Sabal Palm Sanctuary

A favorite place 59 miles from here.

 

 

Through the fence, over the levee.

With the ever-present border patrol.

 

Down the road some more.

 

A stop at the visitor center.

Nice refurbished mansion.  This is as far as the car goes.

 

The trail.

 

The boardwalk over a marshy area.

 

More trail, and cane.

 

More boardwalk.

 

The Sabal Palm is the only palm tree native to South Texas.  There used to be a lot of it.  Now, not nearly so much.  A lot of the forest was cleared for citrus fields and other agriculture.  We still see it around though, not just here at the Sanctuary.

 

The Sanctuary is hugged by the Rio Grande.

 

That’s as far south as we go in Texas, and as far south as the Rio Grande goes as well.

 

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Sabal+Palm+Sanctuary/@26.0680202,-97.9477452,8.41z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x866fbf92507e5f37:0x517e68a3d3f0112e!8m2!3d25.8523259!4d-97.4177959

 

It’s south of Southmost Boulevard.  The Rio Grande actually flows north from there before heading east again to the Gulf.  We’ve also driven out to the beach at Boca Chica State Park, then driven south on the sand to the mouth of the Rio Grande.  If you scroll around on the map (click to satellite view) you can find it.

 

And a look off to the right at the fence on the way out of the Sanctuary.