Goliad State Park - LaBahia Presidio - Fannin's Grave

Goliad State Park - LaBahia Presidio - Fannin's Grave
Goliad, TX
March 12 -14, 2010

This was our first stop on our week long Spring Break trip. We had a nice drive down to Goliad. We left after work on a Friday and it took us about two and half hours to arrive in Goliad. The park was very easy to find.

The enterance of the park has the Goliad Mission. The mission

has several cool exhibits and is staffed with lots of volunteers.
The kids got to see how cotton and wool was spun and dyed. They also had a loom and were making blankets out of the dyed wool.

They were also able to rink the cathedral bell once when they entered the mission.

The rest of the park was a little odd. They had several camping areas. They had two tent camping areas down by the San Antonio river. Both areas had lots of shade. There was also two RV loops. The Karankawa loop had small size sites with picnic tables and fire rings. The pads were level and but were broken in some spots. This sites were pretty close to each other and didn't have a whole bunch of shades. They also had several pretty nice cabins in this loop. This loop was very popular and complely booked. The other RV area is basically a parking lot with covered picnic tables and fire rings on three sides. This are is the Jacales camping area. This area would of been OK if you were lucky enough to get one of the outside parking spots. That way your picnic area is right behind your parking spot. We came in

after dark and had to settle for a interior space. Our picnic table

and fire ring was a good 50 yards away. We were only there for

two nights so we didn't really pitch camp. We didn't want to

drag everything that far and didn't want to leave it unattended

while we went and toured the local historical sites.

Besides the crazy RV parking lot, we also didn't like the way the

park was cut in half by the highway. US 183 cuts the park in

half with an overpass. The road noise was the worst I've

ever experienced in a State park.

"Remember Goliad! Remember the Alamo!!

The La Bahia Presidio was just down the road.
This is not part of the State Park system and there was a small

fee. Originally built in 1749 to protect the Mission and the frontier, it later played a major role in the Texas Revolution.

Here, Colonel Fannin and his ill-fated men were held prior to

being executed at Santa Anna's order

Zaragoza Birthplace State Historic Site -
Cinco de Mayo is Mexico's Independence day. This day honors General Ignacio Zaragoza, who defeated the French at the Battle of Puebla in 1862. Visit his reconstructed Birthplace adjacent to the Presidio to learn about this Texas-Mexican hero, born here in 1829.

Fannin Memorial Monument -
Just east of the Presidio La Bahía is the Fannin Memorial Monument that marks the burial site of Col. Fannin and his men.

Pros -

- Lots to do with all of the historical sites nearby.

- really neat exhibits in the Goliad mission.

- LaBahai Presidio is worth the admission.

Cons -

- Horrible roadway noise from US 183.

- Get there early to get a spot in the Karankawa Loop. If this

loop is full then go for a exterior spot in the Jacales area. We

didn't care for this area. We felt like we were tailgating instead

of camping in a state park.