Visit to the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge near Galveston, Texas

I was extremely excited to travel south to Galveston and beyond, especially after hearing so many wonderful things about the coastal waters and the rich flora and fauna that make this special area their home. Aaron’s favorite bird is the pelican, so how could I possibly steer us in another direction? We kept a close eye on the weather during our stop in Fredericksburg, and when we saw absolutely perfect conditions, we immediately reserved a site at the stunning Blue Water RV Resort to use as a base away from crowded Galveston. What a gorgeous campground with unique history as having once been John Wayne’s private runway!

After settling in, and with fingers itching to capture some wildlife shots, we set out for a day trip to the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge. We arrived to find the office closed, so we couldn’t explore the exhibits — but the auto tour was wide open, so off we went to enjoy the trails, marsh views, and plentiful birds. Aaron was ever-patient as I took a gazillion photos as usual. The refuge offers the opportunity to drive to view the wildlife as well as stop and walk the many small trails.

We learned from the hostess at the Blue Water RV Resort’s restaurant—the Bluewater Drift, which we highly recommend because the food is incredible—that she always saw alligators whenever she ventured to the refuge, and she wasn’t wrong! Here are a few of the shots I took. I can’t believe we were so close (but safe as I was using a 100-700mm zoom lens).

We packed a lot of adventure into our short stay in the area - and will definitely be back! Check out our video below for more of our Galveston adventures…