And I%26#39;d like to hold as close to the Gulf Coast as I can. I%26#39;d like to not jet through on the interstate. I plan to drive from Corpus into Louisiana in that first day of 2007, but I%26#39;m not bound to that. I%26#39;m a 39 year old woman traveling solo, starting out my new year right with a cool road trip. Suggestions for back ways that are near the water and cool places to stop while in the Texas part of the drive?
Driving from Corpus Christi to Louisiana Jan 1 2007
what part of La. will you be going too? I%26#39;m a old truck driver and I can give a good coastal route. What kind of scenery you looking for? Small towns, shorelines....?
The only problem in La. is that the old plantation style homes that were built on the coast were pretty much destroyed. Its still a nice drive, but not what it was.
Driving from Corpus Christi to Louisiana Jan 1 2007
Slwpoke, I%26#39;m going from Corpus to Galveston, then Galveston to Breaux Bridge. And here%26#39;s the kicker - I need to do this in a day. The highway will take me 8 hours, that%26#39;s a solid day%26#39;s drive, but I wouldn%26#39;t be averse to it being an hour or so longer if it%26#39;s worth it. I just need to be in Breaux Bridge by 5:00 or so, so I can nap for the New Year%26#39;s celebration.
I%26#39;ll post some routes tomorrow as I forgot my map at work. I know the routes by heart, just cant remember all the road #%26#39;s. Ever been out by the Nuclear Power plant near Wadsworth? wanna go by it? There is also a neat ride between freeport/glaveston, 2 lane road along the water, 1$ toll bridge to cross. See alot of houses on stilts, small coastal towns etc.
THere are some backways between CC and Galveston, Then Galveston to La which includes a ferry ride about 45 minutes long. I can give ya route that might add a couple hrs at most or a few hrs on the other. I can post both. One or the other might make a cool ride for the trip back if you have the time.
I know when I have the time it beats the rat race of I-10.
Before the hurricanes the drive from Port Arthur to New Iberia was sweet, Huge old homes, plantation style, all the way across the La coast. Now its prettty much, Debri and the gov. issued travel trailers to the locals..mind blowing if you saw the before then after. There was a section on the road to where the trees made canopy over the road.....gone now. You will definetly get the power of mother nature just buy the trees that are snapped off 15%26#39; up off the ground, stilt homes gone, just stilts left. Towns completely gone, just foundations left. Dont mean to sound negative, anyways. I can do backroads all the way, or Tx only then to I-10
From Corpus you can follow Highway 35 north and wind around to near Angleton, but there are also some interesting side trips along the way.
East of Port Lavaca is the Indianola settlement. It has an interesting history: once the second largest port in Texas, it was destroyed by a hurricane twice before finally being outright abandoned. There%26#39;s also a monument to La Salle there, and it%26#39;s a pretty peaceful place. …utexas.edu/handbook/…hvi11.html
Further down is my favorite beach at Matagorda. The road follows the end of the Colorado River and puts you right at its delta, which means you get some great estuary birdwatching if you go in the right season. But the beach is so isolated that it%26#39;s pretty quiet. To get there, you have to pull off of TX 35 north of Palacios and head east on FM 521, then south on TX 60, which will end at a junction in the town of Matagorda and you then continue on FM 2031 following the river.
Before you get to that beach on FM 521 you%26#39;ll pass the South Texas Nuclear Project, which I believe is the only nuclear plant in the state. Quite intimidating, and I don%26#39;t think I need to say that you can%26#39;t visit it.
But definitely head to Surfside Beach down TX 332 to get to the Bluewater Highway as the back way to Galveston. It%26#39;s well worth it. The road straddles the beach for several miles, then hits the San Luis Pass toll bridge. They had raised the toll to $5 for several years after the state refused to take it over. I know that it%26#39;s gone back down, but I don%26#39;t think it%26#39;s back at $1.
After that, FM 3005/Termini Road has a lot of small beach access points off the road. Just look for the signs, but don%26#39;t park on any residential streets because they%26#39;ll tow you.
You take the ferry to Crystal Beach (the lighthouse at Port Bolivar is very cool), and have to head north to Winnie on TX 124. TX 87 used to go all the way to Sabine Pass, but it was washed out in the 80%26#39;s and never rebuilt.
From Winnie, take TX 73 through Port Arthur and head south on TX 82 to go over the Sabine Pass Bridge and into Cameron, LA, which is an interesting little town. You%26#39;ll have some more beach access from the road in Louisiana, but that%26#39;s about all of the coast you can see. Before Cameron, there%26#39;s a slow ferry over a ship channel.
I%26#39;ve been on LA 82 east of Cameron through the swamp and it was very disappointing. Mostly just grass and hunting camps.
Not sure where in LA you%26#39;re going, but stay off of I-10. The Lake Charles - Lafayette stretch is especially dull. The Atchafalaya Swamp Bridge (Lafayette - near Baton Rouge) gets old after a few miles, but maybe I%26#39;ve just done it too many times.
hth
I took that very route all the way to Winnie, and I can testify to your word on it - I had the very best drive, and particularly enjoyed driving on the beach at Surfside Beach. The toll at the bridge is indeed $1. Once I crossed the bridge, though, I was less impressed with the whole tourist-ville stuff in Galveston.
Once I got to Winnie, though, I took I-10 to make up time, and you%26#39;re both right - wow, that%26#39;s dull. Next time I%26#39;ll run south as advised. I%26#39;ll post on the entire roadtrip, if anyone%26#39;s interested in text and photos and videos, by all means, get in touch. I have a ton of restaurant reviews to get up here. :)
I%26#39;d like to read more about your trip from Corpus to Louisiana. I am planning a drive with my mom and her sisters and I want to make this as interesting as possible. Our destination is New Orleans as they want to visit the museum there.
thanks
I would be absolutely DELIGHTED to share the story and photos of my trip with you! Please email me at camp2520 at hotmail dot com with your email address, and I will send you a link to the photos, videos and the blog I kept from the road.
It%26#39;s a lovely drive. And there is SO MUCH to see and do. I%26#39;d recommend an overnight at the Bayou Cabins in Breaux Bridge with dinner at Cafe des Amis, and I%26#39;d recommend the 1930 Canal Street Guest House for staying in NOLA. VERY cheap, very safe, and absolutely full of charm.
Do email me. I%26#39;d love to chat with you about the trip. I loved it and would be so pleased to share with you.
Amy
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