Discovering the Mystique of the Upper Texas Coast
Discovering the mystique of the Upper Texas Coast will offer some surprises. If you’re expecting cowboys and barbecue, you’ll be pleasantly surprised to experience the diversity, the seafood, the expansive natural areas, and the music. Many nationalities and cultures have influenced this area, from the indigenous Karankawa to the Spanish, French, Mexican, Anglo-Americans, Europans, formerly enslaved African Americans, and more recently, the Cajuns and Vietnamese.
Bookmark or download our Mystique and Culture Trip Adventures and put these ideas on your list during your next extended vacation or weekend road trip.
Here are some fascinating stops you’ll only find when discovering the mystique of the Upper Texas Coast.
Mystique of Jefferson County
Windmills & Oil
- Did you know you can see a Dutch windmill on the Upper Texas Coast? Citizens built this windmill as a tribute to Holland immigrants. Look up the Dutch Windmill Museum in Jefferson County in our Mystique and Culture Trip Adventure, along with the suggestions below. (Jefferson County)
- Have you ever witnessed a gusher? If you time it right, experience the excitement of seeing an oil gusher blow at the Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown Museum. This gusher changed Texas. (Jefferson County)
Mystique of Galveston County
Immigrants & Wall Street
- Did you know that Galveston is second to Ellis Island as a port of entry for immigrants? Learn more about this history at Texas Seaport Museum at the Ship to Shore Exhibit. More than 130,000 immigrants entered through Galveston between 1846 and 1948. (Galveston County)
- Because of Galveston’s natural harbor, by 1885, Galveston was the largest city in Texas and considered the “Wall Street of the Southwest.” See the many buildings from that era and read the historical markers throughout The Strand National Historic Landmark District. (Galveston County)
Mystique of Brazoria County
Varner Hogg & a 76-foot Statue
- Did you know the Varner Hogg Plantation served various purposes? It was initially a plantation and later a sugarcane mill. And finally, a ranch manned by former enslaved laborers working as cowboys. (Brazoria County)
Did you know Palacios is the third-largest shrimping port in Texas?
- Everything is bigger in Texas, right? Did you know the second tallest statue in Texas is on the Upper Texas Coast? Look for the 76-foot tall Stephen F Austin “Father of Texas” statue at the Stephen F. Austin Munson Historical County Park in Angleton. (Brazoria County)
Mystique of Matagorda County
Shipwrecks & Fishing
- Texas may have looked different if René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, a 17th-century French explorer, had landed safely during a 1686 squall in Matagorda Bay. See artifacts from the La Belle shipwreck at the Matagorda County Museum. (Matagorda County)
- Palacios is the third-largest shrimping port in Texas. There, you’ll find a 15-foot statue of Jesus, Fisherman’s Memorial, overlooking Matagorda Bay, which serves as a memorial to all fishermen lost at sea and to protect those sailing out. (Matagorda County)
There are so many intriguing stops to explore on the Upper Texas Coast. Download or bookmark all the Lone Star Coastal Alliance Trip Adventures for more ideas of what to see and do along the Upper Texas Coast.
About Lone Star Coastal Alliance
The Lone Star Coastal Alliance is a 501(c)3 created to preserve and promote the upper Texas Gulf Coast region in a manner that enhances coastal resilience while fostering economic development focused on conservation and tourism, elevating the unique natural, cultural, and historical assets of the region and benefitting quality of life within the communities.
