History Galore! Goliad April 15-17, 2011

For this trip, BB, henri and I were joined by two of our Grandchildren, Lydia and Grant, on a trip to Goliad State Park.  We all wished our Grandson Devon could have joined us, but it was a little far to swing by Coos Bay Oregon to pick him up; besides, he was busy winning soccer games in Eugene!  Way to go Devon!

Grant & Lydia on Best Behavior!

It's a special thing to have weekends with your grandchildren!  We tried our best to keep up with them.  However, I'm always reminded of why the good Lord meant children for the young!  BB and I were ready for a little "wind-down" at the end of the trip.

Goliad State Park is another great State park, managed and maintained superbly by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department.  It has almost 200 acres of excellent hiking trails, many along the San Antonio River, miles of paved roads good for walking or bike riding, and well designed and spacious RV and tent camping spaces.  In 1933, the CCC reconstructed the Mission Nuestra Senora del Espíritu Santo de Zuniga which was originally established near Matagorda Bay in 1722


Mission Espiritu Santo

They don't allow pets on the mission grounds, but that was OK with Henri because he was more interested in looking for squirrels or chasing bugs at the time, so BB and Lydia toured the exibits of this beautiful structure, while Grant, Henri and Me did "guy" things (generally involving a lot of scratching, aimless wandering, and some crude humor.)

Besides being a beautiful part of the State, this area is just chock-full-o-Texas-history!  Besides the impressive Mission Expiritu Santo, the area also boasts other attractions such as:

• The birthplace of General Ignacio Zaragoza who defeated the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862, and is the reason why we celebrate "Cinco de Mayo" today; the

• Fannin Memorial which memorializes the brave soldiers who fought the Battle of Coleto Creek in 1836 during the Texas War for Independence. After Col. James W. Fannin surrendered to Mexican forces, Gen. Santa Anna ordered him and his men executed in nearby Goliad, against the wishes of other Mexican commanders. The surrender, and unanticipated execution, inflamed the Texas cause, spurring the battle cry at San Jacinto of “Remember Goliad!” and

• Presidio la Bahia, originally built in 1749 to protect the Mission and the frontier, it later played a major role in the Texas Revolution. Here, Colonel Fannin and his ill-fated men were held prior to  being executed at Santa Anna's order; and not too far down the road is 
  
• Gonzales where the first battle of the Texas Revolution was fought on October 2, 1835.  In 1831, Mexican authorities gave the settlers of Gonzales a small cannon to help protect them from frequent Comanche raids.  As the unrest spread, the commander of all Mexican troops in Texas, felt it unwise to leave the residents of Gonzales a weapon and requested the return of the cannon.  The Texians disagreed, hence the famous flag and motto.

Goliad State Park is a very nice facility and one to which we hope to return often.  BB and I give it a 4!  Till next time.