Being from Beaumont and growing up so close to the Texas Gulf Coast, this is the beach that my family and I visited all of my life. In our married years, Charlie and I have vacationed with our kids one week every year to a cabin on this very beach. It is not the nicest beach in the world, but it is a Texas beach that is very close to my parents' house. It was always so much fun, and many people called it home. Whether it was a family home, a vacation home or a retirement home, it was home. It is childhood memories and family memories.
Nearly a year ago, Hurricane Ike pushed ashore on this very beach. Nothing could have really prepared us for what we saw. What used to be a thriving area full of life was deserted. What used to be 100's of cabins lining the shores is now a few sticks, barren sand, a few deserted damaged homes and the very few that weathered the storm. But, in the midst of all of this, there is also a breath of new life and hope.
I should have taken out my camera and shot a few pictures as we drove around, trying to get our bearings off of the few landmarks that still stood or were recognizable. We did find the location of the cabin we stayed in ... it was a blank lot of sand. The beach itself pounds much closer inland and in some places very near the highway.
We did finally find a place to stop and let the kids play in the water for a bit. It was actually part of the beach that I had never been on, but now is one of the more accessible parts. We did find it to still be lots of fun to play in the sand and dance in the waves. The shells were amazing and plentiful. Hopefully one day in the near future we can extend our visit again. We miss our beach week vacation!
(You will have to excuse the foggy camera lens .. it had to adjust to the beach weather!)
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