[Wayne and Carolyn Mathews]

We use Verizon and get great service here. The park's wifi service (free) has been iffy, but the LCRA--as I write this--is in the process of installing whatever it needs to get everyone in the park a good signal (relays, antennas, etc.). That work is supposed to be finished on March 1. In addition to using the park's wifi system, I have a Verizon HotSpot, too. You can always go to the Nature Center at the very south end of the park and use your computer in one of the classrooms there, where you will get a strong wifi connection.

There used to be a 2-week stay-in-one-spot limit, I think, but that doesn't appear to be the case now; I just now played around on the ReserveAmerica/Matagorda website, putting in some hypothetical 21 - 30 day stays, and I found sites available for that length of time. The waterfront sites, however, seemed to be reserved already. Just play around with your dates and the sites you might be interested in and see what's available.

Spaces have been available here most of the time between November and today, but I was told by the park management that we are nearly sold out for most of March, beginning on March 9th, because of the "spring break" weeks of various schools. If you look at that ReserveAmerica web site, you can access a link on this park's page that will show you all the available campsites for the weeks you want, but I think it shows only a 2-week list at a time. I also think if you make reservations now, you will be able to find a good spot for the end of February and during March, maybe not a waterfront spot, but something like the preferred spot we're in (31) which still faces the river. You'd have RVs in the waterfront spots between you and the river, but because the sites are fairly wide, you'd still get a decent river view. My first choices for a waterfront spot are always sites 4 - 13; the better "preferred" sites are 31 - 39, which face the river. Site 3, which is not technically a waterfront spot, has a nice view of the river, too; that spot, and sites 1 and 2, back up to a pond where several Giant Blue Herons hang out. If you look at the park map on the web site, you can see how the sites are laid out. The waterfront sites on the north side of the park are good, too. They just don't have much grass right now.

We drink and cook with bottled water or "Brita system" filtered water. Matagorda is an island, so there's no city water available, and the island's water doesn't taste good. It always has a faint yellow or green tinge to it--didn't kill me or make me sick when I drank it all last summer and for the first couple of weeks we were here this summer--but it doesn't taste very good. The Brita thing gives us clear, drinkable water.

Bay City, 26 miles down the road, is the nearest town for groceries or diesel. We shop at Walmart or at HEB (grocery store). Matagorda does have a fairly well-stocked convenience store, Stanley's, just 6 miles from the park, but prices there are a bit higher than they are in Bay City. Stanley's also has gas, but not diesel. One of the tiny convenience stores between here and Bay City advertises diesel, but we were told the sign is outdated and there is no diesel available, just gas. Because we go to Walmart frequently, we get fuel there, too; the prices are the best in town.

If you're here long enough to want to use a library, the Matagorda Elementary School has a small community library where you can get a free library card and check out books. Matagorda also has several good restaurants, the newest being Poco Playa. Riverbend Restaurant is also good. For "high dollar, fine dining," Spoonbill's offers very good food, too. For fast food or a pizza, you have to go to Bay City.

For current info on this park regarding length of stay, etc., call the park directly: 512-389-8900 and speak to Betsy, Rhonda, or April. I don't work in the office much, so I'm not up on all the latest changes in reservations and things.

We will probably be here through the first week of March, because I have some medical appointments in Bay City then. I hope we get to meet you!



Carolyn