7 Days in Houston

As it turns out, we spent a week at the Bay View Harbor RV, near Houston.  We travelled all around the area including a trip down to Galveston.  Houston is a huge city with a very diverse economy, but there are large sections of town that are very ugly because of the oil refineries, chemical plants.  But there is money there, beautiful homes on lakes and the seashore, huge office towers, a nice rapid transit system, and a different venue for each of it's professional sports teams.

Laurie and I celebrated our 35th wedding anniversary at Minute Maid Park in Houston watching the Astros play the San Diego Padres.  (relax ladies, we did go out the next night for a very nice seafood dinner.

Our trip to Galveston was an interesting drive as we took the freeway down from Houston and then took a small ferry from Galeveston to Port Bolivar and drove back to Baytown on backroads.  Galveston Island is one of those sand spits I spoke of previously.  It basically is a long (15 miles) sand spit that has been developed into an island.  The Gulf of Mexico side is 'tourist city' with beaches, restaurants and motels.  The other side of the island is industry; it is two extreme opposites.  Galveston was hit by hurricane Ike 2 or 3 years ago and some of the business are still boarded up.  Some of the piers collapsed and they haven't repaired them yet.

 Since we have arrived at the Gulf of Mexico, Laurie and I have seen cities and homes built right along the coastline, even on the sand dunes.  One of the things that is obvious when you live along the coast is that they know another disaster is coming, not if, but when.  But they just keep re-building.  They are building their homes on stilts (some 20-25 feet in the air), even the businesses; motels and hotels (see the photos).  Laurie says it reminds her of a tree fort.  It all seems so strange to us in that disasterous weather is usually not an issue in the Pacific North West where we come from.

Having a bite to eat at a restaurant called 'the Spot' on the beach in Galveston.

When hurricane Ike hit, the storm covered the Island with salt water and sand.  Many of the old, beautiful oak trees where killed by the salt water.  They asked the clean-up crew to cut the trees off leaving 10 foot stumps.  Then they brought in artists to carv the stumps so that people would remember their beloved trees.  There are 20 different carvings around town like the "Tin Man" pictured here.  The old town of Galveston has many incredible examples of Victorian architecture.  It really is quite a place.

Then we took the ferry from Galveston to Port Bolivar and drove back to Baytown.

We left the Houston area on May 11 and headed for a town called Port Authur.  The travel brochure described it as a nice little town with camping on an inlet and it had some historical significance.  When we got there we were hugely disappointed as it seemed that the economic engine for the town had diminished.  Stores were boarded up, there were no shopping malls, and the tourist attractions were minimal to say the least.  After a quick stop, we headed for Louisiana.

Observations:

* We were in Texas for 19 days.

* Using I-10 Highway, Texas is 878 miles across.  Of course, we did not follow a direct route.  We travelled 2500kms/ 1550 miles while in Texas.

* There appears to be a clear division between the wealthy and the poor.  It is hard to find a middle class, even more so than in BC.

* Fishing is a major thing down here, both commercial and recreational.

* There are many in Texas that believe that the Republic of Texas should strike out on it's own.  They are a loyal and proud people.

* Texas builds lots of freeways and bridges (some of which are very steep inclines) 

Goodbye Rockport

We stayed in Rockport for a total of 5 nights and really enjoyed the seaside ambiance and the people we met there (Greg, Erma & Sonny).  They are truly a proud people who love the state of Texas and the United States of America.

We found some funky restaurants.  This one was called Captain Benny's and this was the sign at the entrance.  The seafood was to die for but they didn't have a liquor license so everyone brought in their own cooler of drinks and they gave you the glass and ice.

 Fulton Mansion in Rockport, Texas

Beautiful Rockport, Texas.  The view from our location at Beacon RV.

Goodbye Rockport

 On May 4 we left Rockport and headed for Houston.  As we made our way along the coast, we expected to find many small towns like Rockport but we were disappointed.  We had planned that if we found another little town that we liked, we would stay a night or two.  Much of the coast is allocated to industrial use, oil refining, shipping docks and fish processing.  Yes, there are oil refineries everywhere!   We wanted to stay on the outskirts of Houston, so we went to our Trailer Life Campground Guide and found a campsite in Baytown (Bay View RV), just east of Houston.  We have a beautiful site.  When you open our door to the RV, Galveston Bay is at our door step.  We figure that we can commute to the attractions in the Houston/Galveston area.

The view from our site at Bay View RV is spectacular!

Today we visited the NASA Johnson Space Center.  We got the chance to learn about the history of the "space race", see an actual space shuttle, moon rocks, etc, all facets of the space industry.  We also toured the control room that was used for many of the Apollo space missions.  I found it interesting, but Laurie was bored, but she was a real trooper and hung in there for my sake.

OBSERVATIONS:

* Texas has an incredible amount of shoreline.  Between the coast, and the sand spits that have evolved into islands and have become developed, it is amazing.

* There is an incredible amount of sea life in this area.  Fish jumping, birds diving into the water to catch a meal, and therefor, it seems almost everyone fishes here.  It will be interesting to see if the oil spill impacts the coast of Texas.

* Fuel is no cheaper here in Houston than anywhere else in the country even though we are in the heart of the oil industry.

The Gulf Coast

April 28, 2010

Drove from San Antonio, Texas to Corpus Christi and saw the Gulf of Mexico for the first time.  Apparently, the oil spill the is in the news is hitting east of Texas, so the beaches remain beautiful here.  We had heard of camp site in Corpus Christi and when we got there, we checked in and dropped the 5th wheel.  This is by far the southern most point in our trip.  We are actually about 1/2 way down Florida if you look at a map.  After we arrived we decided to go for a drive, across the bridge to South Padre Island (pictured).  There are miles of sand dune along the coast line and they have converted much of the dune into an island with resorts, shopping centres, etc.  The temperature is in the high 80s and the humidity is unbelievable.  The wind is blowing constantly so it is usually comfortable.  Most of the houses are built on stilts because of the constant threat of flooding from the gulf.  There was a State Park camp site out on the island but the wind was blowing hard so we ruled it out.

As you drive north/east up S. Padre Island, you cross a bridge onto Mustang Island and we continued to Port Aransas (pictured). We took a 10 minute ferry back to the mainland and continued to a little town called Rockport.  It is a small fishing village, much like where I grew up in Steveston, BC.  We found a small trailer park and they had a site from which you can see the Gulf and we moved there on April 29, and have been there ever since.  We love it here and have met some of the locals.  But is it hot and humid.  If you sit outside, you sweat without even moving.  Thank godness for air conditioning.  There is lots to do here and there are many funky restaurants/bars.  We went on a bike ride, and toured the Fulton Mansion which was built in 1870 and is beautifully restored.  They had a May Day celebration there today with people in costumes of the era, and games for the kids.

May 1, 2010 - Today we drove back to Corpus Christi to visit the USS Lexington, a WWII aircraft carrier.  It is an awesome exhibit as they let you tour throughout the entire ship, from down in the engine room, all the way up to the Captain's bridge at the top of the tower.  They also display many planes and fighter jets, from the early days of WWII to modern day jets.  They had a fighter pilot training film in the IMAX theatre, that put you in the seat of a fighter jet, and you learn how they train for battle.  It has always been a dream of mine to fly in a fighter jet and they had a flight simulator on the ship.  I was all excited about getting to simulate flying a jet, but it turns out that it wasn't that realistic....I had fun anyway.  A really neat function at the Lexington is they allow groups of kids to have sleep-overs on board the ship.  The ship is a kids playground but they would need strict supervision as there are many places that a young mind could get themselves in trouble.

I guess Laurie was right, I shouldn't have tried to sneak onto the Lexington without paying the entrance fee??

We are planning on hanging out in Rockport for a couple more days to enjoy the Gulf Coast

A Really Cool Place!

April 25, 2010 - Left Fort Stockton and drove the 320 miles to San Antonio.  The drive was more interesting as there are rolling hills, and the amount of vegetation continually increased as we got closer to San Antonio.  Some of the creeks actually had water running in them.  We consider San Antonio as the start of the exploring part of our trip because there is lots to see, and we will stay 3 nights here.  We must admit, some of the places that we blew through to get here do not have a lot of interesting things to see or do.  From now on, we only move when we feel like it.

We arrived at the Alamo KOA Campsite and it is very nice.  KOA tends to be a little more expensive place to stay ($36) but they are usually very nice.  Spent the remainder of the day at the pool, drinking a few cocktails.

The next day we caught a bus into downtown San Antonio and it is a really cool place!  The big tourist attraction is the famous Alamo, where Texas (untrained citizens) fought off the Mexican military, to establish independance for Texas.  It is located in the heart of the city, and it is well preserved, and educational about the history of Texas.

The other part of the city that is really cool is the River walk.  This is in the downtown core and it is a network of canals that wind through the city below street level.  There is a walkway that runs on both sides of the canal and restaurant and shops are located all along the walk.  As you can see from the picture, there is a lot of trees and shrubs that line the walk.  History will tell you that these canals were actually sewage canals, but that was a long time ago.

 Laurie and I took the opportunity to catch some lunch before we continued our walk and our return to the KOA Campsite.

Today I went and played golf at a city golf course called Willow Springs.  It is a very nice track and around the greens and sand traps it is very nice, but the fairways and tee boxes left something to be desired.  However, the 'kicker' was that the green fees were only $20!  Yes golf fans....$20!!  Then it was home, do a few chores, and some shopping, and then back to the pool.

Tomorrow it is off to Corpus Christi, Texas and the Gulf of Mexico!

April 24, 2010 - The Rio (not so) Grande

* This morning Laurie and I got up early to see the sites of El Paso, Texas before we hit the road for the day. We turned “Maggie” (Magellan GPS) on and headed for town. We drove through the old part of town, heading for the Rio Grande River. On the other side of the river is Juarez, Mexico and there are a couple of bridges from El Paso to Juarez. I expected the Rio Grande to be a magnificent river, you know, like the John Wayne movies when he drives the cattle across this huge river….what a joke. The river is the size of an irrigation canal, about 35 feet across, and it only has a trickle of water in it.

I guess in previous years it was a major tourist attraction to walk over the bridge from El Paso, hang out in Juarez for the day, and then return to USA side. Well, we found out that Juarez is the major Mexican gang centre and there are shootings in the streets, almost on a daily basis. There are constant parols on both sides of the river (canal), soldiers and police carrying machine guns and wearing full military gear, and the USA side has a huge (30 feet high) fence with razor wire on top which runs the entire length of the common border. It is a complete military state so we stayed in the USA. Even the Texas State Tourist magazine warns tourist about the danger of crossing. We drove along the border road and ended up finding Socorro Catholic Mission, which dates back a couple of centuries. We went back to our RV, hooked up and headed east.

Driving east of El Paso on Hwy. 10 you experience rolling hills and a little bit more vegetation. There is some “green”, unlike Arizona where very little grows.

John Madden Hall of Fame


We stopped for lunch in a little town called Van Horn, Texas. If you didn’t know better you would think that you are in Mexico, and it is in the middle of nowhere. Very few businesses, many boarded up stores, and a couple of gas stations along the highway. However, Van Horn’s claim to fame is that 10 years ago NFL TV announcer John Madden stopped in Van Horn as he was travelling through and he stopped at a tiny Mexican restaurant called ‘Chuys’. Madden is afraid to fly so he travels across the country to get to his next NFL game in a motor home. Well, Madden was very impressed with the food and the reception he got at Chuys and he has returned every year since. He has mentioned the restaurant in Sports Illustrated, Time magazine, and numerous times on his broadcasts. He then added Chuys to his restaurant “Hall of Fame”. Needless to say, his promotion has garnished a lot of recognition for this restaurant and the tiny town of Van Horn. By the way, I had the “Madden Special” (Picado) and it was the best Mexican food that I have ever eaten. Laurie loved hers too!

We continued our journey and stopped in a town called Fort Stockton and stayed in a nice RV park. They have their own little restaurant and the dinner special was Mesquite pork and all the fixings ($7.95) and was it ever good. I better get my bike off the rack and get some exercise!!

Because of our late start, total travel today was 373kms or 231 miles. We have now crossed two time zones and are in Central Time.

The Golf Joke

Wind TurbinesThe Wind

April 20 &21 – Most of you know, I do like my golf. So here we are in Sands RV & Golf Resort in Desert Hot Springs, California, in a beautiful Resort with it’s own golf course, and I didn’t even pick up a club. The problem….the wind was blowing hard all the time and gusting up to 80 km/hour throughout the day and night. Even with our stabilizers down, the RV was shaking for the 48 hours we stayed there. I guess we should have figured it out when there are acres of large wind turbines lining the hills around us. We spent most of Wednesday cruising around the Palm Springs area. Went to Bermuda Dunes Country Club to have a look but they wouldn’t let us past the gate. I played Bermuda Dunes 30 years ago when 5 of my hockey buddies and I went there on a golf trip. I guess times change??

GO CANUCKS GO!! – The series is tied at 2 - 2!

April 22, 2010

* We woke up to a cool morning as snow was ½ way down the surrounding mountains and we left Desert Hot Springs. The weather was overcast all day so it kept the temperature down all the way through Arizona (66 F was hottest), perfect for travelling. We stopped in Ehrenberg as we crossed the border into Arizona, and great news, the price of diesel dropped below $3.00/ gallon. Last Spring Break, Laurie & I rented a car and drove from the north to south end of Arizona, spending considerable time in the Phoenix and Tucson areas. We feel like we have a pretty good understanding of this State, so we drove straight through from west to east, along Hwy 10. Tonight we are in Benson, Arizona, some 65 miles from the New Mexico border. We are dry-camping in a lot at the Saguaro SKP Private RV Resort. The weather system from California is following us and it is cloudy and cool tonight.  We travelled a total of 444 miles today.

Sands RV and Golf Resort

Snow in Palm Springs

April 23, 2010
We left Benson Arizona at 7:45 am and headed for New Mexico.  Today we crossed the Continental Divide and headed for Las Cruces, New Mexico.  Again a cloudy day but we had a tail wind and our MPG rose dramatically.  Before we left, I reviewed the New Mexico Tourist Guide and to tell you the truth, their was not a lot to see along our route.  We decided to go into Las Cruces, but I missed the Hwy Exit so we just kept on going to El Paso Texas.

Las Cruces N. Mexico

El Paso, Texas has just under 700,000 people but the traffic is crazy.  We drove through at 1:30pm and traffic came to a stand still numerous times, for no apparent reason other than merging traffic.  Go figure.  We stopped in an RV campsite south of El Paso and we plan to explore the town tomorrow.
We only travelled 300 miles today.

The I-5 Blitz

April 17, 2010

 * Left home around 4pm and no line-up at the border.

 * Headed for Tulalip Casino and over-nighted there

April 18, 2010

 * Left Marysville at 7:am

 * Drove south along I-5, through Roseburg to Medford, Oregon( 467 miles)

 * Stay night in Medford Wal-Mart.  It was fine until they decided that tonight was the night to bring in the street washer and leaf blower...ah ear plugs are a wonderful thing!

April 19,2010

* Left Medford at 7:30am, continuing on I-5

 * Drove over two passes; Mt. Ashland and Mt. Shasta. Very steep passes but the truck handled it well

 * Pretty much a mountainous drive until Redding

 * Laurie drove the rig for at least 3 hours , from just south of Redding , through Sacramento and Stockton, to a little place called Patterson.  She did awesome....a real Mother-Trucker!!!

 * Then I took over and we cut across from I-5, along Hwy 152 through Los Banos, to Hwy 99, through Fresno, to a small town called Selma, CA  Again we stayed in a Wal Mart parking lot.  The power went off in Wal Mart so the traffic died down about 9:30 (instead of 11:30)

 * Total for the day: 503 miles

Observations:

 * It would appear that good day of travelling is covering 500 miles

 * So far, we have averaged 10 miles to the gallon. This may improve now that we are out of the mountains for a while

 * We have spent $251 to travel 1054 mile. That is about $23 per 100 miles

April 20, 2010
* Left Selma continuing down Hwy 99 to Bakersfield.  We wanted to avoid the traffic of Los Angeles and see a different route that we hadn't travelled before.
*Took Hwy 58 east, then Hwy 14 south and then over to Hwy 10.  We entered the valley of the wind turbines; acres of them.
* Booked into Sands RV & Golf Resort in Desert Hot Springs in Northern Palm Springs, for two nights.  Lots of vacancies as the Snowbirds have left to head back home in the last couple of weeks.  Resort has an executive golf course that looks very posh, but I can't imagine playing it in this wind.  We hope to check out Palm Springs tomorrow, and maybe a golf course or 2.
* Travelled 305 miles today
* So far the trip has gone off as planned and we are seeing all kinds of sights for the first time.