Personal experience: a trip to the coastal cities of Texas

My husband and I live in Houston, Texas. We love to get out of town for the weekend and learn the Texan flavor.

Texas province and historic hotel

While considering our next route, we became interested in the small town of Palacios, 120 miles from Houston. We stayed at the Luther Hotel. More precisely, we took the risk of staying, because this historical hotel is different from the modern, comfortable ones we are used to.

Here you will not find modernity - the spirit of antiquity is literally everywhere. Antique decor, Soviet-era room decoration. You are like a child of the Soviet era. Time has stopped here.

Be sure to stop by for breakfast. The hotel's small kitchen will also greet you with a Soviet smell. Note the photographs on the walls, including photos of hotel owner Jack Findlay and his wife and old photographs of the previous owners, the Luther family.

An old gramophone, in the Soviet style simple furniture, friendly guests of the hotel, who are sure to have a word with you and wish you a good day. Apparently, the homely atmosphere of the hotel affects the hospitable mood of its guests.

Plunging into the history of this place, which has been around for more than 110 years, we find interesting details.

On the official website you will find documentary photos, as well as a story about how the hotel was created.

It was built in the distant 1903 year. The former owners, Charles and Elsie Luther, purchased it on 1936.

Mr. Luther then commented: “The house was in disarray. It took 4 of the year and visits to owners in every state, including Washington and Oregon, to obtain permission, in accordance with the laws of Texas. ”

Then Luther began a large-scale reconstruction of the building. The renovation was completed in 1941, and then the official opening of the hotel took place.

With 2005, Jack Findlay became its full owner. In May 2010, the Hotel Luther was listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Details of the story you can ask Jack himself, who will greet you with a friendly smile at the reception. He will certainly recommend you the local beach, which is located opposite the hotel. This is another reason why many tourists choose this place.

Take an evening stroll along the coast, meet a beautiful sunset, have a cup of coffee in the morning, sit on a cozy sofa in the hotel lobby, talk with the owner about the Palacios traditions and go explore the local flavor.

Not many choose Palacios as a place to relax because of its remoteness from Houston. In this regard, Galveston is more popular with Houstonians. But this place is worth a visit for those who want to be away from the big noisy city, to relax the soul. Here comfort is not in luxury, but in silence. Enough to move away from local beaches, and the silence seems to cover you. Here you will not see a large number of visitors, except, perhaps, holidays.

The city's main street, Main Street, is today filled with small shops. The most popular restaurants, according to Tripadvisor ratings, include Palacios Mexican Restaurant and The Point. I would note, first of all, the Bayside Seafood restaurant, where you can try seafood.

According to the rating, the hotel is named the best in the city, according to visitors. Tourists also note its historical feature.

Anyone wishing to feel the old days and the history of this place is recommended to choose Hotel Luther.

And we will certainly return here - for silence and new stories by Jack Findlay.

Hotel address: 408 S Bay Blvd, Palacios, TX 77465.

Official website of the Luther Hotel - by link.

Beautiful sunsets in Port Lavac

In 30 minutes from Palacios you will find an amazing place, the city of Port Lavaca. The port city is located in 210 km from Houston. We went there on Sunday morning after breakfast at the Hotel Palacios.

Here you will be pleasantly surprised not only by the white beach, but also by the so-called bird tower (Alcoa bird tower).

I advise you to take a run, watch the birds from the Alcoa bird tower, where you can sit back and enjoy the beautiful views, walk along the shore.

In the city you can watch a truly beautiful sunsets. We were here last winter, so we managed to take good photos of a deserted beach.

The local Lighthouse Beach is very popular and usually crowded with both locals and visitors to the city. However, if you plan to make a trip outside the swimming season, you can enjoy the silence and romance of these places.

So we met the sunset on the snow-white beach Lighthouse.

Here is a stunning view of the Causeway Bridge from the beach.

We didn't get to visit local restaurants and the hotel. But my attention was drawn to the standard Texas 3-star Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites near the beach.

According to Tripadvisor ratings, it ranks first in the city. The first “plus”, of course, is its convenient location. In addition to the proximity to the beach, visitors note good service, comfortable conditions, and a swimming pool on site. Tourists recommend this hotel. On our next visit to Port Lavaca we will stay here. And I will definitely share my personal experience and tell you whether the hotel really deserves such high ratings.

The sun had set, and we, satisfied with the scenery we had seen, headed back to Houston. The road from Port Lavac takes about 2 hours.

Beach Address: 700 Lighthouse Beach Rd, Port Lavaca, TX 77979.

Hotel address: Holiday Inn Express Hotel & Suites: 2629 TX-35, Port Lavaca, TX 77979.

Mustang Island City Park

The park is located on the Gulf Coast. Bird watching lovers should definitely visit the city park Mustang Island. Here you will be alone with nature.

We were in the fall of last year. The summer was over, and you could feel the coolness of the air on the coast. The weather did not allow us to have a picnic and watch a beautiful sunset. But the walk on the beach was successful. I was surprised by the nature of this place, the birds walking along the shore, who, it seems, are not at all afraid of the presence of people.

It will appeal to families with children. Such a expanse for a child! You can swim, build a sand castle, sit on a picnic, go fishing, rent a bike. Entertainment in the park a variety.

If you are planning a picnic on the beach with your family or company, you should visit the hipcamp.com booking site. Plan your time!

For the purpose of a beach holiday, it is better to come here in summer or spring. The swimming season lasts from April to September. The beginning of autumn is great for walking in the park, picnics. We were in the late autumn when the swimming season ended and the rainy season came.

Park address: 17047 TX-361, Port Aransas, TX 78373.

Corpus Christi. In memory of Selena Perez

A 30-minute drive from Mustang Island Park is another state landmark. Corpus Christi is a resort city on the Gulf Coast. From the park to Corpus Christi you can drive in half an hour. The city is a 2-hour drive from the border with Mexico. It is noteworthy that translated from Latin the name of the city means “Body of Christ”.

Tourists beckon here numerous sandy beaches, most of which, by the way, are free. This is a popular place for a beach holiday. The city is notable for its simplicity, it is a great place to escape from the bustle of the big city. Summer is long. The swimming season ends only in November. We hit the best time to visit - late autumn.

Photo: from the author's archive

Here you can see the ship of the Second World War, the US aircraft carrier USS Lexington, which now made a museum. The entrance is open to all comers. Check the opening hours on the museum website.

And, of course, one of the reasons why tourists are attracted to this city is the opportunity to touch Selena Perez. A statue honoring the American singer has been erected in Corpus Christi. She moved here with her family, and it was here that she began recording music professionally. Selena herself was born in Lake Jackson, Texas.

So we touched the local attractions.

For Texans and for the entire Spanish speaking audience, it is a real icon. Her native language was English, but at the insistence of her father she sang songs in Spanish because of her Latin American origin. Selena's father Abraham Quintanilla organized the group Selena y los Dinos when she was just 9 years old. The singer won numerous awards, and her death was a surprise to all. In Corpus Christi opened a museum in her memory.

Corpus Christi is a great place for fishing and visiting fish restaurants, which of course prevail here. We wandered into a restaurant Joe's Crab Shack. I would note the excellent atmosphere of this place, beautiful view, friendly staff. Please note that prices here are quite high. The seafood was fresh. The reputation of this place is quite mixed in terms of food quality. So maybe we were just lucky. The inside of the restaurant is very interesting and original. It was our first time here, so we could say we wandered in to admire the views. Near the establishment you will be greeted by the Spanish caravel "Nina" from the first expedition of Christopher Columbus - or what remains of it. But it is quite well preserved.

The journey back to Houston takes about 3 hours.

Traveling through the coastal cities of the state, you feel like the influence of another time. Neighboring with each other, they fit perfectly into the Texan flavor. The nature here lives the life, and history can be traced on sights.

Useful links: official broker a museum dedicated to the singer Selene Perez; aboutficial broker USS Lexington Museum.

Restaurant Joe's Crab Shack: 5025 S. Padre Island Drive Corpus Christi, TX 78411

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