KRATZMC

Sunday March 20th, 2011

I left Deer Park, Tx at 1000 hrs en-route to Harlingen, Tx for the last of the Southern sites for the 2011 TOH ride, the Iwo Jima Memorial. I would detour to Matagorda and Palacios in order to see the Gulf Coast and to grab some Vietnamese Food. Three years ago, I met a Ranch Hand on one of my first local rides, who was a former Fishing Guide in Matagorda. He told me these areas were the place to go for Viet Food. I remember controversies in the 70’s over the Vietnamese Refugees following the Vietnam War who had settled in the Gulf Region and were getting government assistance. They were competing with the locals in the Shrimping Trade which was causing  a great deal of animosity. Visiting these areas was on my Bucket List so now was a good time to cross them off. I quickly skirted the Houston traffic and it being Sunday wasn’t hard to do. The weather was sunny, clear and in the low 70’s, so it had the makings for a good ride.

I made my way south on Hwy 288 from the Houston Metroplex and then headed due west from Angleton onto Hwy 35 to Bay City, Tx where I turned south onto Hwy 60.. These roads are typical rural roads, which reminded me of the coastal terrain in Louisiana. Lush, green with unique homes and plenty of mobile homes, this area is definitely a throw back and exudes a slower paced lifestyle. Being Sunday, any traffic was moving inland from the coast which made for a relaxing ride. As I grew closer to Matagorda, I envisioned the hearty Vietnamese Meal which awaited me.

This area in Matagorda County is rich with Texas History, having 10 places on the National Register and over 105 Historical Markers. Matagorda lies at the south end of Hwy 60 on Coast and Palacios  is located northwest of Matagorda, is the 3rd oldest city/town in Texas. This coastal region is in its prime from April through Sept, so March is a great time to visit. As I reached the Matagorda City limits, I saw a large black Boar laying along side the right side of the road, a victim of a lost battle with a motor vehicle. I began doing a visual search for evidence of a Vietnamese community but so far no luck. There are actually very few businesses with most of the real estate taken up by vacation bungalows and homes on stilts. On the inlets I could see Shrimp Boats making there way inland and it spawned thoughts of Forest Gump and Bubba Gump Shrimp. The actual town is very small and is about 8 blocks square. I saw no evidence of a Vietnamese presence, so I continued on to the end of the road and the coastline. Leaving the town, you will cross a tall concrete bridge which takes you onto the paralleling Peninsula. I followed the Hwy 60 alont the Peninsula and only saw two restaurants.

A clue that you made it to Matagorda, Tx.

Riding South on Hwy 60 on the Matagorda Peninsula

The Beach and Pier

The Matagorda Bay Nature Park and the campground is just to the right.

A view of Matagorda proper from the Northbound side of the Matagorda Bridge that connects it to the Peninsula

Hwy 60 termintates at very well maintained public beach area and a State Wildlife park which has a clean, manicured campground and boat launch facilities. I vowed to return at a later date for a camp trip here but it will wait. There seemed to be about a 50% occupancy rate at the campground but I am sure when the summer arrives, it will be packed. Disappointed that I would not be finding any Vietnamese food in Matagorda, I decided to hold out for Palacios. I was getting hungry, so I back tracked into Matagorda and continued west on FM 521 which parallels the coast. This was a beautiful and relaxing road, epitomizing what a good motorcycle ride is all about. So far it was the best road I had been on in two days. As you continue west towards Palacios, you will pass a Nuclear Power Plant. With the current situation with the Tsunami/Quake in Japan, it made it a more interesting as usual, so I took a picture. The plant seemed very well secured and I could see small gardens and what looked like sensors and monitoring equipment near the gardens, located along the outer perimeter fence. I could only surmise that these gardens are monitored for radiation but that was just conjecture, since I really don’t know. I would later learn from Plant Workers than the plant had been shut down to fix some sort of emergency problem.

FM 521 and typical of the roads in this area

Our own troubled Nuclear Plant on FM 521

I arrived in Palacios about a half an hour later. Palacios seemed quiet and economically depressed but it was clean and well kept, unlike many of the poor towns in the South. I imagine the tourism trade helps keep the local economy going. I resumed my scan for a Vietnamese eatery but was coming up blank. I rode most of the blocks in town that would appear to house businesses and except for Mexican Restaurants a Dairy Queen and Sonic Drive In, there appeared to be few eateries. I made it to the coastline and saw a wonderful pier and public beach. Facing the shoreline I saw a large white wooden building, which looked like a old Government house or building. I would later learn that this was the Luther Hotel and the only game in town.

The Beach in Palacios…Don’t cut your feet on the Oyster Shells!

I was getting hungry, so I returned to the only eatery in town which appeared to have character and appeal, called the Outrigger Seafood Grill. With my craving for Viet food going unanswered, I figure I would be satisfied with some fresh Gulf Shrimp and Oysters. I prefer Gulf Shrimp over cold water shrimp as they seem to taste sweeter to me. I had missed the lunch hour as it was just after 1400 hrs, so I got to pick my table. There were four other occupied tables but these patrons appeared to be finishing their meals. Besides the seafood menu, there were boasts of having the best burger in town but disappointed I was not going to have the Vietnamese meal I had been fantasizing about, I was now set on having some fresh Gulf Shrimp. First I ordered some fresh boiled “Peel n Eat” Shrimp as an appetizer and a fried Gulf Shrimp and Fresh Oyster combo. Oysters are in season here from Nov to April, so I was in the groove. The combo also comes with fries and hugh puppies.

The Outrigger Seafood Grill

I had about an hour left and since I was one of the last customers for the day, the service was quick and indeed friendly. I asked the waitress if she knew any history about the area and about the Vietnamese Community. Unfortunately, the waitress was a recent transplant from Oklahoma so she was not familiar with the demographics or history of the town. I asked her if the owner was present and if I could speak with him about the area. In the meantime my meal arrived and I dug it. The “Peel n Eat” Shrimp was the bomb. Cooked to perfection and dipped in some pretty good cocktail sauce, I could eat that dish all day long. Just as I had finished the appetizer, the Combo lunch came out. Now I prefer Clam over Oysters but sometime I get a craving for fried Oysters, especially when they are fresh. I was not disappointed and these Oysters rivaled any I have had in the past. As I was finishing the last of my meal, the Owner, Wayne Dodd came over to my table and we made introductions. Wayne and his Wife Cheryl run the business and their Daughter Kelly is a professionally trained Chef, which showed.

The Peel n Eat Shrimp

The Fresh local Shrimp and Oyster Combination

Wayne gave me the run down on the local history and what happened with the Vietnamese Community. Mostly, those who had been able to make it Shrimping left and their children did not follow in their parents foot steps, electing to leave the area or go to college. I guess when you come to America to seek a better life, this seems to be the evolution. Wayne said there was one Vietnamese Fisherman left and there were a couple of others who operated a restaurant and local shop which sells Asian Groceries. It seems my fantasy of finding a Nirvana of Vietnamese Culinary delights in this area was now drowned. I told Wayne about my Tour of Honor Ride and he pointed out that there was a former Military Base which was the center of the community in the past. The base, Camp Hulen was now closed and it had been sold to real estate developers but money was running out. Wayne said there was a Historical Marker just down the highway I could visit. Wayne also said that if I wanted to stay, the Luther Hotel was the only game in town. It had some history and that the owner, Karl would more than likely add to my history lesson and let me take a look around. Wayne also said I could access their Wi Fi on their back porch if I needed it and that many folks took advantage of it while they relaxed and visited the web. Wayne said he welcomed groups and it would be best to call ahead with large groups but they will make sure anyone who shows up will be fed. There may be a wait as the food is cooked to order but I can testily its worth the wait.

After my meal, I headed to the Historic Luther Hotel, one of the many places in the county on the National Registry. You will see the Historic Plaque as you enter the front door. As you walk into the lobby you feel as though you were transported back into the 30’s or 40’s. The exterior is white washed with weathered patina. To the right of the lobby is a sitting parlor adorned with antique furniture. Celebrity photos are displayed on the walls, along with other historical photographs. I was greeted by Kathy Crowell and Karl Smith who gave me some more local history. From the moment I walked in, I knew I had to stay. The view from the pillared porch donned with chairs and tables seemed like to place to relax and was a picture of serenity, lullibied by the sounds of the shoreline and the cool Gulf breeze. Although the stay would interrupt my trip, it was part of an adventure and discovery and what embodies what true travel is all about.

The Luther Hotel Built in 1905

The Lobby of the Luther

Rita Hayworth stayed at the Luther

My room #216

After getting my assigned room, I decided to check out Camp Hulen before unpacking. I rode just down the old Main St and found the Historical Plaque as Wayne had described. Basically Camp Hulen was the home of the 36th Infantry Division Army Reserves and was used and expanded during WW2 to train Anti-Aircraft Artillery Units. The Camp also housed German prisoners of the war and was soon closed at the end of WW2. At one time the base housed over 12,000 personnel, which made it the mainstay of the area. Most of the buildings are were torn down and lay desolate until sold to developers in 1965. There is also a local Museum in the old downtown just a block from the Hotel but it was Sunday. The Museum is open Sat and during the week after 10 a.m.

The Historical Marker for Camp Hulen

Since my overnight stop was unexpected, I headed to the local Dollar Market to get some tourist clothes. I only had the clothes I was riding in, with the exception of some clean underwear. After a quick visit to the bargain rack and $9 later, I had a disposable wardrobe or shorts, pull over shirt and some sandals. I also got some bottled drinks including two glass bottles of Mexican Coca Cola. Mexican Coca Cola contains real sugar, unlike the cheap and cancer causing mixture of corn syrup used in the U.S. for maximizing profits. Mexican Coca Cola tastes like I remembered as a kid, as you would pull the bottles out of the rack from the glass door of the old vending machines.

My $9 wardrobe

When I got back to the Hotel, I took a hot shower got settled in my room. The rooms are very clean but the furniture is a mixture of periods, from the 30’s to the 70’s. It is not fancy but it lends character. The bed was firm and everything was well maintained. The Television was brand new, being a table top panel screen but the photocopied channel guide was blurry and unreadable. There was an enormous selection of channels, including HD channels. After running around naked in my room, I donned my new vacation outfit and grabbed my lap top, a bottle of Coca Cola and headed out to the front porch to Blog. There was limited access to the Wi Fi as warned by Kathy and it was something they were going to work on. If you want night life, Palicios and the Luther Hotel are not what you may want. But if you want to relax and feel like you were transported back into the 30’s or 40’s, you gotta stay here.

The front porch of the Luther. If you can’t relax here you need to shoot yourself

Like they say, “A picture is worth a thousand words”.

After blogging my previous days journey, it was dinner time but I was getting sleepy. I went back to my room and lay on the bed and quickly grew unconscious. I woke up about a half an hour later and it was dark, 8:30 pm. Being Sunday and being Palacios, all of the best places to eat would be closed or closing. Hungry, I put on my riding pants and boots and had to settle for a meal at the local Sonic Burger. I got my order to go and took it back to the room where I watched the latest on the crisis in Japan, before turning in for the night.

All in all this was a great day of discovery and relaxation. I am putting Palacios on my “Gotta to back list” and “Gotta share with my friends list”. If you haven’t been, you gotta go to Palacios. You gotta stay at the Luther and have one of your meals at the Outrigger Grill. After a couple of days and nights you should be relaxed and rejuvenated. Its an excellent place to home base if you like to ride, as you can go in all directions to make your own discoveries. I will resume my Tour of Honor ride tomorrow but for now I’m content being me and being in Palacios. Although it was one of my shortest ride days, it was one of my best ride days.

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