Jill & DG Show Eric & Me Around Rockport, Texas

Travel is all about making new friends.  Eric and I met Jill and her horse, Maggie, at Paul M. Grist State Park in January, 2013.  We kept in touch and ....

... visited Jill & her husband, DG,

 at their home in Indiana in 

August, 2013.

It's been years, but our paths are crossing in Rockport.  Jill offered to take Eric and I around the community that has become their winter home.

Hurricane Harvey slammed into Rockport on August 26, 2017.

5 1/2 months later, damaged
buildings are everywhere.







The famous Crab Sign at Rockport Beach Park is gone, one of the countless victims of Hurricane Harvey. 

This Pavilion will be

razed & rebuilt. 

Beach side cabanas have
been destroyed.

The Rockport Center for

the Arts Building is

roofless & boarded up.

This boat storage building
was partially taken apart
to remove boats kept in
storage.

Paradise Key Dockside

Bar & Grill has been

rebuilt.

Jill & DG take Eric & I to
see The Big Tree in
Goose Island State Park.

We are happy that it
survived the storm.




This Coastal Live Oak is 1,018 years old.  This 44 foot tall tree's trunk is 35 feet around.

We were fortunate to spot

a Whooping Crane &

 juveniles nearby.

This is the only flock that continues to migrate from Canada to Texas.  Whooping Cranes had been hunted to the brink of extinction, making them the world's rarest birds.  In 1941 only there were only 21 Whooping Cranes in the world, and 15 birds were migratory.  Their numbers have been growing since hunting was banned and serious penalties were added after the these majestic birds were added to the List of Endangered Species. 

As of 2015, there are 315 Whooping Cranes in this flock.  These birds have been carefully tracked as their flock grows.  

Eric at our last stop...

Pop's Tavern & Cafe.