Beaumont / Port Arthur Travel Information
Southeast Texas' proximity to Louisiana brings a Cajun flavor to
the area. Mardi Gras is huge here and influenced by Louisiana Mardi
Gras traditions. Eyes pop at the grand costumes and parades; Cajun and
Zydeco music is heard throughout the streets. The cities of southeast
Texas, especially Port Arthur, host what are probably the biggest, and
most family-friendly, Mardi Gras parties in Texas. Beaumont,
Port Arthur and Orange form the Cajun Triangle, named for the region's
Cajun culture. It's also been called the Golden Triangle, for the oil
industry wealth boom in the early 1900s. In Beaumont, you can go back
in time and visit a life-sized, re-created boomtown at the
Spindletop/Gladys City Boomtown museum. Besides having the
beaches due a coastal area, southeast Texas has more than a dozen
lakes and three major river systems, which makes it a fisherman's and
water sport enthusiast's paradise. Port Arthur’s location on the
waterfowl flyway lets it serve as a winter stop for migratory
waterfowl and birds; it's a good place for birders and for hunters of
ducks and geese. Port Arthur's Museum of the Gulf Coast is
dedicated to the history and diversity of southeast Texas and
southwest Louisiana's Gulf Coast. One floor is dedicated to the area's
musicians, including singers Janis Joplin and Tex Ritter. The Sports
Hall of Fame includes world-class female athlete Babe Zaharias and
football coaches Jimmy Johnson and "Bum" Phillips. Beaumont's
Old Town District features eye-catching buildings in a variety of
architectural styles and an eclectic mix of galleries, shops,
boutiques, residences and businesses. The city is host to the
Southeast Texas State Fair each October. To visit Port Arthur,
take I-10 from Houston to Highway 73, or take Highway 82 from
Louisiana. Beaumont is north along US 69/96/287, or for the scenic
route, use Highway 347.
| 
