Day Trip to Port Lavaca 🦀 (FULL EPISODE) S6 E4

THROWBACK EPISODE - This episode originally aired on PBS on October 20, 2014. Some of the locations may have changed. Check thedaytripper.com for the most up-to-date information.
EPISODE OVERVIEW -
Just about halfway between the well-traveled waters of Galveston Bay and Corpus Christi Bay sits Matagorda Bay. A lesser known body of water that’s surrounded by charming towns, full of abundant wildlife and rife with amazing history.
On the northwest side of the bay is Port Lavaca, the county seat of Calhoun County which has been a VERY important place in Texas history. To learn about it all, head to the Calhoun County Museum which can fill you in on everything that happened here from the Native Indians, to the Frenchman La Salle, up to Indianola which was one of the biggest cities in Texas in the late 1800’s. The museum has a number of great artifacts, including items recovered from La Salle’s ship the La Belle.
This historic lighthouse was once located in the middle of the bay, but now it’s landlocked so trippers like you and I can explore it. Check out this piece of history and get a cool view of town from the top.
As you move down the west side of the bay you can still visit the place where La Salle first sat foot in Texas claiming it all for France. He established Fort St. Louis nearby which failed to be a long term settlement which is why we don’t speak French in Texas. Today, the spot where he landed is marked with a statue of the great French explorer.
Keep walking down the bay and you’ll arrive at Indianola, which is just a shadow of what it used to be as a series of hurricanes reduced this bustling port city to a remote fishing village. The only remnants left of Old Indianola are a few patches of concrete and the old cemetery. Folks say it is haunted, but we didn’t stick around to find out.
If you really want to hit the bay waters right, then head to Port O’Connor and schedule a charted fishing trip. We went with Capt. Mike Bohac at Fishing Tales Guide Service, but he has retired since we filmed this segment. On the Coastal Conservation Association website, you can find an expert on the middle coast area that will land you a keeper or two of Texas red, trout, flounder, or whatever you might be looking for.
The adventure in Port O’Connor doesn’t stop with fishing. I recommend getting a charter boat to Matagorda Island which holds the Matagorda Island Lighthouse. This cast iron beauty towering almost 100 feet tall is well worth the 2.5 mile bike ride or hike to get there.
While you’re in town and hungry, grab some amazing Texas-style BBQ that’s made the Texas Monthly’s Top BBQ list.
If you do catch some fish in the bay, take it to Josie’s Mexican Food, where they’ll cook it up right with onions, tomatoes, and spice. They also make some mean Mexican food if you don’t land the fish you want or would rather take your’s home and cook it yourself.
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[@jamesbrandon8520]

That’s crazy, when I was around 16 an older friend of mine and me would go to Port Lavaca about once a month and go out fishing one day we just fished in the channel leading to the gulf and I caught my first and only redfish and it was a 10lb. Fish, that takes me back I’m 52 now

[@margieloya5018]

Oh Chet you make even Port Lavaca look good 😉👍😄

[@FloridaCrackerKustoms]

😂 This a good one

[@ChefsBackyard]

Love it! Ill be heading to Indianola soon! We love going to that little museum.

[@DavidSaintOnge2007]

I’ve been looking for a home on the Texas gulf coast and I came across your channel. Every town I find homes in, you’ve filmed there! Thank you for helping me explore this beautiful area.

[@Gpacharlie]

I am on the same search journey. What have you learned? Which towns are rating high? Thanks

[@kitevaldres]

Port O’connor & Rockport, those are my favorite towns in Texas along the coast

[@redbird1957]

​, I'm going down to POC next week 😊 Love King Fisher beach ⛱️

[@ChristoConfido1985]

This is my hometown. I remember when you visited Art's back in 2014. You should do a revisit. It has changed quite a bit in the last ten years. Thanks for the throwback!

[@RALF0691]

I've been to Port Lavaca one time when i was a child with my mom and stepdad back in 1998 or 1999. It was one of the best times of my life because it was peaceful, i walked on the beach and the people were friendly. We stayed for like a week.

[@Charmain-vj9qz]

That restaurant is no longer there closed during COVID!! But we still have Bubba's in Seadrift!

[@DaveGoodwin]

Keep 'em coming, Chet!

[@tommartinez7194]

The Old Town Cemetery wasn't visited. That cemetery also contains victims of both the 1875 and 1886 hurricanes as well as yellow fever and other epidemic victims It also is the final resting place of Angelina Eberly. Eberly was the lady responsible for firing a cannon over the heads of the group attempting to remove government archives from Austin to Houston after General Sam Houston won his 2nd term as president of the Republic of Texas Eberly later moved to Indianola and operated a boarding house. Angelina died in 1860 from heart failure and was buried in the Old Town Cemetery. Her marker was lost in the 1875 storm and never replaced

[@romeosalinas7489]

Saw you but didn’t go say hi. You looked busy and hangry hahaha

[@olskooltomyheart]

My hometown!!! 🎉 the seafood was top tier growing up!!! We lived near the Bay front and could get fresh seafood straight off the boats when they came in!! Living in Austin/Hutto i can always tell the restaurants where their seafood is not fresh and didn't come from the coast lol

[@CuriousEarthMan]

Looks like Port Lavaca is about to get hit by TS Beryl, which may be a hurricane by then. Around 7-7-24. I hope it gets missed. Looks like a fun place!

[@bramos7]

Y'all missed the best spot! MAsian Cuisine across from the fishing pier. It's a hole in the wall but the food is bomb af!

[@Zoner1501]

Another great episode, have you done Galveston's food scene yet?

[@bigmike9546]

Port lavaca BBQ is all time great try it

[@susanaglez6336]

You should come to Bellville Tx we have great restaurants and great history as well . We even have a Trump Burger restaurant.

[@TheDaytripper]

We have an episode. Check out our page.

[@susanaglez6336]

@@TheDaytripper thank you I watched it with my kids and they where so excited to see their home town .

[@t-bone9403]

Mary Emily Payne born Oct 6 1851, that's my birthday !

[@veiledallegory]

It would be cool if he went to restaurants that are actually worth eating at!

[@mememachine2681]

Dang he didnt mention Indianola marina

[@koryw8395]

you didn't even go for the claws on the crawfish?

[@bwwatson16]

What are you saying in Spanish at the end?

[@angiethemergeaddict6946]

Is Arts closed down?

[@TheDaytripper]

Yes. 😭

[@rustymorin4665]

Why did it close down?

[@t-bone9403]

​@@rustymorin4665covid

[@louie7075]

How old is this? Great episode but could have easily been spit in 3

[@louie7075]

Actually 4 if you add Seadrift

[@ChristoConfido1985]

It's a throwback episode. This visit was some time back in 2014.

[@reneflores8886]

Port La Caca is ok ..

[@larrymor]

A "cowboy" hat and sandals? Really?

[@My_Name_is_Cricket]

it's a snowbird

[@Dr.ZoidbergPhD]

Did Eloisa say her "ex-father".... 👁👄👁

[@Texas_siren_fan125]

First

[@Vendzor]

First to video but I will be first to Port lavaca 😁😁 I fly in from Dubai

[@Texas_siren_fan125]

@@Vendzor?

[@Vendzor]

@@Texas_siren_fan125 ?

[@Texas_siren_fan125]

@@Vendzorwhat are you talking about?

[@Vendzor]

@@Texas_siren_fan125 First to video but I will be first to Port lavaca 😁😁 I fly in from Dubai

[@My_Name_is_Cricket]

Does this guy do any home-work? He goes through all those grave stones with rebel flags on them but never comes across one Hispanic name? This is what happens when you get a snowbird to do a travel show.....he never knows what he's looking into except when its hungry.

[@TheDaytripper]

Again. Great comments. Have you visited that cemetery? It's amazing, but most of the gravestones are buried.

[@georgelawrence2570]

You ROCK!

[@johnnyborquez2120]

Yall should go to port aransas, tx. It was gonna be the official homeport to battleship wisconsin-bb64. 1988

[@jimdawson9799]

I wouldn't eat anything caught in Mercury bay, you Texans are crazy bad at keeping the environment from getting thrashed.

[@ChristoConfido1985]

Tell me you're misinformed without telling me you're misinformed. First of all, the mercury thing was decades ago. The plant responsible for it no longer exists. Secondly, during the sixteen year period where Alcoa WAS dumping inorganic mercury into the Lavaca Bay, it wasn't illegal to do so. That doesn't make it right, ethical, or even healthy. I highly disagree with it. I'm merely stating facts. In 1965 when they started dumping it, the dangers weren't well documented at all. Much was known about Mercury as an organic metal, but not much was known about it in the inorganic sense. As a matter of fact, I worked for Alcoa for two years in the laboratory, running samples for the various stages of the bauxite purification process. I heard many things in that position. The mercury dump was highly discussed internally, and the current plant management said they would have NEVER conceived of dumping it into the bay knowing what they know now. Thirdly, lumping all Texans together, touting that we don't care about the environment based on one misinformed decision made 58 years ago, by a plant that no longer exists, is supremely idiotic and juvenile. I wouldn't eat anything caught in the Lavaca Bay either, but that doesn't make every single Texan, or better yet, every Port Lavaca native an enemy of the environment. Alcoa made a mistake 58 years ago because they were misinformed and uneducated. They actually put forth tons of effort into cleanup (spanning all the way to 2011), which was actually successful, but still didn't completely rid the bay of mercury. At the end of the day, the bay is still reaping the consequences of the dump. It's a sad situation all around. I've lived in, or around Port Lavaca my whole life. Not being able to catch and eat from the bay is hard on a lot of us. How about you not make it worse by making idiotic comments like this? Do yourself, and everyone else a favor before commenting next time. Get informed or be quiet.