Of all the states I’ve been to, I think Texas has the most varied landscapes. If you drive from east to west, or from north to south, your scenery will change hour by hour. From the beaches of the Texas coast, to the desert of west Texas, with rolling hills, flat plains, and piney woods, all the “looks” Texas has each have their own beauty. Here are a few pictures of my favorite places in Texas.
The Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge is on 2800 acres bordering the Rio Grande River in deep south Texas. At an ecological crossroad, Santa Ana is strategically located where subtropical climate, gulf coast, great plains and Chihuahuan desert meet, and is home to more than 400 species of birds and 300 species of butterflies. I loved going there to see what we could see when we lived in Pharr, Texas.
Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park is located south of Mission, Texas. It is another great birding site in the area, where you can see Orioles, Green Jays, Chachalacas, Great Blue Herons, Roseate Spoonbills, and thousands of Hawks during their migration each spring.
South Texas, especially the Rio Grand Valley of Texas, is known for fresh produce. From oranges, grapefruit, and other citrus to onions, pineapple, herbs, swiss chard, cabbage and lettuce, you can see them all growing in fields in south Texas. On this day, the field had been plowed and was ready to be planted with spring crops. It was a common thing to hear of people going “gleaning”, or picking up leftover vegetables from the fields after the main crop had been harvested.
The drive between Corpus Christi and Harlengin, Texas was mostly rolling hills, dotted with farms. The farmers grew lots of corn and hay for livestock.
This was one of my favorite sights in Texas. Cadillac Ranch is west of Amarillo on Route 66, and is a fun stop to see the cars planted in the dirt.
Leave a Reply