The Texas Riviera

Theodore Koch was a land developer who saw an opportunity to create a seaside resort in the Kingsville area. In 1907 he bought coastal land from the King Ranch estate and established a small town alongside the railroad track that ran a few miles from the coast. He called the town Riviera after the French Riviera where he’d once had a nice holiday. His angle was to promote the town and sell parcels of land for housing and business in the town itself and also on the coast where the name became Riviera Beach.

It’s nevertheless a popular boating and fishing destination with numerous piers for the anglers. There must be plenty of fish as there are flocks of white pelicans around.

There’s a park along the sea edge with mesquite trees growing at the oddest angles. It seems to be nothing to do with the prevailing wind, it’s just how they grow. Maybe to do with the alcoholic content of the soil.

There was a beach of sorts with sand, running for about 100 yards. Very pleasant, but not likely to put Saint Tropez out of business.

 There were some good birding trails and we enjoyed the sea air, so actually had a splendid couple of hours there. Travelling back to Kingsville we passed through another of Koch’s towns, a village really, called Vattman. No, they didn’t charge a tax to pass through.

Back in Kingsville town, we came across an up-market leather shop run by, guess who, the King Ranch Company, with every kind of leather goods imaginable including saddles that were made in the shop itself. You could watch the guy working. Couldn’t comfortably take any photos there but was able to sneak one of the ladies cowboy boots. Beautifully made if that’s what you’re looking for.

We move on from Kingsville to arrive at Dallas on Saturday, then to Washington DC on Tuesday for a couple of days with Ralph & family, including a Thanksgiving dinner (Nov 22nd) with Kelly’s parents.