This was probably one of the best trips of my life.
Throughout the entire trip, there was one common denominator – learning. It didn’t matter if we were in the vehicle driving across the plains, in the marsh fishing or on a limestone rock looking for a reptile – we were constantly learning. Not only about the ecology of Texas, but also the history, the different landscapes, and the wildlife management. This is what I liked most, that our experiences were incredibly versatile in learning everything we could in the span of a week.
Our first couple of days we spent at Matagorda Island. This is where we were able to freely fish, or in my case, look around the island for different plants and animals. The fishing was excellent for most, and I was also able to catch a cool frog fish. We were able to visit the beach on the coast and comb it looking at the washed up jelly fish, cool sea shells and a couple rattle snakes here and there. In the evening, we got to go herping as a group, where we found geckos, zebra fish, a scorpion, and a cottonmouth. Probably one of my coolest life experiences was calling in the nearby barn owls and having them swoop over us while the lightning bugs lightly flashed around us in the dark. Our second day included us fishing some more and going to observe the lighthouse that was used in the civil war, along with the historic civil war trenches that we could see from the road. At the lighthouse we could climb up to the top and learn about the history that happened on Matagorda Island. We were also able to document some cool new species, like the whistling duck and an alligator. That night we went seining in the ocean, and I was able to gig (spear) a flounder fish! Even though the island was unbelievably cool, the boat rides from Cooper and the air boat ride from Steve were probably some of the best parts. Steve took us out into the marsh to try to find a whooping crane (no luck), but he was able to give us the full air boat experience.
After saying goodbye to Steve and Cooper we headed to Mason Mountain WMA. This was a unique area that had three different types of landscapes on their singular WMA. It was a donated piece of property that has been transformed into an area that showcases how to properly care for the exotic animals that are so often found in that area of Texas. We were able to see three different types of exotic species: the oryx, an axis deer and gemsbuck. We even saw a baby while we were on our tour around the WMA. My favorite part about Mason Mountain was seeing the exotic wildlife, plant life and watching Tyler catch a bullfrog.
We then made it to our final location, South Llano State Park. This was our last day, and I believe we made the most of it. We quickly unpacked and the boys got ready to go fishing in the river, while Brooke and I took a nice trip on the tubes down the river. In the evening, we went to a local burger shop, and we got to watch Tucker dominate the ‘heart attack burger’.
This trip was so much fun and an experience of a lifetime. I loved being able to spend time with everyone and packing in as many experiences as possible. Out of everything I would have to say my top highlights were birding for the barn owls and gigging for the flounder! The people we met along the way and the subjects we learned were unforgettable, thank you all who were able to come and all who put in the hard work to make this trip possible. I don’t think there could ever be too much Texas.