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Route
77: “The Padre Road”Victoria,
Texas to the Rio Grande Valley
Seven Bridges, Five Rivers, Two
Creeks and One Interesting Drive |
Editor’s Note:
Ken “Mr.
Third Coast” Rudine spends his year alternating between Houston
and Port Aransas and
is as familiar with highway 77 as most people are with their route to work.
While photographing the unusual drawbridge at Rio
Hondo, Texas, it occurred to Ken that due to modern construction, the bridges
along route 77 are now seamlessly incorporated into the highway infrastructure.
To add to his
already extensive coverage of Coastal
and South Texas on Texas
Escapes, Ken made a point of stopping at each river (and notable creek) between
Brownsville and Victoria.
Inspired by the “Mother Road” of Route
66, Ken has designated this portion of Highway 77 “The Padre Road.” Pulling
on and off the high-speed highway and finding snake-free vantage points isn’t
the easiest way to spend a trip, so our thanks go out to Ken for sharing what
we ourselves have missed. Without the attention to detail, the trip might just
be considered “water under the bridge(s).”
The photos
provided are a sampling of what might be encountered between Victoria
and Brownsville, and
the trip is not meant to be a step-by-step itinerary. Clicking on the links of
the towns in the article will provide a more in-depth look at the towns along
the route. - Editor |
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in Riviera
If the road
had colors, they would be turquoise and terra cotta
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, March 2008 |
Highway 77Crossing
the Red River north of Gainesville,
Texas, Highway 77 arrives 565 miles later at the State Travel Information
station in Harlingen; a building
that sits in the shade of the six flags that have flown over Texas.
The first 360 miles of Highway 77 from crossing the Red River north of Gainesville
to Victoria
is much like any other road in Texas. But leaving
Victoria
en route to the Rio Grande Valley, the landscape becomes distinctly coastal for
the remaining 230 miles.
The portion of Route 77 I call
“The Padre Road” is the last 80 miles and if one looks closely enough, there are
glimpses of every era in Texas history, from the original Spanish land grants
to the present. |
The
Familiar Six Flags of Texas
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, March 2008 |
The Towns
Taking the drive
down Route 77 from North to South, you will encounter the following towns:
Victoria*,
McFaddin, Refugio*,
Woodsboro, Sinton*,
Odem, Robstown,
Driscoll, Bishop,
Kingsville*, Ricardo,
Riviera, Sarita,
Raymondville*, Harlingen
Continue the drive to the Mexican border and visit:
Combes,
LaFeria, San
Benito, Rancho Viejo,
Olmito and Brownsville*
* Asterisks denote county seats |
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The Rivers
If one begins from Victoria,
the seven rivers and creeks crossed by The Padre Road would be the Guadalupe River,
the San Antonio River, Coleto Creek, the Mission River, the Aransas River, the
Nueces River and finally Los Olmos creek.
If one begins at Robstown,
only Los Olmos creek, a few miles south of the starting point will be crossed.
The other six creek and five rivers are more frequently-spaced between Victoria
and the highway turnoff for Corpus
Christi. That trip in itself would provide ample adventure for another memorable
Sunday drive.
If the trip is extended from Houston,
then three more rivers would be added to the itinerary. These would be the Brazos
at Richmond, the San Bernard
near Kendleton and the Colorado at Wharton.
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The
Guadalupe River
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, March 2008 |
Coleto
Creek
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, March 2008 |
The
San Antonio River
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, March 2008 |
Mission
River
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, March 2008 |
The
Aransas River
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, March 2008 |
The
Nueces River
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine, March 2008 |
One
of the timeless fruit stands (northbound) on Route 77
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine |
The
palm-lined southern section of Route 77
Photo courtesy Ken
Rudine | |
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