks for watching the sundown. There are additionally 4 Airsteam campers, campsites, and 54 RV websites.

The place to Eat

Cassady’s is the native espresso store and breakfast and lunch spot the place I’m going for a short break again into society and to verify emails. Their espresso is nice, and the Mata-Getdown Gorda is their signature drink: espresso with creamy caramel and darkish chocolate. The menu is prolonged, however I really like a stuffed flattie (a breakfast quesadilla with bacon, egg, hash browns, and cheese) for breakfast, and one of many specialty sandwiches for lunch.

Snapper’s is a tented restaurant and small bar with a few of the finest native fried shrimp within the space, which comes straight from native shrimpers. Waterfront Restaurant is true on the marina, with down-home consolation fare and seafood like stuffed flounder and rooster fried steak. Coastal Que is usually open from Memorial Day to a number of weeks after Labor Day, and serves Texas barbecue classics akin to brisket, ribs, pork stomach, sausage, and smoked rooster. And don’t overlook Stanley’s Common Retailer, the native gasoline station with breakfast tacos, pigs in a blanket, burgers, fried rooster, shrimp and oyster po’boys, and extra.