Between Victoria And Corpus Christi Is Texas' Retirement Haven With A Dazzling Gulf Island State Park

Texas has over 3,300 miles of coastal shoreline, including 367 miles with Gulf beaches. The middle section, affectionately known as the Coastal Bend, is home to some of Texas' most breathtaking beaches, as well as a number of small coastal communities scattered on either side of the region's anchor city, Corpus Christi. It is also home to numerous inland bays. One of those communities, the tiny town of Lamar, between Victoria and Corpus Christi, is a retirement haven that is home to one of the more unique state parks in the Lone Star State. It also provides easy access to a few of the Coastal Bend bays.

Lamar is flanked by 3 bays: Copano, Aransas, and Saint Charles. It is just across the bridge spanning Copano Bay from Fulton and the quaint, quirky town of Rockport. The town of Lamar, as well as the region overall, is popular with retirees and families for a variety of reasons. For starters, it is an outdoor playground, surrounded by multiple bays and great beaches. While this small community doesn't offer a wide variety of attractions, it provides multiple recreational opportunities, most notably fishing and birding. Lamar is also home to Goose Island State Park.

Throughout the year, there are a number of events and festivals held both in Lamar and across the bridge in Rockport, as well as other communities scattered about the Coastal Bend. These events provide both entertainment and volunteer opportunities for those looking to stay busy during retirement. Another plus for retirees is that the regional hub, Corpus Christi, is only about 40 miles away, offers top-notch medical care, and has an international airport serviced by several major airlines.

Goose Island State Park is at the center of life in Lamar, sitting quite literally at the tip of the peninsula upon which the community is situated. The park provides a bevy of outdoor recreational opportunities, including access to the bay waters around Lamar, as well as chances to volunteer throughout the year. Within the park is one of the town's defining features: Big Tree. This massive live oak is 44 feet tall and has a trunk that measures 35 feet in circumference. Big Tree is believed to be over 1,000 years old and was considered the largest oak tree in Texas and the nation until a larger specimen was found in 2003.

Goose Island State Park is also the outdoor recreation hub for the community. The park offers a fishing pier, as well as shore fishing access, a kayak launch, a fish-cleaning station, and multiple boat ramps. These amenities, along with numerous campsites and nature-viewing stations, are split between the mainland and island sections of the park. There is also a hiking trail on the mainland portion. It is popular with birders, who have spotted over 300 avian species there. Among these are whooping cranes, endangered birds that spend the winter and spring in the Lamar/Rockport area.

Visitors interested in volunteering will have ample opportunities to do so at Goose Island, which utilizes volunteers for tasks such as operating the park office, performing maintenance, and guiding tours. Additionally, volunteer events, such as the annual Sink Your Shucks oyster recycling/reef building project, are held in the park. 

Getting to Lamar (which is part of the Texas Tropical Trail Region) is relatively easy. It is about an hour's drive south of Victoria via US-77 and TX-35 and just under 45 minutes northeast of Corpus on TX-35.