Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
attraction is the Shangri La Botanical Gardens & Nature Center ( http://starkculturalvenues.org ; 2111 W Park
Ave; adult/child $6/4; 9am-4pm Tue-Sat) . Though it's not totally isolated, you can still get a
good feel for the area's environment by peering through the bird blind at the heron rook-
ery on Ruby Lake, or by taking a boat ride on Adam's Bayou.
If you get hungry while in town, stop at Old Orange Cafe ( http://oldorangecafe.com ; 914 Division St;
dishes $7-15; 11am-2pm Mon-Fri & Sun) , inside what used to be a dairy. Everything from the
fresh salads and sandwiches to the seafood crêpes is good here. E House Inn (
409-886-0122;
) , a simple B&B in a rambling Victorian
www.ehouseinn.com ; 205 College St; r incl breakfast $95;
with great balconies, is just a few blocks away.
The state-operated Texas Travel Information Center ( 800-452-9292, 409-883-9416;
www.traveltex.com ; 1708 I-10 E; 8am-5pm) just inside the Texas-Louisiana border has loads of
statewide information and a 600ft boardwalk over the swamp out back. See if you can spy
the resident gators and snapping turtles. From the Texas side, take the last I-10 access road
exit before the Sabine River Bridge and U-turn, or else you'll be miles into Louisiana be-
fore you can reverse course.
TOP OF CHAPTER
Port Arthur
POP 53,937
After the Spindletop oil well blew, Port Arthur prospered, growing into a pretty little town
- eventually home to a young Janis Joplin. The oil-and-gas industry is still strong here and
you can't miss the refineries along Hwy 82. At night the tower lights oddly resemble a
city skyline at night. And huge deep-sea drilling rigs wait in gulfside maintenance yards.
Authentic Cajun food and the town's one great museum are reason enough to visit.
Port Arthur is 20 miles southwest of Orange on Hwy 87 and 17 miles south of Beau-
mont on US 69/96/287; the parallel TX 347 is a slower but a more interesting road.
Sights & Activities
Lakeshore Dr near the center of Port Arthur has good views from the tall levee and a few
beautiful old homes from the region's glory days that have managed to survive the hur-
ricanes. The visitor bureau provides a free historic driving tour map, as well as a booklet
about birding hotspots in the region.
 
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