The campground is located 10 miles northeast of Rockport, Texas. Take State Highway 35 to Park Road 13, turn right and drive two miles to the park entrance.

If you are traveling south on SH 35, after crossing the Port Lavaca Causeway at Lighthouse Beach, continue another 46 miles to Lamar, Texas. Turn left onto Main Street just before the Fuel station and convenience store (Exxon and 7-Eleven). Drive east another 1.4 miles on Main Street until arriving at Park Road 13B (S. Palmetto Street), turn right and drive to the Park Headquarters.

Amenities at this state park include boating, camping, fishing, geocache, ranger programs, visiting the Big Tree and viewing the suntouch.

However, probably the amenity I enjoy the most is wildlife viewing, particularly the birds that come to the large bodies of water surrounding this island.

Saint Charles Bay, Rockport, Texas

A daily entrance fee is in addition to any Facility fees.

The campground has a rest room with flush toilets and hot showers. Fire word and ice are available on site.

$5.00 per day,

44 Premium Electric sites: $ 22.00

57 Standard Electric sites: $ 20.00

25 Walk-in tent sites: $ 10.00

All sites have picnic table, outdoor grill and water.

Premium sites have 50 amp and smaller plugs, shade shelter and ground fires are not allowed.

Standard and walk-in sites have a fire ring for ground fires.

Awake, although the morning arrives with bright sunshine, clear skies and a warm 59 degrees, everything outside is heavily saturated with dew. I arise, dress in my summer blues, step outside and make my morning stroll to the restroom. Upon my return I open up the rear lift door, put water in my kettle, turn it on and then start my preparations for my f-meal. When the water boils, I pour the measured amounts into each cup and then carry the three cups inside the jammer and put them in their places. Next, I return to the rear of the jammer to unplug and stow the water kettle. Now, all that is left is to unplug, roll up and stow my electrical cords and I can drive out of this campground. However, before doing that, I climb inside the jammer, take my spot in the front leaning typing position.

Just before noon, I drive out of the campground, follow the signs to the Big Tree, park, get out and use my phone to take several photos.

Later, I drive out of Goose Island State Park, turn southwest on SH 35, cross the Lyndon B. Johnson Memorial Bridge over the narrows between Copano and Aransas Bays, and then southwest through Rockport, to a point where the highway turns west to Gregory, Texas. Soon, I arrive at Indian Point, cross the Nueces Bay on the Causeway, drive through the North Beach area and this year get to cross the Courpus Christi Ship Channel on the brand new Harbor Bridge.

Awake, arise, dress in my fall blues, step outside and walk to the restroom building for my morning visit and while there, I wash and wring out two pairs of my under shorts. Afterwards, I return to the jammer and open the rear lift door to hang the under shorts up on my clothes line to dry. Then, I get out my water kettle, add water to the one liter line and flip the switch to the on position. Next, I take out my three cups, walk with them to the rear of the jammer, fill them with their assigned ingredients and finally set the three cups on the picnic table seat near to the water kettle.,

When the kettle pot begins to show steam escaping from the top, I walk back from under the real lift door, grab the kettle and pour the exact amount into each of the three cups. While doing this, I hear the loud roar of a motor boat leaving the docks and heading out into Saint Charles Bay (I know this is what causes the sound because I have been at that very dock when this type of fishing boat pulls out and heads to a favorite fishing hole.)

Awake to the first alarm, arise, get out my electric heater, plug it in and the turn it on. Last evening, when I got into the horizontal, the temperature was still in the high 50s so I did not get out the heater, but instead opted to just use my blankets. However, this morning upon getting up, there was a chill in the air; yes, even with the sun out this morning, I am still on the wet side of the climate divide which continues with high humidity.

Awake, dress in my winter blues, step out of the jammer and disconnect the electrical cord and stow it behind the passenger seat on the floor just in front of the storage box. I then start the jammer engine and drive out of the state park, stopping only at the headquarters building to drop off my fee envelope in the fee drop box.

Leaving the state park, I turn left on SH 35 and drive south across the Lyndon B. Johnson Memorial Bridge, a 2.1 mile concrete beam bridge over the Copano Bay from Lamar, Texas to Rockport, Texas.

Awake, rise, grab my shower bag and towel and walk to the shower house only to find that the water has been turned off, apparently in the entire park. I return to the jammer and begin boiling water, make a cup of Daystart, a cup to coffee and a cup of tea. I then climb back inside to pound keys and a short time later, the water comes back on.

So, at about eleven-thirty, I walk back to the shower house to see if the water is hot and when I enter, find it just right, steamy hot.

Then, at noon, I pack out, drive to the park headquarters and as to stay for another night. I was hoping to get campsite #106 because, first it is closer to the shower house and second, it is in an isolated spot. She said it was available for one night, so I pay the fee and then drive to the site and begin to set up.

Yesterday, I arrived at the entrance to the state park at about two in the afternoon, pay for a two night stay here, then drive to my campsite. I first plug in my electrical cord and connect all of my batteries. Then, I climb into the jammer and begin writing today's journal entry. Soon after, I get out my grill, light some charcoal and begin preparing my food, chopping and wrapping it in foil.

In no time, I am eating a hot meal of baked salmon with baked vegetables.

It rained a little last night, and I rise, grab my shower bag and walk to the shower house for some very hot water.

After my shower, I return to the jammer to prepare my morning meal, hot coffee, hot tea and a cup of my Daystart.

Afterwards, I move the jammer forward about ten feet so that it will be in the shade of the Live Oak tree for more of the day. This works quite well and keeps me much cooler this afternoon. Then, I get into the jammer to pound keys and when a man walks his dog by, I step outside to greet him. We talk about full time travel; he and his wife has just sold their home and are beginning their′s. Soon, I direct the conversation to the hope of the future and he allows me to show him several verses for me to show him my hope. Then, Bob and his dog departs while I climb back into the jammer to wait for the next opportunity to witness to someone.

One bird, even two that I have been looking for every time I have come to south Texas during the winter, are the large wading cranes that winter here much like I have been doing for the past several years.

The primary bird that my search brings me here to see is the whooping crane. This bird stands 52 inches in height and is one that I saw as a youth when I came with my Scout troop to camp here on this island. However, I did not then nor have since been able to photograph this amazingly large bird, the tallest on this continent.

The second largest wading crane that winters here is the sandhill crane, somewhat smaller than the whooping crane but still a large bird at 42 inches tall.

It has long been my hope that I will see both of these cranes here and this year I am able to photograph both.

The only draw back is that I am taking the photos of the bird from a distance of about four hundred feet, or one and a third football fields. I have to zoom in to the maximum that my camera will allow and then I must needs prop the camera on the sill of the jammer window to keep the camera from moving and blurring the photos.

Up this morning long before the sunrise, started the jammer to warm me up and soon, I am on the shoreline taking photos of first the suntouch, then the birds.

When it comes to birding, I am an opportunist. When ever I see a bird, I wait for the birds to get into the right position and then take the photo. In the case of this heron, I followed him for several minutes waiting for him to turn the fish head to the gullet and then swallow it whole.

After watching that heron swallow the large fish, I leave him to digest his meal. He will probably go find a spot to take a nap, I would.

However, I am still on the hunt for birding photo opportunities and next come upon a family of White Ibis, what appears to be an adult female and two offspring.