Find fishing, art, nature

Rockport Beach one of cleanest in nation

By mike bratten/Caller-Times

Fishing, nature and an artist community make Rockport and its smaller next-door neighbor, Fulton, popular Coastal Bend destinations.

There are numerous fishing guides to choose from in the area, as well as piers and boat rental businesses.

Rockport Beach has been certified as a Blue Wave Beach by the Clean Beaches Council in Washington, D.C. — a status that identifies it as one of the nation’s cleanest, safest and most environmentally well-managed beaches. Straddled by Aransas Bay and Little Bay, its shallow, calm waters are a magnet for families with children.

Art galleries are common in the area, thanks to scores of artists who have made homes in Rockport and Fulton. The Rockport Center for the Arts features exhibits, theater and musical performances, lectures, children’s programs, workshops and classes.

Not far from the art center is the Texas Maritime Museum, with exhibits including a replica of La Belle, the flagship of Rene-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, the French explorer.

Rockport and Fulton also are dotted with historic homes that can be toured, including the Fulton Mansion, which is operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.

Natural tourist attractions include the wind-sculpted live oaks on scenic Fulton Beach Road. Because of prevailing southeasterly winds, many live oaks have grown in shapes that lean hard to the northwest.

Another attraction is the Big Tree at Goose Island State Park, north of Fulton. The tree is 44 feet tall, 35 feet in circumference and has a crown that is 90 feet across. It is believed to be at least 1,000 years old.

Tourists flock to the Rockport-Fulton Hummer/Bird Celebration, held in late summer each year, when many hummingbirds pass through the area.

It is a 35-minute drive north of Fulton to Aransas National Wildlife Refuge, winter home of the celebrated whooping crane. The 5-foot-tall crane — the tallest bird in North America — is an endangered species. After spending summers in Canada, the cranes migrate south and begin arriving at the refuge in mid-October each year. They generally begin leaving in April.

Information: Rockport-Fulton Area Chamber of Commerce, (361) 729-6445.

This article is originally from the Caller-Times publication South Texas Life.
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