Monday, March 28, 2016

Galveston Island State Park - 2016


We left home the afternoon of March 18, 2016, heading for Galveston, Texas.  We drove 10 hours staying at a Holiday Inn Express in Arkadelphia, AR.  I had a free night and that gave a good jump on the drive for Saturday



Gotta have my Whataburger with jalapaneos.  First stop south of Texarkana.



We made it to Galveston Island State Park by 2:30 p.m. This time we had beautiful sunny weather and no mosquito's, but winds that were 20-25, with wind gusts up to 30-40 mph the first couple of days.  Temperature ranged from the 60's to 70's.  It was a bit chilly to go swimming, but the long walks on the beach each day were great.

The sunrises each day were beautiful.  They each had their uniqueness and that made it special.


























A typical dog's day at the beach, could she be anymore lazy than that?


Stopped at Benno's Seafood for a PoBoy shrimp Sandwich and great Seafood Gumbo

 Ferry ride across Galveston Bay





 Susan & her twin sister, Sally
Greek food down at the harbor


Sunset at the harbor, with the mast of the tall ship Elissa on the left and oil drilling platforms in for service.  The Elissa is a three-masted, iron hulled sailing ship built in 1877 in Aberdeen, Scotland.  The ship still sails out of  Pier 21 and is staffed by volunteers who sail her in sea trials in the Gulf of Mexico.

Nice window to stick her head out for a little loving

 Fort Travis
Fort Travis was built on the western end of Bolivar Peninsula in 1898.  Construction began in 1898 and ended in 1943.  The fort was defended by four batteries: Ernst & Davis completed in 1898, Kimball in 1925, and No. 236 in 1943.  It's firepower ranged from two twelve-inch guns mounted on barbette carriages to three-inch rapid-fire guns.  There were twenty-seven building for enlisted soldiers.  All of these buildings have been demolished.  After the 1900 hurricane a seventeen-foot seawall was constructed on the gulf side of the fort.Fort Travis served both World Wars and a number of German prisoners of war were interned there during World War II.  In 1949 the reservation was declared war surplus and sold.   Unfortunately, the site hasn't been maintained and several of the batteries have been fenced in.  I remember having more access 20 years ago.  This is one of the only sites that I can remember along the coast that doesn't have one gun remaining.



 
 Susan's sisters Sally & Bobbe
 
 Maggie May & Sarah





Bluebonnets





Sarah & Ridley
Crossing the Mississippi into Illinois

We finished our trip in Dallas with a visit with my mother, sister, and brother-in-law on Friday, and left for home on Saturday morning.  Great weather, except the wind.  7 nights in the camper.