My first impression of Port Arthur

First, a little bit of the history. If you were just driving through, Port Arthur would look like a middle-of-nowhere, run-down city. But there's more to Port Arthur than meets the eye. This town is full of rich history and interesting stories about famous musicians, athletes, artists, to inventors, politicians, and activists. Presently, it's known for having one of the largest oil refineries in the country

Port Arthur is located on the southern end of the Sabine-Neches waterway, a water channel used by the Port of Port Arthur.

Port of Port Arthur is a busy shipping company that was rated 18th in U.S. Port Ranking for Cargo Tonnage.

Tug boats, cargo ships, pilot boats, etc, are a common sight on the water from Port Arthur.

There were two battles, one in 1862 and one in 1863, during the civil war. Right around the corner from the Coast Guard Station Sabine is the Sabine Pass Battleground State Historical Park. The park is larger than you would think and features a concrete path that meanders the park, passing by informational plaques and displays about the battles that happened within sight of where they stand.

So it has an interesting history and interesting location, but has recently declined in popularity.

If you compare the perspectives of someone who knew Port Arthur/Sabine Pass back in the day to a younger generation resident, the contrast is stark.

In the past, there was a road that directly connected Galveston and Sabine Pass which was a "nice scenic ocean drive," as I've been told. Hurricanes and flooding destroyed the road, thus stopping the tourism that was coming from Galveston.

If you talk to a former resident of Sabine Pass, they might say, "Sabine Pass? that place is great!" whereas a younger generation resident can see there's not a lot going for the place. Definitely not enough to attract tourists.

Kudos to whoever started the Wheelhouse on the Neches river. They had the right idea. There are a few little places along the water here and there, but they're mostly little shacks with Cajun food and alligator signs all over the place. The Wheelhouse is a vibrant little spot with an indoor bar and dining area, a covered outdoor bar decorated with tiki-style torches, and surfboard benches.

I'll be curious to see if Port Arthur and Sabine Pass come back around in the future.