Upper Texas Gulf Coast
The Upper Texas Gulf Coast is a very large area that generally is considered to be from Brazoria County (Lake Jackson) to the Louisiana Border. There are quite a few cities and a lot of things to do within a day trip of the Houston area. We have made quite a few day trips and short weekend trips to different areas all along the coast. While many people go and visit the beaches of Galveston or Surfside there are many museums, parks and other sites you can see. If you like history or nature there are some good options in the area to get out of Houston for a bit. For this article I am going to write about areas stretching from Goliad, Texas in the South to the Louisiana border. This is meant as a guide for day trips and contains many day trips we have taken over time.
Getting to and Transportation
There are a few different ways to get to this very large area of Texas. The area I am describing is so large there are other US States and countries that can fit in this area. Your best bet will be to drive the area with your car or a rental car. If you do not live in the area Houston has two major airports (Hobby and Bush International) and you can also fly into much smaller Beaumont (Jack Brooks Regional) Airport or Victoria Regional Airport. You can take a Amtrak Train from Houston to Beaumont. Driving yourself around the area though will be you best bet as otherwise it will be difficult to get around the large area.
Goliad, Texas
Technically not part of the Upper Texas Coast but a short 2.5 hour drive from Houston this is a very small city with a lot of history and sites to see. Goliad is an important city related to Spanish and Mexican settlement in the area. A Spanish Mission (Mission Espiritu Santo) and a Spanish Fort (Presido La Bahia) where built to convert Native Americans to Catholicism and have a military presence in the area. During the Spanish and Mexican eras there were a few battles fought in the area and at Presido La Bahia. In the 1830s (1835-1836) Goliad became one of the major battle fronts during the Texas Revolution. Col. James Fannin commanded a force of several hundred Texans that were stationed at the old Spanish Fort of Presidio La Bahia. While the Battle of the Alamo and the State Independence Convention was going on at Washington-on-the-Brazos, Fannin at one point was going to lead his troops to help the Alamo but it did not work out. He eventually after taking much time abandoned Presidio La Bahia and started to march his troops to join with Sam Houston. In a clearing near Coleto Creek The Mexican Army of General Jose De Urrea caught up and surrounded Col. Fannin and his men. After Col. Fannin and his men fought off multiple attacks they were forced to surrender the next day. The Texan troops were taken back to Presidio La Bahia. Col. Fannin and his men were massacred on Palm Sunday bu General Urrea’s troops at the orders of Antonio Lopez De Santa Anna. This became a rallying cry at the Battle of San Jacinto to avenge the deaths of their comrades. Today you can visit the oldest fort West of the Mississippi River and tour one of the oldest churches in the US at Presidio La Bahia. It is run by the local Catholic Diocese and has a nice museum, the chapel and you can walk the walls of the fort. Not far from the fort you can visit a memorial and burial site of Fannin and his men and a monument to the Angel of Goliad who saved many men from death during the massacre. Also in Goliad you can visit Goliad State Park and see the replica of Mission Espiritu Santo and part of the park but near Presido La Bahia is the birthplace of General Ignacio Zargoza who was the Mexican General who defeated the french army in the battle that is celebrated on Cinco De Mayo. A few miles north of Goliad is the Fannin Battleground State historic site you can visit that is the site of the Battle of Coleto Creek. There are a few monuments, a small museum and a picnic area at this site. The downtown area of Goliad is nice with shops and a very nice historic county courthouse.
Victoria, Texas
About 30 minutes North of Goliad and 2 hours South West of Houston you will find the largest city in the general area of Goliad. There are some great things to do in the historic city of Victoria that also has links to Spanish and French colonial history. Victoria has many great restaurants and has a personal favorite breakfast chain you can find in a few different cities call Kountry Bakery that has great pigs in a blanket and kolaches. There are also plenty of hotel options. Victoria has a Zoo, parks, art museums and other sites you can see. For us the main site to see in Victoria is the Museum of the Coastal Bend located at Victoria College. The museum goes over history in the area from early Native American History to the cowboy age. The largest portion of the museum goes over the failed French expedition led by La Salle. The French built a small Fort and Colony on Matagorda bay. They meant to land near the Mississippi River but ended up in Texas. The colony did not fair well and the majority of the colonist did not survive including La Salle that was killed by his own men. The museum has many artifacts from the French colony including many cannons from the fort. Its a great museum to visit and will take you around an hour to tour. If you travel to Matagorda Bay you can see a monument to where La Salle landed and a marker to the now sunken in the bay city of Indianola.
Lake Jackson, Angleton and Freeport, Texas
Further up the coast you will find Brazoria County. The county borders Houston and stretches to the coast in the South. Its a rather rural county but has a lot of interesting sites. In Angleton you can visit the 76 foot tall Stephen F. Austin statue and visitors center. Brazoria county was part of the original Stephen F. Austin land grant so he is honored in the county. We had the unique opportunity when visiting the statue to go up in a cherry picker and see the statue from above. Further South in the City of Lake Jackson you will find many museums and sites to visit. You can easily spend an entire day in Lake Jackson alone. The State Park Run Sea Center has an aquarium that showcases the sea life in Texas waters. There is also a nice walkway there around a small lake. Nearby the Lake Jackson Historical Museum has great exhibits on the city and has information on the odd street names like “This Way St.” and “That Way St.” in Lake Jackson. Also in the area there is the free Brazosport Museum of Natural Science. The museum has great dinosaur and other great artifacts. They also have a Planetarium at the museum. You can also visit the Abner Jackson Plantation site that is open one Saturday a month. Its the ruins of Abner Jackson’s plantation and has a walking trail along Lake Jackson. In Freeport you can visit Quintana Beach County Park where you can rent cabins along the sea shore, and visit WWII artillery that was placed there to protect against German Submarine attack. Nearby Surfside is another nice beach town.
Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site
Located in Brazoria county near the city of West Columbia is the Varner-Hogg Plantation State Historic Site. At the site there is a great museum detailing the nearly 200 year old plantation and can tour some of the plantation buildings. The tour of the main home is a guided tour of the home that has many artifacts from the time period of the home The site is a nice day trip to get out of town and learn about the areas history. The site will take half a day to tour.
Brazoria and San Bernard National Wildlife Refuges
Also in Brazoria county are two Wildlife Refuges that are both near Lake Jackson. The Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge has a small visitor center with exhibits on the wildlife in the refuge. At the visitors center there is a nice boardwalk to walk through the marshland and you can see many birds and sometimes alligators. We have walked the trail a few times and have seen a lot of different animals on the walks. The Brazoria Refuge also has a auto tour where you can see more of the refuge and pass by lakes, prairie and wildlife. The road is a dirt road and is a loop. The San Bernard Refuge does not have a visitors center but has a really nice raised boardwalk through a forest that leads to marshland. We have seen quite a few birds, snakes and alligators walking the area. There is also a nice auto tour through parts of the San Bernard Refuge. Both refuges are free and a good way to see what the area would be like if it was undeveloped. Each trip is a little different especially during bird migration season. Bring bug spray during the summer as mosquitoes are bad.
Galveston, Texas
Continuing North along the coast you reach the main tourist area along the upper coast. Galveston is a historic island city that was once home to Pirate Jean Lafitte and the city was once the largest in Texas. The worst natural disaster in US history in 1900 when a hurricane killed 6,000 people change the course of Galveston. The island was raised and a seawall was built to help against storm surge. Today most Houstonians are used to visiting Galveston for a quick getaway. Its around an hour away from Houston. There are resort hotels along the seawall, many restaurants, visit the Schlitterbahn water park and the Pleasure Pier where you can ride carnival rides over the Gulf. There are also many museums and historic sites on the island. The largest is Moody Gardens where you can visit the pyramids and visit a rain forest, aquarium, ride on a paddle wheel boat, enjoy a small water park, ride a 4D ride, see an IMAX and walk the grounds. At Christmas the Festival of Lights is great where you can see thousands of Christmas lights on the grounds. My favorite museum in Galveston is The relatively new Bryan Museum. It goes over Texas history from the Native American age to the storm of 1900. It has many artifacts from Texas heros such as Steven F. Austin, Sam Houston and others. It is also a Western Art Gallery and has rotating exhibits. The museum is in a storm of 1900s building that survived and has a beautiful garden around the museum. On the island you can also visit the historic Tall ship Elissa at the Texas Seaport Museum, the Ocean Star Oil Rig museum where you can tour a real oil rig, you can visit the Galveston Naval Museum on Pelican Island and tour the Submarine USS Cavalla and one of the last remaining Destroyer Escorts USS Stuart, and visit the Galveston Railroad museum at the old depot. There are also some historic homes like the Bishop’s Palace and the Moody Mansion you can tour. The historic Strand district you can visit unique shops. Galveston is also a cruise port that we have used. You can or course walk the beach or seawall and see historic monuments as you walk along the Gulf. You can spend a lot of time in Galveston doing quite a few things beyond just spending time on the beach.
Galveston Island State Park
West of the City of Galveston you can visit the Galveston Island State Park. At the park there are walking trails through the marshland, spots for camping, and plenty of paddling trails if you want to canoe or kayak. We visited the park just recently to get out during this coronavirus pandemic. Right now its only day use and you must make a reservation but its a nice park to walk though and get a little nature. When we visited one of the boardwalks was partially underwater. There was also a sculpture of a bird that was part of a Bryan Museum exhibit at the park.
Beaumont, TX
Continuing East for quite a few miles there are few cities and along the coast itself after the Bolivar Peninsula there is no road until you get close to the Louisiana Border. There used to be a coastal highway (Texas highway 87) that ran from Galveston to Sabine Pass but a hurricane destroyed much of that road. Parts of it still are around that you can drive on. The first major city you will encounter will be Beaumont. Beaumont like Houston is a highly industrial town driven by the Oil Industry. The city has some neat things to see and do there and a worthy day trip. In downtown Beaumont there is the free admission Fire Museum of Texas. At the museum you can see the largest working fire hydrant in the world, many antique fire engines, a children’s area to learn about fire safety and many other fire fighting artifacts. You can also visit the Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown museum at Lamar University. The museum is a replica of an Oil boomtown that includes building like a saloon and general store. There is also an oil derrick that at certain times re-enacts the spindletop gusher with water. We have never had the chance to visit but there is the Babe Didrickson Zaharias museum that is dedicated to the all star sports woman that excelled in many sports and was from the area. There are also many other museums to visit like the Edison Museum, the Texas Energy Museum, historic homes, the Clifton Steamboat museum and others. We have not had the chance to visit them all just yet but would like to spend some time enjoying these other sites some point in the future. Beaumont is about an hour and a half from Houston and has its own airport serviced by American Airlines from Dallas.
Port Arthur, Texas
Located South East of Beaumont closer to the coast you will find the Oil town of Port Arthur. There are some neat things to do in the city and around the area as well. The jewel in Port Arthur itself is the Museum of the Gulf Coast. This very well done museum features the history of the Gulf Coast Area from the ancient days to the American Civil War to the Oil boom. The museum also features some great galleries about local sports and musical legends that include the Phillips family (football coaches), Janis Joplin, ZZ Top and many others. One of my favorite stories from the museum was using a cannon to try to stop a oil storage tank fire. Its a great museum and definitely worth a visit when in the area or going for a day trip.
Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site
Located South of Port Arthur near the city of Sabine Pass you will find one of the few and one of the most significant American Civil War in the State of Texas. On September 8th, 1863 a force of 5000 Union (Northern) soldiers, 4 gunboats and multiple transport ships sailed up the Sabine River to invade Texas. Standing in their way was around 50 Confederate (Southern) troops stationed at a earthen fort called Fort Griffin. The fort was maned by Irishman Dick Dowling and a group of mainly Houston dockworkers that became artillery men. The outpost was one no one wanted to be at with the heat and mosquitoes. To pass the time they practiced firing the cannons at stakes in the river. When the Union ships approached the gunners held their fire until the ships reached the stakes and they unleashed their six cannons. They hit the boiler rooms of the two lead ships basically destroying them. This blocked the river so the other ships carrying the troops all returned to the Gulf. This effectively ended any Union invasion attempt. The crew of the ships were captured. It was a huge and unlikely victory for the Confederate forces. At the free entry battlefield park you can see an outdoor museum going over the battle, a monument to Dick Dowling and his troops, a remaining piece of the USS Clifton and a small replica of Fort Griffin and the ships. There is a cell phone audio tour you can take to get more information as you walk the park. There are also several WWII bunkers for submarine defense. You can also fish and watch Dolphins from the park. There are re-enactments of the battle at times you can visit. On the other side of the river is the state of Louisiana so you are at the end of Texas at the park. Its a great place to spend a few hours learning more about Texas history.
Sea Rim State Park
South of Sabine Pass on the coast you will find the rather remote Sea Rim State Park. At this park you will find quite a few miles of beaches that meat with a marshland. You can drive onto the beach or take a boardwalk hike over the marshland to walk the beach. A second large marshland boardwalk trail is currently under reconstruction. The park outside of the beach is somewhat small but offers picnic areas and grills. Today without the second longer marshland boardwalk is mainly a park to visit a beach. Its worth a visit though if you are in the area. Today with the coronavirus pandemic you must make reservations to visit and it only costs a few dollars a person.
Orange, TX
The last city before you reach Louisiana is the City of Orange Texas. Its a relatively small city but has a lot of neat museums to visit. It is a favorite stopping point for us on the way to Louisiana on I-10. The city is home to the Stark Foundation Museums. The Stark family made a great deal of money from lumber and were able to amass a good amount of art and created a wonderful private botanical garden. Today they have created the Stark Art Museum that houses many wonderful Western themed art works. It is a pretty large art museum that takes a little time to go through. The true gem is the Shangri La Botanical Gardens. IT is a huge facility full of green houses, sculptures and a long walking trail through lush gardens of flowers and trees. There is a lake with an Asian style dock you can relax by that also has nearby fountains. They also operate a swamp tour by pontoon boat from the gardens for a few dollars extra and there are bird watching and nature trails available as well as a nature center for children. You will see different wildlife such as birds, alligators and like we saw a turtle laying eggs in a flowerbed. Its a beautiful garden and very relaxing to walk through the very large area. You can also tour the nearby Stark House but the last time we were there it was closed for renovation.
Tips for the Upper Texas Coast
This is a very large area as anyone who lives in the area already would know so these trips are mainly meant as day trips from Houston rather than one large trip that would take a few days to complete. Being the Texas coast be prepared for heat and very unpredictable weather. It could be fine at one moment and then a severe storm the next. Be ready to drive some decent distances depending on what you do but all of the destinations listed are within 2.5 hours drive of the Houston area baring any traffic. Most of these destinations have either free or a nominal fee for entry so they are affordable and family friendly. While traveling is limited during the coronavirus these options are good and safe ways to see some of the surrounding areas. Be sure and check if all of the above are open before you travel to them as some of the museums are currently closed but many are open. The state parks due to coronavirus do require online reservations. Others like the wildlife refuge and The Bryan Museum do not require a reservation. Give the Upper Texas Coast a visit and get out of the Houston area for a bit to try something new!