Texas With the Stocks - 2010

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Linda,

Your trip sounds great.  We are getting excited about our trip to Fennessey.  Now about Reserve America.  Save yourself a lot of aggravation and call the Parks and Wildlife direct.  Most times with Reserve America they will show a park is full when it is not.  Last summer I checked four different parks and all were full on RA but called the Parks and Wildlife and found they were plenty of openings.  Just my experience with RA.

Safe travels and exciting birding.  Oh and as a side note, when making the reservations at Fennessey I was explaining that my wife was the real birder and they quickly noted that I was a S.O.B....spouse of a birder.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/business/park_reservations/
 
Linda,

I agree with Jim. Unless your reservation is way in advance, call to make your reservation.

Now, another matter about the wildlife pictures. The picture labeled as a Kudu, is not of a Kudu , but a very rare Hartebeest from S.Somalia.. It is an older Hirola/Hunter's Hartebeest and the only one left in the world, as far as I know.

Mariekie
 
I wonder if reserveamerica varies by state. We've had really good luck with it in California parks. We've had good luck calling, too, but also had bad luck calling because they had to check what was already reserved on RA. Even if you don't use reserveamerica to make reservations, it's very handy for checking site sizes and campground maps.

Wendy
 
Wendy,

reserveamerica is good, yet, you have to make your reservations at least a week in advance. Short notice does not work well with them.  And I agree it is very handy to check for site sizes, amenities and directions as well. Most of the time we have luck, since we prefer to plan well ahead of time!

Mariekie
 
mariekie4 said:
reserveamerica is good, yet, you have to make your reservations at least a week in advance.

Again, perhaps this varies by state but for reservations at California state parks and other locations we've checked, it's 2 days out. Texas appears to also be 2 days out...you can't reserve today or tomorrow. But you can see if there are walk-in sites available for today which can be very handy.

Wendy
 
Please accept my apologizes Linda, I certainly didn't intend to hijack your journal.

This will be my last comment on RA.  I just went on line and looked at three different state parks in Texas.  I looked for any RV site opening three days from now, three weeks from now and three months from now. In all those tries I found one opening and that was for three days from now.  All the requests were for week days.  Arrive Tuesday and leave on Thursday.  No holidays.  Each time I call the 1-800 number for Texas Parks and Wildlife they agree that RA is costing Texas money and us the use of vacant campsites.

I just wanted to warn Linda about contacting RA and missing a good time because of their ineptness.
 
elkhartjim said:
Please accept my apologizes Linda, I certainly didn't intend to hijack your journal.

This will be my last comment on RA.  I just went on line and looked at three different state parks in Texas.  I looked for any RV site opening three days from now, three weeks from now and three months from now. In all those tries I found one opening and that was for three days from now.  All the requests were for week days.  Arrive Tuesday and leave on Thursday.  No holidays.  Each time I call the 1-800 number for Texas Parks and Wildlife they agree that RA is costing Texas money and us the use of vacant campsites.

I just wanted to warn Linda about contacting RA and missing a good time because of their ineptness.

Dear Jim, Mariekle, and Wendy,

Thanks so much for all the info.  I have been busy with other things, and not much had been happening until today, so I haven't been on line (lesson learned--check RV Forum daily).  My experience with ReserveAmerica is...Right after I read Wendy's post, I went onto the website and reserved March 30 and 31--or so I thought.  About one minute after I pressed SEND, I realized that I had looked at an outdated itinerary.  Oops!  We were leaving here on the 31st, not the 30th.  And, my map that I had done my planning from was not as detailed as it should have been.  We are only about an hour away.  I called back immediately, only to find out that I couldn't talk to anyone until Monday.  We were busy this a.m., so i called this afternoon, around 3:30.  They had a neat system, where your call is put into a queue and they call you back when it's your turn in line.  I thought that was very efficient, especially when they said it would be between 49 minutes and 1 hour 2 min.  Anyway, they said they had me booked in as of TODAY!  I do occasionally make computer errors, but I'd bet on this one that I didn't screw up because I looked at their calendar carefully.  It's not a lot of money, but I hate to waste it, as we worked hard to earn it.  The lady said that since they had us coming in today, I needed to call the campsite directly, which I did.  Apparently, they had just gone home.  So, I'll have to call them tomorrow and see what I can work out.  it has been an adventure.

And, Jim, this is a journal for everyone, especially future trekkers to Texas.  Brewers' log about AK helped us SO MUCH, I am hoping to pass on the good deed done for us.  It also forces me to select pictures and write things down that I will want when I do my scrapbook.  So, please, feel free to write any time anything that might be helpful.  I am grateful for everyone's input.  I appreciate your research.  And, we may learn what states it works well for and which ones it doesn't!
 
DAY 14?MARCH 26?Port Isabel
Today we drove 1.5 hours to Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge.  Some call this the ?Jewel of the NWRs? because it is where 4 geographic areas meet.  We called ahead to make arrangements for the tram tour  ($3/person), but were told it wasn?t necessary at this time of the year. 
We enjoyed the information learned from our excellent tram guide,  Anita.  We didn?t see much wildlife except lots of gnats and one mosquito that buzzed by my ear and made me paranoid.  The guide told us that there used to be lots of ocelots here, but there are none now. Jackie Kennedy was photographed wearing an ocelot coat, and they became very popular.  It takes 40 ocelots to make one coat.  Therefore, they were hunted until they were (and still are) on the brink of extinction.  There are about 20 remaining in the wild at Laguna Atacosa near Port Isabel.
Anita also told us about a really great program sponsored by the Friends of the Santa Ana NWR.  They were buying land that was once habitat for the bobcat, javelinas, birds, and butterflies that still come to Santa Ana.  This neighboring land is now being farmed.  So, they are slowly buying the land from the farmers, but the farmers get to stay on it another 10 years.  If the farmer doesn?t want to stay, they let a tenant farmer come in for free.  They sign a 10-year contract.  On the first year, the farmer gets to grow profitable crops on 90% of the land, but he has to plant native plants provided by the Friends on the other 10%.  The next year, he gets to grow on 80%, but has to plant a new 10%, and by Year 10, it is all returned to native habitat.
After the tram ride, we went on one of many trails.  Between the bugs, the 90?F heat, the humidity, and the out-of-control children who were running down the path ahead of us chasing away any possible wildlife we might sight, we gave up and went into the Visitor Center to view their exhibits..  We enjoyed the excellent short film about the wildlife that has been sighted at Santa Ana.
While this wasn?t our favorite park, the able-bodied would find it much more enjoyable.  There are a myriad of trails, they have canoe trips ($15/person) with a naturalist, a daily hawk watch that birders rave about?call for times, and child-friendly talks with walks.  Everybody who worked here was very knowledgeable and helpful.
Miles Traveled: 0
High Temperature at Port Isabel: 82?
Stayed at Long Island Village
 
DAY 15?MARCH 27?Corpus Christi, ?America?s Birdiest City?
We (and especially Sherlock) were sorry to leave Port Isabel.  We will definitely come back here.  The birds? songs cheer us each morning, and we are constantly seeing a variety of wildlife.  Dean is adding to this post the picture of the brown pelican that landed behind our motorhome earlier.  As we left the park, the prickly bears had erupted with red buds.  I hope we get to see them somewhere in full flower.
We drove from Port Isabel to Corpus Christi on beautiful roads.  Texas does an excellent job of painting where each lane goes on the blacktop.  However, they have terribly short acceleration areas to enter the freeway?bothersome in a car, but more dicey in an RV.  I?m glad we have a strong engine.
The wildflowers were ablaze.  People had stopped at the side of the freeway to take pictures of their children in the midst of the bluebells,  and red, white, magenta, lavender, pink, and yellow wildflowers.  They were everywhere, and occasionally they would be so dense it was like someone had splashed the roadside with brilliant paint.
The manager of the RV park guided us to our spot and was very helpful.  It was too late to go to a venue, so we drove around to get the lay of the land and went to a movie.  Their Century Cinema has 16 screens, and is a lovely theatre.
Miles Traveled:
High Temperature: 77?
Stayed at Colonial Del Rey RV Park ($33.30?50 amps, FHU, wifi)
 

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mariekie4 said:
Linda,

I agree with Jim. Unless your reservation is way in advance, call to make your reservation.

Now, another matter about the wildlife pictures. The picture labeled as a Kudu, is not of a Kudu , but a very rare Hartebeest from S.Somalia.. It is an older Hirola/Hunter's Hartebeest and the only one left in the world, as far as I know.

Mariekie

This is incredible!  I am going to do some research when I get a free hour or so.  it would be amazing to see something that rare from halfway around the world.  Thanks.

Linda
 
THE LATEST ON RESERVEAMERICA as of March 30
I don't know when we'll get out log posted tonight, but here's what happened with reserveamerica.  I called Mustang Island SP first thing this morning and spoke with the manager.  She had the reservation for the 30th and 31st, which are the dates I knew I had reserved.  Reserveamerica had the wrong dates in their files.  I had made an error in asking for the 30th and fully expected to have to pay for it, but I guess the manager will be able to fill it, so she said they aren't charging me.  How nice!  We could only get in for 1 night, but check-out isn't until 2 PM!  So, we really kind of have two days.  We will try phoning next time, as we don't usually book far in advance because we hate having to stick to a schedule.

Thanks to all.

Linda

 
Sorry the RA didn't work out initially but glad you didn't get stuck for a big cancellation fee or nights you weren't there ! Do keep in mind that if you ever want to stay at any of the California state parks (even though you live there!), RA works just fine. Which reminds me, I need to go on 4/1 and make October reservations !!!

Wendy
 
Wendy said:
Sorry the RA didn't work out initially but glad you didn't get stuck for a big cancellation fee or nights you weren't there ! Do keep in mind that if you ever want to stay at any of the California state parks (even though you live there!), RA works just fine. Which reminds me, I need to go on 4/1 and make October reservations !!!

Wendy

It actually did work out well, Wendy.  The park I wanted was just full on the days I wanted because I waited too late.  I don't disregard things that could be very useful based on one instance.

Last night I made reservations for 3 nights at Rockport at the Goose Island site.  We'll see how it works out.  As a precaution, however,  I did print out every page as I filled out my Shopping Basket to prove my reservation.

California is a big state, and we will be enjoying some of their state parks, also.  I appreciate the tips I get from everyone, and I don't expect guarantees.  After all, everything is run by people, and people make mistakes--even me!

Linda
 
We really enjoyed our stay at Goose Island State Park in Rockport about ten years ago.  You'll finally get your wish to be right on the Gulf at water's edge.  Tom fished right from our campsite. 

Margi
 
I hope y'all enjoy Goose Island, we'll be there then end of April...leave a light on for us.
 
DAY 16?MARCH 28?Corpus Christi
The Texas State Aquarium, a AAA gem-rated attraction, is privately owned and operated and has a mission of saving and rehabilitating marine wildlife?birds and fish--and educating the public.  The total cost for us was $20.  They had a nice, little, entertaining dolphin show. 
The next presentation was a diver in the water feeding the fish, which took place in the Flower Gardens Reef Exhibit.  The area was just a wide area in front of the tank that should accommodate about 30 people, and it had about 100.  The children were told to sit at the front, and when they didn?t, the diver came over to the side where they were and played with them.  My blood was boiling, especially since there were many well-behaved children on a field trip who got no recognition.  The talk wasn?t very well done, either.
The best presentation was in the Wild Flight Theatre.  The speaker was a true teacher, and she brought out an incredible array of animals from many parts of the world.  The red-shouldered hawk repeatedly flew to perches over our head.  We were amazed by the serval.  The trumpeter hornbill was pretty.  A child from the audience got to feed the lesser anteater a bottle of honey.  We could see his 16?-long tongue protrude into the bottle.  The turkey vulture came out on a hand, as did the Swensen?s hawk, and the Harris?s hawk. It was fun to see them close up.  We?ve seen all of them flying in the sky, but here they were just a few feet away from us.  Then came the coati.  They finished with a beautiful Eurasian eagle owl and a plea for funding to help them continue to provide rehabilitation.  Most, if not all, of these animals had injuries or were imprinted.
There were spoonbills, a touch tank, animals of the Amazon?including a piranha, coral, jellies, stingrays you can touch, river otters, huge sea turtles and smaller ones, the tiniest seahorses (called dwarf seahorses) I?ve ever seen, and a couple of raptors.  It was fun.  Just don?t expect it to be as elaborate as Monterey Bay in California.
We then drove out to Indian Point Park, a park on the Central Coast Birding Trail. When we first turned into the park, we spotted a tri-color heron, and I don?t think he moved a muscle in the hour we were there.  He was as still as a statue while he waited for a fish to come swimming by. 
The willets (picture 1) were very busy poking their long beaks into the mud flats and shallow water.  They would run and poke, run and poke, feeding voraciously.
At a nearby pond, we saw a flurry of beating wings on a white bird (picture 2), who we think is a tern.  He dove into the water, then flew high, then dove into a different area, etc.  He was the busiest bird!  I wonder what his catching percentage is!  I never really got to see his face because he was flying so quickly.
I loved the yellowlegs (picture 3) who were with the willets.  They are so easy to identify!
The tiny dowitchers (picture 4) were the busiest of all.  The birds here were the most active we have seen, almost as if they were having an eating contest.
Miles Traveled: 0
Stayed at Colonial del Rey
Temperature: High of 75?
 

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Linda, we are just up the Texas coast from you at Quintana Beach.  We didn't get here until after 3 but did get over to the bird sanctuary to  catch a few birds.  The boat tale grackles are in abundance but did see some fun birds.  Indigo buntings, red wing black birds, swamp sparrow, Lincoln sparrow, northern parula, ruby throated hummingbird several different ducks, sand pipers and of course the gulls.  I hope you had another great birding day.
 
DAY 17?MARCH 29---Corpus Christi
We went to the South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center, a private, well-tended group of gardens.  They have a very interesting collection of unique plants.  I was especially interested in seeing the 100 varieties of plumeria; however, they are just setting on their leaves, so they won?t be blooming soon.  I can only imagine how wonderful the scent would be when they do flower.
The orchids in the greenhouse were exquisite.  Some were delicate (Picture 1).  Some had abundant blooms and cascaded (Picture 2).  Some were tiny and brilliant in color (Picture 3).
The rose garden had many varieties in bloom.  Our favorite was Playboy (Picture 4).
The butterfly house had only 2 varieties of butterflies, but they were pretty (Picture 5).
The Wetland Awareness Boardwalk led to an area with shorebirds.  The bright black and shiny black on this black-necked stilt were really pretty in the bright sun (Picture 6).
There were many unusual cacti, but the weirdest was this one ( Picture 7).
All the walkways were lined with colorful plants (Picture 8) or were in a natural state.  We really had a good time and saw many plants we hadn?t seen before.
We hadn?t eaten breakfast because we wanted to get an early start, so we decided to stop at Whataburger, a new place for us.  I liked my chicken sandwich very much, but Dean said it was just another McDonald?s.
We went to the Century Cinema, which was very nice, and saw ?Green Zone?, which we both enjoyed. 

Miles Traveled: 0
Stayed at Colonial del Rey RV Park
Temperature: 75?
 

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