Adventures in Mission, TX

The city of Mission, Tx is known for it's citrus trees, bird watching and for the La Lomita Mission among other things. The mission still stands today and was built in 1865 for the Spanish priests. The original site was built on the Brownsville-Roma trail and has been rebuilt or restored at least two times and relocated at its present site in 1899. The city of Mission was named for this significant landmark and means 'the little hill'. Unfortunately, we did not get to visit the mission because we were short on time visiting with our friends, the DeSotels. We did, however, get to view some unusual birds and see some very tame Javelinas (wild pigs) at the Bentsen State Park. Normally Javelinas are shy, but that was not the case with these animals. Due to constant human exposure, they roam among the people looking for hand outs.
During our visit with the DeSotels, we traveled to Port Isabel. Port Isabels lighthouse is very similar to the Turkey Point lighthouse in Northeast, Md. From Port Isabel we went to the southern tip of South Padre Island. We enjoyed a nice picnic with our friends and then Shari and I went on the beach to gather some shells. Unfortunately, the wind and high tides won and we gave up.
Padre Island and South Padre Island were connected at one time. Years ago they made a channel for ships to get to the inter coastal waterway. So now they are two separate islands. Padre Island is approximately 120 miles long and South Padre Island is about 34 miles long. Most of Padre Island is uninhabited, with miles of drivable beaches and wild life. While South Padre Island is mostly a tourist attraction.
The birds pictured here, are the green jays and Altimira Oriole.
Hope you enjoy their beauty as much as we did.