< Previous10 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 A fter some U.S. Air Force stints in places like Massachusetts and Nebraska, my Corpus Christi-born father told my mother he want- ed to tie a snow shovel to the grill of his car and drive until someone asked what it was. I come from a very long line of coastal Texans like that. My own naïve romanticization of snow ended after living a few months in Colorado. I’ve come to understand why thou- sands of snowbirds each year flock this way in their RVs. Sure, snow is fun to ski in and look at. But if I’m going to scrape frosting off anything, it will be a cake, not a windshield. I realize our coastal winters can produce a particular bone-chilling kind of cold. But such days are few and far be- tween and, aside from a not-so long ago catastrophic freeze, they don’t stay long enough to wear out their welcome. I’ve come to embrace brisk winter days here, crave them even. On a cold, late November morning, I was finishing a beach run, dodging jellyfish and a foamy tide, when it hit me. I spend far more time on the beach in winter than in summer, seeking solitude I can’t find among crowds of tourists. There’s something about bundling up, donning a skull cap and hitting miles of near-empty beach, accompanied by the occasional shore bird. Summertime in a beach town has the perpetual scent and energy of a vacation, which I love. And an evening walk as oleanders wave in a summer breeze is my idea of bliss. But our winters are beautiful. They’re not too cold to force us indoors, provide a break from the sweltering heat and help us rediscover the beauty of the coastal scenery. And I’m certainly not alone in that opinion. Many locals find wintertime to be the best time for beachcombing. It’s a time to explore our natural resources, including the new and improved Galveston Island State Park, which offers activities year-round, as you’ll read in this issue. It seems visitors have discovered this, too. More are taking advantage of the mild weather, the “off-season” events and activities the upper Texas coast has to offer in the winter. We wish you a Happy New Year and a winter of rediscov- ering our coastal communities. LAURA ELDER Coast Monthly Editor FROM THE EDITOR A TIME OF REDISCOVERYCarolyn T. Gaido REALTOR ® CLHMS, CRS, RSPS, SRS 713.851.3377 CarolynGaido@SandNSea.com CarolynGaido.com Sand `N Sea Properties, LLC Top Agent Since 1999 Michael J. Gaido, III REALTOR ® 409.457.4900 MichaelGaido.com Kimberly A. Gaido REALTOR ® , SRS 713.498.2020 sandnsea.com 3222 ANTILLIES This is a rare 3 bed 3 bath Caribbean townhouse with nice upgrades including wind rated windows in 2018. 529 POMPANO 3 bedroom 2.5 bath on the canal in Bayou Vista 4116 AVENUE T 5 bedroom, 3 bath in-town and one block from the beach 1 & 2 WESTWIND Double size lot in EVIA 1224 103 RD G aido R eal e state G Roup A trusted name with over 50 years of real estate experience 16717 DAVY JONES 2 bedroom and 1 bath Jamacia Beach 22118 MATAGORDA Updated 2BR/2BA canal front house in Sea Isle.12 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 SHORELINES WE ASKED ON FACEBOOK: Collecting sea glass, shells and driftwood after cold fronts blow all the water out of the bay. Julie Ghidoni We love to sit outside by our chime- nea. We burn pinion wood in it. The fragrance is amazing! Keisha May Heck I just enjoy building a nice fire in my outdoor fire pit and chilling with a beverage while watching boats cruise down my canal. A simple pleasure. Bobby Martin I love when friends take walks on the West End and come to visit and bring me a good luck heart sea bean they have shared they’ve found. True friendship. Warms my heart. Stacey Gottlob Spending time with family. Kathy Whatley Indoor playing Mexican Train with the family! Sharon Beust Sanchez Sea shelling! It is the best time of the year to find Mother Ocean’s treasure along the shore. Also, great to breathe in that crisp healthy salt air. Katrina Lassberg Sitting in my hot tub with a glass of wine, under the moonlight. Carly Suzanne Hobie catamaran sailing in wet suits. We would launch from east beach on New Year’s Day! Marty Jamieson Getting ready to celebrate Mardi Gras with our Krewe of Gambrinus friends and thousands of visitors who come to see our parade! Lais- sez les bons temps rouler! Fred Koperski Boating can be year-round if you watch the weather reports. Other- wise, walking on Babe’s Beach. Leona Pleasant Grabbing a Pecan Cold Brew at Sugar Bean in Evia and enjoying it on the gazebo by the pond with my BFF. Daphne Watkins Ferry ride to the peninsula, and a trip to the 17th Street Jetty/Bolivar Flats to see all the winter shorebirds. So many white pelicans! Lisa Wilson Velasquez Love the beach when it’s cold and deserted! Beach-combing weather! Karen Ivey Camping in an rV. It’s too hot in summer. Barry Terrell Walking on the beach because there’s very few people here at that time of year! Mayna Premo January is soccer season, so my favorite outdoor activity is watching my son, who is a varsity player at Texas City High School, on the field! It gets pretty windy and cold, but nothing could stop me and his Dad from being there! Stephanie Carreon Hernandez Going for long walks on the beach with my dog and searching for the big clam shells! Liz Garcia Smith Definitely jigsaw puzzles. Denise Sowell Shead We love to pick up trash up and down the beach. It gives us fresh air, exercise and helps out our Mother Earth. Laura Cook Cooking hearty meals. Robert S. Evans Making soups, stews and gumbos for the cold weather. Phil Newton Billiards and making craft cocktails. Jerry Jones What’s your favorite outdoor or indoor activities during the winter months on the upper Texas coast? FILE PHOTO: JENNIFEr rEYNOLDS Beachcombing is a popular pastime year-round on the Gulf Coast.THERE’S A BETTER APPROACH TO CANCER CARE in Clear Lake 281.333.8899 houstonmethodist.org/cancer-clearlake At Houston Methodist Neal Cancer Center, we treat every aspect of your cancer. Leading oncologists work with our specialists across disciplines to minimize cancer’s effects on major organs. One comprehensive team — dedicated to your individual care — uses the latest research, treatments and technology to stop your cancer. From infusion and clinical trials to surgery and reconstruction, our innovative care is available in Clear Lake. That’s the difference between practicing medicine and leading it. The Woodlands Baytown Willowbrook Sugar Land Clear Lake Katy-West Houston Texas Medical Center14 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 ‘SOMETHING FOR EVERYONE’ A new and improved state park among most visited in Texas story by BARBARA CANETTI | photos by STUART VILLANUEVA G alveston Island State Park was created decades ago. But when it reopened last year with new facilities and amenities, it was like a brand new park. The state in 1969 acquired the 2,013-acre site from private owners under the state parks bond program. It opened as a park for the public in 1975. But in 2008, Hurricane Ike and a 15-foot storm surge that came with it moved several yards of beach, sank buildings and dramatically altered the landscape. Restoration began in 2019, but the winter freeze in 2021 caused setbacks with burst pipes and water damage to the park’s Nature Center. But after several long years of construction and rebuilding, the park, 14901 FM 3005, re- opened in June and has been a popular attraction to visitors, said Kyle O’Haver, assistant super- intendent of the park. An estimated 40,000 day visitors and 26,000 overnight reservations were counted from July to October, making it among the top visited parks in Texas. “It has really been impressive,” O’Haver said. “We have moved into one of the top parks for visitation. We anticipate a busy spring and summer next year. There’s something for everyone.” The $10.6 million restoration came from Deepwater Horizon Natural Resources Damage COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 15 (Above) Chairs surround a fire pit at the platform camping area at Galveston Island State Park. The park boasts 95 new campsites — some with water and electricity — and new shade shelters with tables and barbecue grills. (Left) A kayak ramp leads to the water on the bay side of the park. It’s one of three new kayak launch areas. Equipment also is available to rent from Texas Camp Company.16 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 17 FEATURE Assessment funds, and the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department, Texas General Land Office and Texas Commission on Environ- mental Quality. On April 20, 2010, the Deepwater Hori- zon oil rig blew up and was consumed by fire. Eleven men died and many others were injured. For 87 days the well spewed oil — a total of 134 million gallons were released into the Gulf of Mexico. Ultimately, more than 43,000 square miles of the Gulf and its shoreline were oiled. On April 4, 2016, District Judge Carl Bar- bier approved a settlement for $20.8 billion and effectively ended almost six years of litigation over BP’s responsibility for civil penalties and future litigation for natural resource damages arising from the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill. Improvements at Galveston Island State Park are extensive and include new roads throughout the park and a new headquar- ters building on the beach side, replacing one that had been destroyed by Hurricane Ike. Other improvements include modern restrooms for the public, as well as changing areas and rinse-off showers. For campers, the changes are immense: 95 new campsites — some with water and electricity — and new shade shelters with tables and barbecue grills. Also among improvements are platforms for day-use, and three larger group-use covered pavilions on the beach. Food trucks also are available most of the year, and wheelchairs with oversized wheels are available for free to make the beach accessible to those visitors who need assistance. During the winter months, an equestrian day-use area is available for horse rides on the beach. Miles of hiking trails through wetlands, marshes, secluded bayous, prairies, open coves and dunes give visitors a chance to see and experience nature up close, said Taylor Burley Galaviz, park interpreter and the person who connects people to nature (Right, from top) Extensive improvements to Galveston Island State Park include shade shelters with tables, modern restrooms and changing areas and rinse-off showers. (Opposite) A white ibis walks among the marsh grasses at the park. More than 300 bird species have been recorded at the park.18 COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 FEATURE through informal education. The well-marked trails — mostly on the bay side, but a new one is behind the beach dunes — offer opportunities to see birds, animals, plant life, alligators and snakes. New boardwalks and observation towers give hikers a better overview of the park. And kayakers will be happy to learn there are now three kayak launch areas and equipment for rent from Texas Camp Company. Visitors don’t need a license to fish in the (Clockwise from left) Children ride their bikes across the RV camping area at Galveston Island State Park; Steve Keefer, of Spring, sets up his campsite atop a raised platform at the park; a sign marks a trail on the bay side of the park. There are several hike and bike trails throughout the park’s varied habitats; a 6-foot Eskimo curlew statue rises above the grassland at the park. The permanent bronze statue, created by sculp- tor Todd McGrain, is part of the Lost Bird Project. “We have moved into one of the top parks for visitation. We anticipate a busy spring and summer next year. There’s something for everyone.” KYLE O’HAVER COASTMONTHLY.COM | JANuArY 2023 19 state park if they’re “standing in the water,” Galaviz said. Historic homes in the park can be rent- ed — the Stewart House and the Ranch House, which were privately owned from the 1930s, were given to the state. These structures originally were used as a vaca- tion home and a guest house for visitors at the Stewart family ranch and are consid- ered historic. Both homes, on the western bank of Lake Como, once were owned by Maco Stewart Jr., prominent attorney, oilman and director of Stewart Title Guaranty Co. Both homes are thought to already have been built when Stewart purchased the ranch in 1939 from the previous owner William McKay Lykes, who owned large cattle and shipping businesses. These homes were used to host gatherings of businessmen and political lead- ers in the state, as well as other friends and relatives of the Stewarts. The Nature Center on the bay side is open on weekends and is an interpretive learning center with information, dioramas and other features to connect visitors to the history and ecosystems of the park. Both Texas Master Naturalists and Galveston Island State Park volunteers staff the Nature Center on the weekends, Galaviz said. Additionally, interpretive programs, in- cluding beach, bay, prairie and outdoor skill programs, are led by some of the 18 park employees and volunteers. Park entrance fees are required for all camping and overnight stays. Entrance fees at the park are $5 for adults, $3 for seniors and children young- er than 12 can enter for free. An annual $70 pass includes everyone in one vehicle entrance, as well as free entry to Texas’ 88 other state parks. If someone buys the 12-month pass, purchase at the beginning of the month, O’Haver recommends. It’s like getting the month free, because it expires at the end of the 12th month. Parking always is free in all areas of the park. For a list of events and other information about the park, visit https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/ galveston-island.Next >