October 25 – 29, 2020
We bid our farewell to Kerrville and drove southwest toward the Gulf coast. Our destination was Sargent, Texas. Some good friends, Jim and Claudia Horak whom we knew from Cypress Woods Resort in Ft. Myers, were in the process of making Sargent their home base. Originally scheduled to be together on our postponed Alaska trip, we were really looking forward to spending some time with them.
Where is Sargent, Texas?
Along the southern coast of Texas, just an hour and a half away from Houston, lays Sargent — a charming, unique town, reminiscent of what Texas coastal towns used to be. Sargent, Texas is a place where everyone is welcome, a place where the water is a fisherman’s paradise, a place where you can find yourself again.
ilovesargent.com
Whether you are spending your time at the beach relaxing in the sun or at the various restaurants keeping cool, the fun is never limited here. With an abundance of business opportunities, this small town of 500 full-time residents is quickly expanding and progressing. If you’re here for business reasons or just a weekend getaway, this town will help you find the perfect balance between work and play.
This is where your next vacation should be. This is where memories are made. This is the beautiful town of Sargent, Texas.
Sargent Beach RV Park
We had originally hoped to stay at the same RV park (Sargent Shores RV Park) as our friends but that park was completely booked at the time we called. Instead, we made reservations at Sargent Beach RV Park. In order to get to our campground, we had to navigate one of the last remaining swing bridges in Texas (the FM 457 swing bridge).
Bill took a video of traffic going over this bridge so that we could give you a sense of what it was like. Be sure to turn on your sound as you watch.
Fortunately our rig made the bridge crossing safely and we soon found our campground. It took us a few tries to get backed onto our concrete pad but it was worth the effort as we had a great view of the beach from our back window.
Our campsite 
View from back window 
View across campground
No doubt you have noticed the crane and construction in the photo above. The Texas Department of Transportation is replacing the swing bridge with a new concrete corkscrew bridge.
The swing bridge was a retrofitted barge that opened using a cable and pivot to allow both commercial and recreational vessels to pass.
“It required frequent maintenance and operators on duty around the clock. After considering the operating costs of approximately $350,000 per year and time delays for inhabitants and emergency vehicles, a decision was made to replace the bridge with a tall, fixed structure.”
Bridge replacement
Corkscrew Bridge Concept 
Corkscrew Bridge Rendering
Bridge Construction 
Old and New Bridge
To fully appreciate the swing bridge, Bill captured its operation on video. He also took a video of a barge navigating the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. Neither of these videos include sound.
We enjoyed this small, picturesque campground. Here are some other photos we took while walking around the campground.
House next to campground 
Construction on beach road 
Looking across Intracoastal 
Looking across Intracoastal
That evening, Jim and Claudia invited us over to their campsite to meet another visiting couple and to enjoy some “low country boil”.
Investigating Sargent
The next day, the Horak’s picked us up at our campsite and gave us a grand tour of the area. They showed us the lot they were in the process of purchasing. Having not closed yet, it was still occupied by a renter. It’s a double lot with a lot of potential and I’m sure it will be gorgeous once they are done.
The Sargent area is renown for its fishing and since Jim and Claudia like to fish, it’s a perfect location for them. I hope they don’t mind that I “stole” this photo from their Facebook page.
Then they took us for a drive along the beach and stopped to let us explore the beach and revetment wall more closely.
Prior to 1991 the rates of erosion on Sargent Beach were so rapid that it was a matter of when, not if, the Gulf of Mexico would breach the Gulf Intercoastal Waterway thus shutting down this vital waterway to the interstate barge traffic. With the billions of dollars in commerce generated from traffic in the GIWW, it could have been devastating to the entire country.
During 1991 President Bush set aside funds for a feasibility study to determine what action to take. One option was to relocate the GIWW inland through the San Bernard Wildlife Refuge. The other was to build this “one of a kind” revetment wall on Sargent Beach.
The result was an 8-mile long, 30-ft deep granite revetment wall constructed with a limestone base. The granite rocks used in the construction weighed an average of 5 tons each. In the end there were some 82,000 of these laid into the structure. Additionally, a concrete sheet pile was driven along a section of the wall then capped in concrete to prevent any movement.
gulfcoastrealty.com
Later that evening we were once again invited over to Chez Horak for a wonderful chicken enchilada casserole dinner.
Surfside Beach
The following day the four of us set out for Surfside Beach. Although only about 20 miles away as the crow flies, the trip took about an hour. We stopped for lunch at the Jetty Shack, known for their awesome hamburgers and onion rings. This was Jim and Claudia’s first sit down restaurant meal since the pandemic started.
Lunch at Jetty Shack 
Inside Jetty Shack
From the restaurant we went on to Surfside Jetty County Park where we attempted to walk out on the jetty. Unfortunately it started to rain before we got very far.
Later in the evening we once again convened at Chez Horak for Jim’s world-famous chili. Entertainment for the evening was a Ukulele concert.
Hurricane Zeta’s Unwelcome Arrival
We had originally planned to start our trek to Florida on Wednesday but our plans were disrupted by Hurricane Zeta. This category 2 storm was heading for and eventually made landfall near Cocoderie, Louisiana. We decided the prudent thing to do was to stay where we were for an extra day and changed our reservations accordingly. After spending a rainy and blustery afternoon trapped inside, we once again enjoyed Jim and Claudia’s wonderful hospitality for dinner. Claudia had told us she had dinners covered and she proved it each evening. A mere “thank you for everything” is just not sufficient. You guys rock!!!
A Day Late
The sun was setting on our time in Texas. The next day we would be off on the four day trek around the Gulf to our home in Florida.
Sunset across Intracoastal 
Full moon over Gulf
