I’m a bird nerd, so when I discovered that Rockport and Aransas Pass lie along the Texas Coastal Birding Trail, I gleefully packed binoculars, my field guide, and plenty of patience.
At dawn I tiptoed to wetlands, marshes, and piers. I spotted egrets, herons, rails, and even rare migratory shorebirds. On a quiet trail, I startled a family of ducks; on the bay a pelican skimmed low.
Midday, I cooled off at the resort’s pool, wrote notes, and talked shop with other birders we met at the clubhouse. In the evening I cooked a seafood gumbo—shrimp, crab, sausage, okra, onion, bell pepper, stock, rice—in a big pot over coals. The aroma drew neighbors, and soon we had a communal feast under oaks.
On our last morning, I rose before sunrise and walked barefoot to the water. No words. Just wings, wind, and wonder. That is what I’ll always remember.