I realize this is a foodie blog, but I am also the travel editor of D Magazine and from time-to-time I experience a destination that is worth returning to on my own dime. One such spot is Matagorda, Texas. Last year I made an “official” visit and wrote this story. Last week, I gathered up my five perfect nieces, mother, and sister, and rented a house on the beach for an end-of-summer vacation.
Matagorda is not as touristy as the beaches around Galveston or Port Aransas. The city isn’t much–my 13-year old niece could not believe the closest mall was an hour and a half away in Houston. Matagorda is mainly a destination for serious fisherman and birders. Each year, birders in Matagorda record the highest number of species in the annual Christmas Bird Count. (The coastal prairies provide the first fresh water for birds migrating from South America.) The unofficial town slogan–“Matagorda, a drinking city with a fishing problem” is not too far off base.
I happen to love the seclusion and the lack of high-priced “distractions.” The beaches are wide and long and for the most part unpopulated. Several of you have asked how I found the house I rented. The truth? I gambled on one I found on the Internet. I won big time: the two-bedroom, two-bath house sits about 30 yards from the sand and is fully stocked right down to fresh dill pickles in the fridge. The price is right–$300 a night ($1,500 a week) and sleeps 6-9. We brought all of our own food and cooked every meal. It was a perfect family vacation. If you want more details, hit my e-mail address below. Meanwhile, pardon my self-indulgence below.
