MATAGORDA, Tx. -- The cool wind wafted gently over the lonely Texas beach as a squadron of pelicans drifted overhead like an ancient winged armada.
As I strolled along the desolate shoreline I soon realized the only footprints in the thick white sand for miles around were mine.
The solitudeness of this locale harkens back to the days when the French explorer La Salle trudged along this wide shell-littered beach in 1685 looking for the Mississippi River. He found the Colorado River instead, and settled for that.
This is, indeed, one of America's few remaining unspoiled beaches where there is an unblemished 20-mile stretch of oceanfront reaching out its arms to welcome hikers, campers, swimmers, shell collectors, etc.. You can even build an oceanfront campire and roast weiners if you like. For $6 you can get a one-year beach permit (which also allows you to drive your own vehicle along the beach).
"This is a paradise undiscovered," said James Arnold, a tall, ruddy-faced man who has spent most of his 63 years exploring the beaches and bays of Matagorda, some 85 miles south of Houston.
"God gave us this land, making us kissing cousins to Mother Nature. There are more birds, bays and beaches here than any place in the country. Anyone who loves the outdoors has to love this place."
Matagorda, which derives from a Spanish word generally meaning lush undergrowth, has remained unspoiled and relatively unvisited despite its proximity to the five milllion people of the nation's fifth largest city, Houston.
"This is a sleepy little community which does not have much except God's gift of the splendor of nature," said Arnold, a retired postal worker who runs a fishing boat service (A Day on the Bay). "We don't want the kind of developed beach frenzy you see at South Padre Island, but it is a shame so many people are missing out."
Arnold is sort of the Andy Griffith of Matagorda, spreading the word of the wonders of Matagorda as an unofficial ambassador of good will. A muscular man with a silver mustache, red-white-and-blue baseball cap, checkered shirt and thigh-high white boots over his blue jeans, Arnold is not hard to spot in a crowd.
He is unabashed about his love for this neck of the woods and pulls no punches in expressing his views about industrial development. "I've been thrown out of a public meeting or two," he says. So far, he's winning. The only significant local industrial developmentthus faris a gas well site a couple of dozen miles offshore, a nuclear power plant, a petrochemical firm (Celanese Co.) and polyethylene firm (Equistar).
Matagorda is unique in several respects.
This is where the Colorado River empties into the Gulf of Mexico. And, the river is split on each side by two large bays (East Matagorda and West Matagorda). A huge estuary has developed, creating a paradise for birds, particularly those migrating to South America.
"This is their last freshwater stop before heading to South America and their first freshwater stop on their return trip," said Arnold. "The result is that we have one of the most vibrant bird concentrations in America. Birdwatchers have a ball here."
The area consistently ranks number one in America in the Audubon Society's annual Christmas bird count.
The bays and estuary, along with the Colorado River, Intracoastal Waterway and the Mad Island Marsh Preserve, also provide hundreds of miles of shoreline for kayaking and canoeing. "We have over 300 miles of shoreline in the bays alone," said Arnold.
If you're not into beachcombing, swimming, hiking, kayaking, canoeing, fishing, birdwatching -- or just plain old kicking back and relaxing -- there's not much for you to do here.
"This place has changed little over the years, and that's part of its charm," said Arnold. "The census bureau figures showed Matagorda County's population increased by 20 from 1980 to 2000."
There is one change now taking place, but it dovetails right into the region's natural geography. A multi-million dollar 1,100-acre Matagorda Bay Nature Park is expected to be completed by the summer of 2005, including fishing piers, boardwalk, pavilion, learning center, etc.
There are several good litle seafood and salsa restaurants (you can even find alligator barbecue) in Matagorda and nearby Palacios and Bay City (population 9,600). Matagorda County is generally known as the shrimp capital of Texas. Bay City also has the wonderful Matagorda County Museum highlighting the region's history and culture (and a fantastic "kids town'' basement featuring a recreated village where kids can do everything from play sheriff to run a post office). The museum was converted from the town's old post office and has been recognized as one of the top 10 small town museums in America.
You won't find any four or five star hotels here, but there are dozens of little motels and bed and breakfasts available at reasonable rates.
The county is about 78 miles from Houston's Hobby Airport and just under 100 miles from Houston's Bush International Airport. Texas Highway 60 takes you smack dab through the middle of everything.
For information on the Matagorda County area call (Bay City) 800-806-8333 or (Palacios) 800-611-4567 or visit these websites: www.baycity.org, www.palaciouschamber.com, www.matagordacountymuseum.org, www.dayonthebayservices.com., www.macbnc.org (bird nature center), www.lcra.org (lower Colorado River Authority).

This story was published on 03 Dec 2004.