Brownsville – It’s not often you get an extremely foggy day down on South Padre Island but that was exactly the case when I arrived on SPI to take a tour of the Port of Brownsville.  Despite the dense cloud cover, it doesn’t keep James Woodrow Wilson from boiling up some shrimp because he’s busy preparing a feast for a few folks wanting to take a ride on his boat.

Once the crowd is settled, Captain Woody, as he’s called, takes the sightseers on a carefully guided journey through the Port of Brownsville. Woody is the captain of the Breakaway Cruises Port of Brownsville Tour and he has one interesting past, that all starts with his name. “Well, I get a lot of grief about it. And I’m still waiting for my check for Toy Story,” joked Woody. “I was original, boots and all!”

While being a cowboy is every young boy’s dream, being behind the wheel of this ship is where Woody belongs. “Love driving boats. I love being on the water. It’s just been a passion of mine ever since I was little. And just meeting everybody. You meet everyone from all over the world, I’ve met on this boat.”

Shannon Cherrington helps Captain Woody on the tour, making sure things flow smoothly along the waters of the Brownsville ship channel. “There’s so much to see out there and it’s so rich in history,” said Shannon.

While trolling down the port, you’ll see massive offshore oil rig platforms being repaired. There are also ships being built and massive military ships being decommissioned. “This was an old aircraft carrier that, if I’m not mistaken, it was the Bonhomme. It was one that succumbed to arson by one of the crew members. And the damage was worth, basically a total loss.” Oh, wow. “It would cost more for them to repair it than it was worth. And it’s worth more in scrap than it would’ve been for them to repair it,” said Captain Woody.

If space is more your speed, a pass by Space X will light your engines. “Seeing all the rockets, whenever they’re getting ready to launch and all that, sitting out on the launchpad, it’s amazing,” Woody commented. “Watching them take off and being able to land, 40 years ago that would’ve been unheard of. But just seeing technology advance with what they’re doing over here, it’s just mind boggling to me.”

Not only do you get to see some amazing things on the sightseeing tour, but you also get the chance to enjoy some of Captain Woody’s shrimp which is an old family recipe – and it’s delicious.

If taking a unique tour with a unique captain who happens to cook is something you’d like to see, sailing with Captain Woody on the Breakaway Cruises Port of Brownsville Tour is definitely a unique stop on The Texas Bucket List!

Mission – We’re always fond of flying the coop on The Texas Bucket List and when you’re in South Texas, one of the top birding centers in the whole world, you find out that birds of a feather really do flock together. “Birdwatchers, they’re an interesting lot. They chase those birds wherever they can, and this is one of the places where you can see stuff nobody else has,” said Park Ranger Roy Rodriguez.

Roy didn’t grow up too far from here considering he’s from Pharr but what makes this neck of the woods so far from what the rest of the state is like, besides the fact that it’s far, is it’s unique ecosystem. “We are on the 100th meridian, putting us right down the middle of the country. We have the Gulf of Mexico pretty close. We have the desert pretty close. The mountains are pretty close and so are the tropics, so we’re basically at the biological crossroads of North America down here with two migratory flyways. Important bird area,” explained Roy.

The Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is only one of nine birding centers you can find in the RGV.  Each of them is dedicated to one of the most popular activities in this part of our state, birdwatching. “I grew up hunting and fishing like a lot of people in Texas. I didn’t really know much about birds, except for those birds that I was going to try to shoot and eat, and at some point I discovered that birdwatching was a big deal down here. We’ve got lots of wildlife, lots of shorebirds, and it’s all about water. So as long as we have water, you’re going to attract a lot of wildlife,” stated Roy.

The Bentsen-Rio Grande Valley State Park is only one of nine birding centers you can find in the RGV.  Each of them is dedicated to one of the most popular activities in this part of our state, birdwatching. “I grew up hunting and fishing like a lot of people in Texas. I didn’t really know much about birds, except for those birds that I was going to try to shoot and eat, and at some point I discovered that birdwatching was a big deal down here. We’ve got lots of wildlife, lots of shorebirds, and it’s all about water. So as long as we have water, you’re going to attract a lot of wildlife,” stated Roy.

Roy took to birding like a duck to water and since 2001 he’s worked at this State Park that was established in 1962. “People come to your town to see what you have, but they never go out there and experience it themselves. Well, the first day I went out birdwatching, I was blown away that so many people from around the world came here to my little part of the world just to see what we had, and I had no idea,” explained Roy.

With 800 acres right on the Rio Grande, the park is full of flying fowl that create a colorful fresco. “You get hundreds of birds on one trip, and you get a hundred birders to see that one bird,” said Roy.

Roy then took us on a walk over to the Hawk Tower observation deck to see a breathtaking view of the park and maybe even catch a glimpse of some singing birds. “We have volunteers that count four months out of the year, counting all migrating raptors that they can identify as they head south and when they return in the spring. We’re one of over 200 sites in the U.S. that have Hawk Watch so that we can keep track of these movements of these raptors, which are great indicators of the overall environmental health,” explained Roy.

Harris Hawks, Merlin Falcons, Cardinals, Red-winged Blackbird and Green jays are small samples of some of the things you’ll see here but if an Altamira Oriole is on your bucket list, Roy can summon them with a simple whistle! “The valley overall, the whole region, has got so many different types of habitats. It’s not just South Texas and a couple of woodlands. There are elevational differences. We’ve got the desert and the Gulf of Mexico within 140 miles, and in between there, we’re looking at about 11 or 13 different habitats, and those are all unique,” explained Roy.

So we had to ask just what that bird is that everybody’s looking for. “There’s a few birds that are considered to be the bird you got to see when you come down here. One of them is called the Hook-billed Kite. It’s a type of raptor that specializes in eating snails. It goes after crawfish and other things as well, but it’s a very riparian bird. It likes the woodlands near the river, and so their habitat is very, very limited in the U.S. If a birder comes down here and gets their Hook-billed Kite, I think that then they can die happy, I guess,” explained Roy.

To say Roy really likes his job might be an understatement, he’s as proud as a peacock to be here. “The connection to this park is deeper than just the job. Like I said, I was meant to be,” expressed Roy. “We are the stewards of the planet, and the more we know and the more we connect, the more we appreciate. And the more we appreciate, the more we value that stuff, the more likely it’ll still be here for our kids when they grow up,” said Roy.

Abilene – It all starts at a young age. Hearing stories of some of the greatest characters in children’s books turns into lifelong memories. When mice, wolf, pigs and even dinosaurs get themselves into life lessons that resonate throughout time.  Those characters come to life in the Story Book Capital of America, which happens to be Abilene. “I think that Abilene is the Texas you don’t expect, because you don’t expect to find the Storybook Capital of America right here in West Texas,” said Sidney Levesque.

Levesque works for the Abilene Cultural Affairs Council and she showed us around the National Center for Children’s Illustrated Literature or NICCL for short. “This was the first museum of its kind in the nation to exclusively exhibit children’s picture book art. It didn’t cost a nickel to come in and tour the museum. It is free,” said Sidney.

Not only will you find some of the great children’s books of all time here, you’ll also find some of the original art from these storied stories. “Mark Teague is an award-winning artist. People might recognize him from the “How Do Dinosaurs Say” series, written by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague. I mean, you could just see… The colors just pop off the palette,” explained Sidney.

Now the NCCL Tour doesn’t just include the colorful creations on display, you’ll also find all your favorite storybook staples, showcased with their own unique story. “We have commissioned nearly 40 storybook sculptures. I mean, basically these are characters that have leaped off the pages of beloved storybooks. We work with the artists and the book publishers to make all of these storybooks come to life. That’s what Abilene’s all about is making storybooks come to life,” said Sidney.

Over in Everman Park, just a block away from the NCCIL, you’ll find a stunning amount of statues dedicated to Dr. Suess. “The Seuss books are classics, and they never grow old. Even as an adult, I enjoy them. Today’s children enjoy them, and it’s fun to walk through the garden, and to see all those characters, and you actually give the cat in the hat a high five,” joked Sidney.

Maybe that’s why the park is a popular place for proposals and nuptials. “Our sculptures are here to last. They’re loved. They’re just magical for so many people,” expressed Sidney.

All of this came to be here in Abilene thanks to the story that started in this spot. “‘Santa’s Calls’ this is the book that started it all,” stated Sidney. “‘Santa Calls’ is a story, it’s set in West Texas in 1908, and it’s this little orphaned boy and his sister, and his sister writes a letter to Santa Claus himself, and says, ‘All I want for Christmas is my brother to be my friend.’ Santa sends this mysterious package to their Abilene ranch. They open it, and it’s this giant flying machine. They get in the flying machine, and it takes them up to the North Pole, and they meet Santa Claus. Anyway, the brother and sister bond. At the end of the journey, they’re friends, and her Christmas wish comes true,” explained Sidney.

The unique connection of having Abilene in a book started this whole thing.  “That very first visit with William Joyce, that started us on a 20-year journey to becoming the Storybook Capital of America,” said Sidney. William Joyce wrote and illustrated Santa Calls and the sculpture dedicated to his story was the one that started it all. “It’s called Childhood’s Great Adventure. It was created in 1996 by artists, Rick Jackson,” said Sidney.

No matter your favorite be it Jack Frost, Dino Bob or Duck on a Bike you’ll feel like a kid again around the sculptures thanks to the fact that someone read to you when you were young. “I think storybook reading is a special time with your children. At night, right before bed, when you cuddle up in a lap, and you open that book, and you read together you’re not only sharing a love of reading with that child. You’re just making precious memories,” expressed Sidney.

Precious memories that will last the test of time and take you away to faraway places and in some cases, Abilene to see the story book capital of America. “The storybook sculptures, and the books, that all ties into art, and reading, and creativity. That’s the message we want to get out about Abilene. Start your own childhood adventure right here,” stated Sidney.

South Padre Island – The tropical paradise that is South Padre Island is always a perfect place to soak up the Texas sun.  Just hanging out on the beach is a blast near the border but if you really want to have fun, just find a bucket and fill it up with some sand. “Literally, just carve a big A for Andy is awesome,” joked Andy Hancock as he built a big ol’ sandcastle with a young man.

Andy Hancock is from Australia and a friend that we featured on The Texas Bucket List back in 2016 when we showcased the world’s largest permanent sandcastle. “I love it, it makes so many people and I think that’s what makes me happy,” stated Andy.

This trip, we took him up on an offer to learn how to make these works of art out of sand. “We call ourselves the Sandcastle Capital of the World, and we do that for a reason because we built more sandcastles than anybody else easily,” said Andy.

Andy has called south Texas home for the last 20 years and there’s a few words that he doesn’t use too often down in these parts. “There’s only three times we use the words, cold, ice and snow. Snow comes in cones obviously, and then a beer is cold and ice goes in cocktails,” joked Andy.

But he does below what it takes to build big sandcastles thanks to his sandcastle lessons that start off with 1400 pounds of sand standing in at 6 feet tall. “So the easiest way to make a sandcastle is to make a pencil.” I’m amazed at your angles and lines on that thing. It literally looks like a perfectly sharpened pencil. “That’s what you’re aiming for, even though I was corrected by a four year old the other day. She said, ‘That’s not a pencil, Andy.’ I said, ‘Oh I’m sorry. What is it?’ She said, ‘A crayon.’,” explained Andy.

Being able to create this incredible castle starts with the right tools for Andy. “These tools were developed on this very island many, many, many years ago by a man who still makes them. And he worked for 25 years for NASA. So we know we’re in good hands and, yeah.” NASA-engineered sandcastle tools. Yeah, we don’t mess around here,” said Andy.

That is until Andy needs the assistance of a straw. At least I’m good at something. “Blow it all off. There you go. A bit of puff. Oh, now we’re rocking. Boom,” said Andy as I blew all over the roof of the castle.

“There are two types of sandcastle builders, diggers and decorators. You’ve got diggers who just want to dig holes. They’re the guys who fetch the water, and the girls, who fetch the water and then dig the holes and shoveling sand. They love that. Then you get the others who stepped forward when the detailing needs to be done, and they love doing details,” explained Andy.

The reason sandcastles are so easy to stack on South Padre is simple. It’s the sand.“Because our sand comes from the Rio Grande, and it’s got between 30 and 40 different minerals in it. But the sand remains sharp. You can see, obviously for princesses, our sandcastle, when he zooms in we’ll see it’s all sparkly. That’s the flat surfaces of our crystals. They’re able to stick together more effectively with water between them because they’re like this,” explained Andy.

Getting in a good laugh with Andy makes this experience incredibly enjoyable. “An Australian and a Texan walk into a bar. Trouble is they never come out…” joked Andy. But before you know it, you really do get lost in the art of building a sandcastle. “That’s the beauty of it. You empty your head. You can empty your head of anything that you were thinking of and just forget the day is here and just have a good time. That’s the true beauty of it,” said Andy.