Destination Corpus Christi
Paul Cox
This year the annual State Meeting will be held in that
sparkling city by the sea, Corpus Christi. In an area known to
some as the Texas Riviera, Corpus Christi has to be one of the
nicest of Texas’ mid-sized cities.
Although our focus is on attending the meeting, seeing old
friends, and enjoying the programs and field trips, don’t forget
that getting there is half the fun. Allow yourself enough time to
make a couple of stops on the way.
Folks coming in from the eastern part of the state might
be interested in some historic and champion trees. To see a
beautiful Anaqua (Ehretia anacua), make a call on the Mission
in Refugio. Anaquas are semi-evergreen trees with dark green
sandpapery-surfaced leaves and orange berries attractive
to birds—so much so that early German settlers named it
Vogelbeerenbaum, or Birdberry Tree. This particular specimen
in Refugio was once designated national champion due to the
sum of its dimensions, but now that honor is held by a lesser
tree in San Antonio. N