The next group of Daily Photo Challenge Topics begins now….and includes topics for May 18th through the 26th:
*** Edited to give May a proper send off by adding the last couple of Daily Photo Topics – May 27th – 31st with the 27th and 31st missing from the post!
I LOVE THIS TIME OF DAY…
I LIKE TO DRINK…
I DON’T LIKE TO…
…run errands in the rain!
I WENT TO…
ON MONDAY’S I…
I ONCE…
I SAT HERE…
I CAN…
I CAN’T…
I DO THIS ON SUNDAY’S…
I WORE THIS…
I FOUND…
Catch ya on the flip side…..
It’s May, ya’ll…..let’s start with the May Daily Photo Challenge Topics for the 1st through the 10th:
I AM…
….BLOGGING!
I HELD THIS…
I WALKED HERE…
I FEEL…
…HAPPY – IT’S ALMOST PEONY TIME!!!
I SAW…
…THIS IN MY GARDEN
I LOVE…
…MY PINK DOGWOOD AGAINST A BRIGHT BLUE SKY
I LIKE TO EAT…
I HAVE…
…CRAB APPLE BLOSSOMS
I READ THIS…
I STOOD HERE…
That’s all for now…..
Texas Adventure Part Five…..The second half of my last day in Texas was spent in Austin – the Capital of Texas. It was about an 80 mile (1.5 hour) drive from San Antonio to Austin. So, when I got done with the Alamo, I plugged Austin into my GPS and headed north!
Austin is a country music mecca and the capital city of Texas. Their motto is “Keep Austin Weird”! Originally called Waterloo, Austin became a key crosswords for trade between Santa Fe and Galveston Bay. It is currently the largest city in Travis County, TX, the fourth most populous city in Texas, the 11th most populous city in the United States, and the second most populous state capital city.
Visiting Austin wasn’t in my original plan for my trip. The plan was just Houston/Conroe, Galveston, and San Antonio. But when I looked on the map and saw how close Austin was to San Antonio and that I could fit it in, I decided to add it as a possible side-trip. When I did make it happen, I was so happy…..I wish I had allowed more time! But, what time I had was awesome!
Since I only had a few hours in Austin, I wanted to see as much as I could in that small time. So……yep, you guessed it……I went to the Welcome Center and got a ticket on a double decker city bus tour. It was perfect! I sat right in the front seat on the top level of the open top bus and had the BEST view of the city! The guide was amazing and it was an awesome hour or so loop.
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Austin is a fun and colorful city!
I was impressed by the architecture, brightness, and general cleanliness of the city. The perfect mix of eclectic and modern!
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Above and below are parts of Sixth Street……a street full of clubs, music, restaurants, food, and drinks!!! As we drove along the street, music blared from just about every building we passed. Looked like a fun place to be.
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Museum of the Weird…..the guide said that Johnny Depp stayed in a room above this museum while filming “What’s Eating Gilbert Grape”.
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The capital building is stunning and can be seen from quite a distance.
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Statue of a woman firing a Howitzer canon located on Congress Ave. between 6th and 7th streets. The story, according to Roadside America: “In 1842, on a dark December night, Sam Houston tried to take the Texas archives out of Austin, thereby eliminating it as a possible capital city of the Republic. Angelina Eberly, a middle-aged woman, saw what was going on downtown and fired a cannon at the thieves. They failed, Austin became the capital, and in 2004 the city, in gratitude, erected a bronze statue of Angelina firing her cannon at the spot where she stood.”
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This Victorian home was turned into a Baptist Church!!!
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Food trucks are a BIG attraction in Austin – this is one of several Food Truck Parks throughout the city!
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Cowboy boots are a MUST in Austin and there are a lot of places to get them, but we were told that if you want the PERFECT cowboy boots, you go to Allen’s Boots!!!
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This was a Pub Crawl Tour we passed — the girls were having a BLAST saddled up to the bar and cruising around the city whooping and hollering!!!
After the tour ended, I asked about a nearby place where I could get dinner before heading back to San Antonio. I was told with no hesitation about Moonshine Grill right across the street from the Welcome Center. I wouldn’t have to move my car or find the place or walk too far – I just crossed the street and walked about a block. OMG – Moonshine Grill was awesome – if in Austin, be sure to include a meal there – you won’t regret it!!!
It is the oldest building in Austin renovated into a restaurant that specializes in southern comfort food with a Texas twist.
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They brought a complimentary bucket of seasoned popcorn to start that was soooooo good – I was told it was a multi-seasoning blend that I believe included Cayenne or something with a little bit of a bite!
Then I had the chicken and waffles with sweet tea…..all with a bit of a kick to it…….absolutely incredible!!!! It was WAY too much to eat, though and I sadly left about 1/2 of it!
The drive back to San Antonio wasn’t as easy as it was going to Austin……the return was right at rush hour and driving into the sun. But, I made it back to the hotel, packed up, and got to bed fairly early in preparation for an early flight home the next morning.
One last thrill to share about this adventure…..it was the perfect cap to the trip!
I was at the gate during my layover in BWI and saw a guy dressed in a colonial uniform with a bell and a line of military men – most were Army and one was a Sailor – all in uniform. What I soon realized was that they were preparing to deboard an Honor Flight plane with war veterans headed to Washington DC to tour the monuments. With each set of veterans, the colonial guy would ring the bell and another man would announce their arrival – they represented WWI, WWII, Korean War, and Vietnam War. All the passengers waiting in the terminal stood and cheered……the veterans passed by with smiles and waves and shook the hands of the military soldiers. It was AMAZING and very emotional!!!
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They kept coming and coming…..a whole plane loaded with these American Heroes! It was a great honor to witness this!!!
I am not one bit ashamed to admit that I shamelessly flirted with this sailor! hehehe I told him he brought back a lot of wonderful memories of my brother and my boyfriend who wore that same uniform in the mid-late 70’s. I also told him I have a “thing” for a guy in a sailor uniform!!! LOL He gave me a shy smile with a bit of a blush in his cheeks!!!
So…..that’s the end of my posts dedicated to my 2023 Texas Adventure! It was a GREAT trip…..I did Texas right, this time! To repeat the summary from the first post in this series:
I’ve been to Texas before and was able to check it off the “Visit All 50 States” bucket list item. But, although it “technically” met the criteria to be considered for that check mark, I didn’t really do it justice and have wanted to return to see more ever since. So, I did just that last week!
This time in Texas resulted in putting 653 miles on my rental car, visiting five different cities, a wonderful visit with family, scratching off three more items on the banners on my Adventure Wall, and lots of amazing memories…..all in FIVE DAYS!!!
Where will I go next?
Part four of my Texas Adventure blog post will be all about The Alamo in San Antonio, Texas. I started out the trip with three key goals: spend time with my cousin, visit a city on the Gulf Coast, and see The Alamo. The first I accomplished during my time in Conroe (see part one), the second I accomplished by spending time in Galveston (see part two), and the third was accomplished on the second day of my stay in San Antonio.
I didn’t really know what to expect when I got to the Alamo – a lot of famous places end up being a tad disappointing – we build them up in our imaginations and through photos to be bigger than life, when in reality, they sometimes are much smaller and less “grand” than we expected. I was pleasantly surprised at the Alamo. Yeah – it was not the big mission and battlefield I imagined it to be – it was a small area right smack dab in the middle of downtown San Antonio. But, it was VERY interesting and a well maintained attraction. I spent quite a bit of time wandering through the various exhibits in the church, the courtyard, and the museum. I sat in the courtyard just enjoying the day and the chance to be in a quiet, peaceful garden for a while. It was very nice and I really enjoyed my time there.
The entrance to the church is free. HOWEVER, you do need to register on the Alamo’s website ahead of time to book a time to go through it. Click here for the website. They only allow 100 people at a time and during peak seasons, this can be difficult if they didn’t have timed entries. You can see just about everything for the free entrance and spend as much time as you like. You can also purchase either a headset for a narrated tour or a guided tour. I paid for the headset, but honestly, didn’t really use it. There is a lot of ways to get the information — I listened to a couple of the stops, but found it wasn’t any more helpful than doing it on my own. I did, however, hear some of what one group with a guide was being told and found THAT interesting, so I might have enjoyed that – although, I do like to go at my own pace. There is also a separate fee to go through the museum which houses many collections of artifacts and historical pieces – I did go through it and found it to be interesting. If you like that sort of thing, I recommend it.
From the website: “Established in 1718 as Mission San Antonio de Valero, the former mission now known as the Alamo has been a crossroads of history. Having existed under five flags of independent nations and served as a garrison for five different armies, the Alamo has a rich history and a heritage to inspire. Best known as the site of the 1836 Battle of the Alamo, the rest of the 300 year history is vital to understanding why the Battle happened and its importance.”
It felt weird to be inside such a historical site and look out over the walls to see a modern city looming all around it. the city skyline can be seen in the background of several of the following photos from the entrance area and inside the Alamo compound.
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The castle-like building in the background is the Emily Morgan Hotel. Built in 1924 by architect Ralph Cameron, The Emily Morgan Hotel was originally constructed to be the Medical Arts Building on the Alamo Plaza. It became the hotel it is today in 1984 and is said to be haunted!!!
You’ll read more about Emily Morgan later in this post when you see a statue of her in the “Heroes of the Alamo” photos.
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Inside the Collections Museum is a large display showing the original grounds and buildings. There is a recording that goes through the history of events at the mission up to and including the battle.
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The next few photos are the Statues of Heroes located in a special courtyard – except the first three, which are located near and at the entrance to the property. I was struck by the women they included as “heroes” of the Alamo!
NOTE: All the commentary under each “hero” is directly taken from the Alamo website.
José Toribio Losoya was born in the Alamo barrio on April 11, 1808, only to pass away less than three decades later during the Battle of 1836 defending the Alamo. The family’s two-room stone house, an old Indian dwelling that had been deeded to them, was on the Plaza de Valero near the southwest corner of the mission compound.
David Crockett was a frontiersman who became a well-known politician and humorist in early 19th century America. After losing his re-election bid in 1835, Crockett vowed to go to Texas where he expected to revive his political career. Instead, David Crockett became one of the best-known Alamo heroes.
Susannah Dickinson and her daughter, Angelina Dickinson, moved to Béxar with her husband, Almeron, in February 1836. During the Battle of the Alamo, Susanna and Angelina took shelter in the sacristy of the church. After the battle, and Almeron’s death, they were freed to spread the word of what had happened at the Alamo. Susannah later remarried and ran a boarding house until her death in 1883.
Born in New Haven, Connecticut, Emily West was a free woman of mixed race who became one of Texas’ best-known legends. On April 16, 1836, the Mexican Army captured West and other New Washington, TX residents. Legend would later credit West with sending word of San Anna’s whereabouts to Houston and then entertaining the Mexican general, distracting him enough that Houston’s troops swept in at San Jacinto and defeated the Mexican army.
A natural leader, James Bowie played an important role in the Texas Revolution. Bowie and Travis served as co-commanders of the Alamo until Bowie became so ill that he was confined to his sickbed, where he was killed in the famous battle on March 6, 1836.
The very first Mayor of San Antonio under the Republic of Texas, John William Smith, played an important role in early Texas history. In December 1835, he helped guide the Texans through the streets during the Battle of Béxar. Smith later carried Travis’ messages out of the Alamo to the colonies east in 1836 and he served in the Texan Army at the Battle of San Jacinto.
William Barret Travis accomplished much before his death at the Alamo in 1836. He taught school, edited a newspaper, and passed the bar all before turning 21 years-old. Travis arrived at the Alamo in February 1836. His definitive cry, “Victory or Death,” ensured that Texans remembered the Alamo.
Hendrick Arnold, a free man of mixed race, emigrated from Mississippi in 1826, settling in Stephen F. Austin’s Colony on the Brazos River. He played a key role in the Texas Revolution as a guide and spy for the Texian Army. On December 5, 1835, the Texians attacked San Antonio in what became known as the Battle of Béxar. Arnold guided Colonel Ben Milam’s troops. After four days of intense fighting, the Mexican Army surrendered San Antonio to the Texians. Arnold continued his support of the Texas Revolution as a member of Deaf Smith’s spy company in the Battle of San Jacinto.
Born to a prominent San Antonio family, Juan Seguin led a life of service to his community. He was both a soldier and politician, becoming Mayor of San Antonio in 1841. During the Texan Revolution, Seguin supported independence. He served as an Alamo courier, and valiantly led his fellow Tejanos as a Captain at the Battle of San Jacinto. After accepting the formal surrender of Mexican forces at San Antonio, Seguin oversaw the burial ceremonies for the Alamo defenders’ ashes.
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All in all, it was a lovely morning…..very interesting and enjoyable. I’m glad I included it in my Texas Adventure – and not just so I could scratch it off on the Adventure Awaits banner on my adventure wall in my den! hahaha
After I left the Alamo, I headed towards Austin to visit the Capital of Texas. I’ll write about that side trip in my next post.
Part Three of my blogs focused on my recent Texas Adventure will share my stories and photos of San Antonio.
On the fourth day of my Texas Adventure – Thursday, April 20th – I got up, had a nice breakfast, and left Galveston behind. I headed out about 7:30 am on the approximately 4 hour drive to San Antonio. It was a long and tiring drive, but I made it fairly easily with one pit-stop break and one gas refill break.
I had booked a 48 hour Hop-On-Hop-Off bus tour and River Walk boat tour combo, so I drove straight there…..or, tried to, that is….I easily got to the general area, but couldn’t figure out where to park. I found a place to pull over and call the tour company to ask what I should do. The girl was very helpful and told me I could park in one of the public lots for about $25-30 a day or park in a metered spot for about $6.00 per day. Well, duh – I chose the metered parking, but when I pulled into a spot and went to pay for the parking, it had a two hour limit! I knew that wasn’t going to be long enough to do the boat ride through the River Walk and at least one round on the Hop-On-Hop-Off….let alone any spots I might want to hop off or do any wandering around after. By then, I was tired from the long drive and frustrated by all the driving around looking for a way to park. So, I went to the hotel to check in, freshen up, and get my second wind.
My San Antonio hotel was the LaQuinta at the airport. It was my least favorite of the three hotels I stayed at during this adventure. Don’t get me wrong – it was a very nice hotel and given the right circumstances, I wouldn’t hesitate to stay there again. It just wasn’t my favorite – the location wasn’t ideal, although, it was just a couple minutes from the airport, it was a good 15 or so minutes from downtown. Also, the bed and pillows were a bit hard and lumpy – I slept well, but the other hotels had VERY comfortable beds and pillows. The breakfast looked amazing with one important exception — I’m not a typical breakfast eater — I usually just want a bagel or biscuit and a piece of fruit to hold me through the morning and early afternoon. While the eggs, waffles, etc. did look really good, it wasn’t what I was interested in and they didn’t have ANY bagels or biscuits and only plain white bread for toast – they did have bananas, though! The other two hotels had exactly what I wanted!
I got settled in and caught my breath. I called the girl at the tour company, again, and she gave me a GPS address that would get me to the $6.00 per day parking spots. Now that I was no longer tired and frustrated, I drove right to the spot, parked, and it only cost me $1.50 because it was a partial day by that time. Score! I walked a couple blocks to the tour place, got checked in, and waited for the next bus.
The weather was amazing and the seats on the top of the open top double decker bus were a perfect way to see downtown San Antonio. I got off at the River Walk stop to take the boat ride…..
The San Antonio River Walk is so beautiful — lots of great things to see and do all along the river. I am glad I included the boat ride with the Hop-On-Hop-Off tour – it allowed me to see the entire River Walk from a 30 minute boat ride without having to walk the whole way. I did a bit of exploring off the boat, but I would have missed parts of it if I had to walk the whole way.
The River Walk is a city park with two sidewalks that stretch and wind along the San Antonio River. The park is one level below street level and is lined with shops, restaurants, and other attractions.
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Our tour guide was funny and very knowledgeable – had some interesting stories!
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In the distance is the Tower of the Americas – a 750 foot observation tower and restaurant in downtown San Antonio.
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Some of the bridges the boat passed under were too short for our tour guide to fit under — he had to duck to avoid getting whacked in the head and knocked off the boat! He made a big deal of it whenever we came upon one of the low clearance ones! hahaha
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The Five Bells – representing the five missions of Texas, including the Alamo, which is located near the River Walk.
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We saw a private tour of Red Hat Ladies getting on their boat — bet they had fun!
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When the boat ride ended, I spent a little time on the River Walk and then returned to the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus to finish the loop. The following photos were from the bus before and after the stop I took for the boat ride:
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The River Walk from street level
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“Homeless Jesus” (also known as “Jesus The Homeless”) is a very powerful sculpture by Canadian sculptor Timothy Schmalz. It shows a figure asleep on a park bench – the figure is fully cloaked except for his bare feet with visible nail holes. It is described as a visual translation of Matthew 25:40 “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me.”
There are over 100 casts of the sculpture around the world. The original is in Toronto, Canada. The one pictured here is in San Antonio, TX. I first saw it in Dublin, Ireland.
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After I finished the bus loop, I strolled around the area around the tour place. I stopped for a bottle of water and rest a bit and saw a FABULOUS t-shirt in the window of a shop. I HAD TO HAVE IT!!! So, I went in and asked the clerk and we found it and I bought it! I can’t wait to wear it with pride…..the four legends!!!
Ain’t it great????
So, my first day in San Antonio was quite full…..long drive, frustration, relaxing beauty, lots of sights to see…..and I was finally ready to wind down and crawl into bed!!! But…..I had eaten anything since my breakfast in Galveston!!! What to eat….where to eat??? I was really beat, so wasn’t interested in researching a good place to eat and didn’t want to go somewhere that I’d have to find and then take time for a big meal….and I was surprisingly not all that hungry!!! I decided that there must be someplace near the hotel – it was at the airport, so it seemed like a safe bet. I got there and noticed a What-A-Burger right next door! Hhhmmm – never ate at one of those before – we don’t have them around here! I usually have a strict policy against fast food joints when I travel…..and no national chains, if at all possible – I prefer to find local places that boast local cuisine. But – I was ready to call it a day and I had heard great things about What-A-Burger, so decided to give it a try!
It was “OK”…..nothing to write home about (although it appears I AM writing home about it)! The sweet tea was disappointing and the burger was “fine” – kinda blah….onion rings were good! Bottom line — I only ate about 1/2 of it, if that much, and I would never go to another What-A-Burger, but it was enough to say I did eat something and that’s good.
Next up — a separate blog post on The Alamo — I had tickets to go there the next morning and was really looking forward to it — it did not disappoint!!! Watch for that post coming soon!
To continue on with part two of my first major adventure of 2023 — Texas! I woke up in Conroe, Texas on Day Three and had a leisurely breakfast before heading out to the next stop on my Texas Adventure – Galveston. Galveston is about 90 miles or 1.5 hours from Conroe. So, I didn’t need to get too early of a start, but I also didn’t want to be on all the interstates right at morning rush hour, either. So, I took my time getting on the road and left about 9:00 am. It was an easy drive to Galveston. I wish it had been more of a scenic drive, but I made good time and got to Galveston before lunch.
I had booked a Dolphin Cruise on Galveston Bay. I love water tours and tend to look for them whenever I’m in an area with an interesting shore, river, or whatever to see. Always great to see it from the water! The tour was booked for 2:00 and I drove to the pier first when I got to Galveston to find it and get a place to park. Just about all parking on the island is paid parking, so I used the paid lot that was closest to Pier 21 and parked. I went to the tour stand and checked in – I was way early, so I had plenty of time to do a little exploring. I wandered the pier for a little bit and then popped in at Willie G’s Steaks and Seafood – I had an outside table overlooking the pier and enjoyed an amazing lunch!
Pier 21 – Galveston Bay, Galveston, TX
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Lunch consisted of a shrimp cocktail and lobster bites – tempura battered chunks of lobster and a glass of sweet tea! OMG – it was delicious – I was in heaven!!!
I sat there enjoying the gorgeous weather, scenery and entertainment! The seagulls provided quite a show! There was a sign that said “Please Do Not Feed the Seagulls! They are on very strict diets!” But, someone must have forgot to tell the seagulls about their diet! hahaha The table near me finished and left and before the waiters could clear the plates and leftovers, the seagulls swooped in and had themselves a feast! Most took small bites and flew off to enjoy their bounty, but one took off with a HUGE portion of garlic toasted baguette. Others flew after him in an attempt to take their share, but he was fast….until he dropped it and a swarm of gulls attacked it get whatever they could before he fought them off and took it back. It was quite entertaining! hahaha
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After lunch, I got on the Dolphin Cruise. It was the perfect day for a water tour – warm and sunny! We cruised all along Galveston Bay. We saw several dolphins (didn’t get any really decent pics, but got two so-so ones), pelicans, and other water birds. One cool thing we saw was the SS Selma – a WWI concrete tanker ship that was scuttled in shallow waters in Galveston Bay in 1920!!! They attempted to pull it to shore, but there was too much damage to it, so they decided to just leave it there as a warning to other ships of the shallow waters in the bay. We also got a glimpse of the USS Texas battleship that is dry docked in Galveston Bay undergoing repairs to the floating museum. The USS Texas is the only battleship that survived both WWI and WWII and is one of the oldest surviving Naval ships having turned 100 in 2014.
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Our captain and guide
We saw several dolphins playing around the bay, but I had a difficult time capturing more than these two on camera!
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This and the next few photos are of the SS Selma – the concrete ship I mentioned at the beginning of the boat tour part of this post. It was way cool…..what a treat! It is totally made of CONCRETE!!! While a good portion of it is above water, there is a large section that is actually under water! If you have your own boat, you are permitted to anchor beside it and board it to take a look around!
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USS Texas in dry dock undergoing repairs – WWI and WWII Battleship is now a floating museum
After the cruise, I went to check in at my hotel. I stayed at the LaQuinta Galveston West Seawall hotel. It was an awesome choice — it wasn’t waterfront, so the price was a tad less expensive than the waterfront hotels, but it was right behind a row of waterfront ones, so it was just a short walk to the beaches across Seawall Blvd – GREAT location! And, the hotel was clean and comfortable, had a very good free breakfast, and an amazing shower – a great choice!
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Then, the rest of the day, I just drove all over the island – mostly along the Seawall Blvd. I checked out the beaches and saw as much of the island as I could. It was a stunning day to be near the water! The city of Galveston is situated on Galveston Island a barrier island off the Texas Gulf coast near the mainland coast. The island is oriented generally northeast-southwest, with the Gulf of Mexico on the east and south, West Bay on the west, and Galveston Bay on the north side. The island’s main access point from the mainland is the Interstate Highway 45 causeway that crosses West Bay on the island’s northeast side.
Unfortunately, given the traffic and parking situation, there weren’t a lot of safe places to pull over to get many good photos. But, I have my memories — it really is a beautiful island and I’m sorry I only planned to spend the one day there!
The Gulf of Mexico
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Late afternoon, I stopped in at the Gumbo Diner on the Seawall for some steaming hot, pillow soft, fluffy, incredibly delicious Beignets covered in powdered sugar…..heavenly!!!
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Then, at the end of the day, I popped in at a Ben & Jerry’s shop on the Seawall just a couple blocks down from my hotel and capped off the day with a cup of Cherry Garcia!!! Yeah….I was a bad girl….but it was so good!!!
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So, that was Galveston……sorry there weren’t more photos of the island, but like I said, traffic and parking kept me from just pulling over for quick photos. Trust me, though – it is an amazing island with lots to do! I considered going to a place called Moody Gardens with an aquarium, a rainforest pyramid, a shark tunnel where you walk through a tunnel with sharks swimming all around you, monkeys wandering free, rides, and so much more…..but, I didn’t discover it until mid-afternoon and a day pass was $60.00 (senior price), so I decided to pass on it and hope that someday I get back there and will include it then.
At the end of the day, I settled in at the hotel for a good night’s sleep. Then, after breakfast in the morning, I headed out towards San Antonio…..more on that in my next post! 🙂
So….I did a thing last week……I went on my first major adventure of 2023! I went to Texas! I’ve been to Texas before and was able to check it off the “Visit All 50 States” bucket list item. But, although it “technically” met the criteria to be considered for that check mark, I didn’t really do it justice and have wanted to return to see more ever since. So, I did just that last week!
This time in Texas resulted in putting 653 miles on my rental car, visiting five different cities, a wonderful visit with family, scratching off three more items on the banners on my Adventure Wall, and lots of amazing memories…..all in FIVE DAYS!!!
This first blog post will cover my first two days, which I spent in Houston and Conroe. I’ll write about the other days in separate posts – keep watch – it might take me a couple days or so to get them all on here!
DAY ONE: Monday. I got up early in the morning to catch a 6:20 am flight with a layover in Chicago Midway and arriving in Houston, TX at 11:15 am.
Airport Selfie # 1 – Buffalo/Niagara Airport
Airport Selfie # 2 – Chicago Midway Airport
When I arrived in Houston, I got my bag and picked up my rental car – a VW Golf. It was a nice car – I liked it, although it had some strange quirks (well, strange to me – probably found on many other cars). First – it didn’t have any USB ports! UGH! I fixed that when my cousin gave me an adapter he had that goes in the lighter port. It had a feature that turned the engine off at stops to save the battery and gas…..it started right back up once I let off the brake, but it was unnerving until I got used to it. I also had trouble figuring out if the locks were working – I pressed the lock button, shut the door, and tried the handle to verify it was locked and the door opened right up! After a few tries, I figured out the doors unlock without pressing any buttons if you’re close to the door with the key fob – so, to verify the doors were locked, I pressed the key fob twice so the horn would blow. Crazy! But, once I got the hang of everything, I did enjoy the car – it was comfortable and had GREAT gas mileage!
I drove to a tour place that offered double decker open top city bus tours (I became the queen of these by the time I left Texas – haha). I am not typically a fan of big cities — I didn’t have any intention to spend any significant time in Houston. The plan was to fly into Houston, see a bit of it, and then spend the rest of my time in that area visiting with my cousin that lives in Conroe. I stuck to the plan, but, I can say I was more impressed with Houston than I thought I would be. The tour guide told us a lot of interesting history and facts about the city – apparently, Houston is on the top 4-5 Forbes Lists for just about every category they have. The tour drove us around the city for about an hour. Here are some pics from the tour:
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The weather was absolutely PERFECT — sunny, warm, slight breeze……incredible! It felt so good being up on the top of that bus soaking up the sun and feeling the warmth!
The city is a nice mix of old and new with tons of art peppered all over!
The city is FULL of fabulous murals!
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The next several photos are from a place called “Graffiti Park” – several brick walls dedicated to artist’s murals. There is a sign saying others can paint on the cement barriers, but NOT on the walls. It was really cool with most of the murals showing significant historical or cultural features of Houston.
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And, on to more from around the city:
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I saw all the stadiums for all the major and minor league sports teams representing almost every sport…..I won’t pretend to know what I was looking at or really cared, but it was cool….and I can tell you I saw them all! hehehehe
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For a big city, they definitely had a lot of great green space — parks, walking trails, and trees!
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This sculpture commemorates their symphony – if I remember right, it is called “Maestro”! Very impressive!
Looks like they have a nice aquarium……..
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When I finished the city bus tour, I headed north about 40 miles to a city called Conroe, TX. That was the main point of flying into Houston. My cousin Gary lives there with his wife, Helen – an old school friend of mine. Unfortunately, Helen had booked a girl’s cruise that week, so I didn’t get a chance to see her – that was sad. But, I got to spend a lot of time with my cousin — I loved just getting to sit and talk to him and spend time with him.
I stopped at the hotel, first, to check in, drop off my bags, and freshen up before I headed over to his house.
The hotel I chose was the Holiday Inn Conroe I-45N. It was a very nice hotel – comfortable, clean, great location (a short drive to my cousin’s house), and the housekeepers made adorable flowers with the ends of the toilet paper rolls! 🙂 The bed and pillows were very comfortable – I slept like a baby!!!
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I got to Gary’s house and we sat and chatted for a bit and then went out for dinner – we went to the Texas Roadhouse for steaks – very good! After showing me a little bit of the town, we went back to his house. I was running out of steam – after all, I had been up since 2:30 am – so I excused myself and went to the hotel to settle in and get a good night’s sleep.
DAY TWO: Tuesday. The next morning, I went back to Gary’s…….we spent an amazing day mostly sitting outside on his patio talking, catching up, and enjoying the amazing weather. For lunch, he wanted to take me to a burger place he said had great food, but when we got there, it was closed! So, we found a place called Rudy’s BBQ and discovered it was a perfect alternative. I had the beef brisket sandwich with potato salad and he had a pulled pork sandwich with beans……sooooooo good….crammed full of delicious, tender meat….and sweet tea!!!
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After a full day of talking and enjoying our time together, we took a selfie and said our goodbyes…….
It was a major highlight of the trip and a memory I’ll cherish for a very long time! But, I had more plans to get on with. I settled in for another good night’s sleep in that wonderful bed at the Holiday Inn and the next morning, I headed out to Galveston!
Check back to see what I have to say about Galveston and all the great photos I took while I was there!
And, now for the next set of Daily Photo Challenge Topic pics for April 10-22 – with the exception of April 18 and 19, which I missed because I was out of town and did not see anything to represent those topics (“mix” and “card” respectively):
ENTRANCE
DELICATE
A NUMBER
A PATTERN
THIS SEASON
SOMETHING WHITE
WHAT INSPIRES ME
STARTS WITH B
ALLEY
LEAFY
SOMETHING PRETTY
That’s all, for now……but, I have some exciting things to share about a little adventure I did last week…..check back to see when I get it posted!
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