Frog City RV Park, Duson, Louisiana
The heart of the discerning acquires knowledge; the ears of the wise seek it out. ~ Proverbs 18:15
There are many things to look forward to on this installment of our journey . . . . lots of new gorgeous places to visit, new things to learn about, and re-visits to some memorable places we’ve vacationed at before retiring. One thing I’m definitely not looking forward to is the possibility of encountering tarantulas (or other smaller versions of 8-legged creatures). I heard a while back that they even migrate in Arizona! Thousands of them! But it gets worse. Apparently much worse. In trying to find an icky picture to share with you, I discovered they migrate in other states as well. I’m not even looking at that! But the migration must be so horrifying that no one has even been able to take a picture of it, because there are none to be found. That in itself should tell you everything you need to know.
Fortunately, that happens in August (I looked it up!) and we’ll be long gone by then. But still . . . . I know they’re out there. . . .
And now, I must live with images of tarantuals in my head for the rest of the day.
I’m so blessed that the past two times we’ve been out west, God has shielded me from spotting any. Oh that He would make it three!
But we’re not there yet. And I have things to share about today.
We had to face flooding of nearly epic proportions this morning as we packed up to leave Louisiana. I know I’ve mentioned water leaking in from the slides before, sometimes in the past, even like a waterfall behind Blaine’s seat, but this time was different. This time, it came in through a speaker and an outlet under a cabinet above the couch! We tried to stop it by holding up a multitude of towels, but it was like trying to staunch an arterial bleed with a cotton ball. Six towels were soaked and my arms grew weary until it finally let up! Where in the world did all that water come from??? It had to be from the rain we had a few days ago. Sometime before we put the slide in, Blaine jacked up the rear of the coach to get the water off the slide topper. This time, there was so much water on top, that it ran into the safety latch, and found its way into the interior of the coach. Why weren’t the things inside the cabinet even damp? Very strange, but we’re grateful it wasn’t worse. And it didn’t get worse once we were on the road. Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
It also discolored our lampshade. : (
Our 5 ½ hour, 214-mile drive was fairly uneventful, until we approached Galveston. Except. They have really large roadkill along Texas roads! Feral hogs! Well, they do say that everything’s bigger in Texas. 😊
At times, it felt like we were riding in the front seat of a roller coaster
with a slow and vertical climb ahead of us! : )
I guess if you don’t stop at the VC, it’s okay . . .
Nice people and tons of info inside!
But I-10 (the road we’re traveling) runs across the width
of the state of Texas (from Louisiana to New Mexico) for an incredible length of 880.5 miles!
That’s one REALLY big state!!
Did you know Galveston, Texas is a barrier island? We didn’t, until we reserved our spot in their State Park. And it takes a ferry (or a really circular route by road) to get there. And the ferry transports all size vehicles, which includes our coach! And we didn’t have to unhook the Jeep! And best of all? It’s free! It took about 25 minutes from the time we drove onto the ferry, until we drove off – about a 15-minute ride.
Us either! : )
It took about 25 minutes from the time we drove onto the ferry, until we drove off – about a 15-minute ride.
Then it was another 15 miles along the Gulf of Mexico to get to the campground. Beautiful drive!
I highly doubt we do that, but maybe we’ll get a picture from the outside at some point. : )
Much of this area was actually built up. I’m sure we’ll learn more about that storm later.
Drive slow!
Galveston Island State Park, Galveston, Texas
The Galveston Island State Park is set up a little differently. There are two circles of camping areas that are arranged like spokes on a wheel. Reminds me of when the settlers used to circle the wagons. 😊 There are great views to be had from our site – – as long as the neighbors are driving things smaller than ours. Otherwise, they block our lovely views. Based on our experience at other parks, I’m thinking these will come and go, offering us stunning views at times.
We were a bit concerned about our closest neighbor when we first spotted them. Their site is pretty trashy looking and very full, and they have three little yappers. But they’ve proved to be quiet neighbors after all. (I can say that because I’m writing a few days later. Same with my opinion on our views. 😊)
See what I mean?
In my research about our new home-away-from-home, I ran across this interesting article written by Clayton Kolavo.
10 Historical Facts You Probably Don’t Know About Galveston
As you may already know, Galveston’s rich history is one of the many things that makes us a one-of-a-kind destination. From the spectacular Victorian homes to the wonderful people whom have molded Galveston in to what it is today, there is just so much to learn and discover. Here are 10 historical facts about Galveston that you have probably never heard before:
Number 1, Galveston is the home of the inventor of condensed milk.
Gail Borden was named Galveston’s first customs inspector in 1837. Borden would later achieve fame by inventing condensed milk.
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Number 2, Galveston is home to Texas’ first bakery.
Irish immigrant Christopher Fox opened a bakery in Galveston in 1838. It was the first bakery in the State of Texas.
Number 3, Galveston was once the leading port of Texas.
In 1842, Galveston received the first cotton press in Texas. By 1899 Galveston was the world’s foremost cotton port and the fifth most important port in the United States.
Number 4, Galveston was the first city in Texas with light.
Galveston was the first city in Texas to have gas lights (1856) and later the first city to have electric lights (1883).
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Number 5, Galveston is home to Texas’ first opera house.
The first opera house in Texas opened in Galveston in 1870. It was on the corner of Tremont and Market Streets.
Number 6, Galveston had the first telephone in Texas.
The first telephone in Texas was installed in Galveston in 1878. It was installed in the office of Colonel Belo, founder of the Galveston Daily News, the oldest surviving newspaper in Texas, founded in 1842.
Number 7, Galveston is home to the oldest medical college, now UTMB.
The oldest medical college in Texas opened in Galveston in 1891 followed by the first school for nurses in 1894. Originally known as the Texas Medical College, today it is known as the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).
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Number 8, prior to the 1900 Storm, Galveston was the 2nd richest city in US.
On the night of the Great Storm of 1900, Galveston was the second richest city per capita in all of the United States. The only city with more wealth than Galveston was Newport, Rhode Island.
Number 9, Galveston was raised in grade after the 1900 Storm.
After the Great Storm of 1900, a seawall was constructed to protect the city from future storm surges. After construction of the seawall was completed, 500 blocks behind the seawall were raised to even the grade. The task took eight years to complete.
Number 10, Historic Ashton Villa’s fence is mostly underground.
Half of Ashton Villa’s historic iron fence is underground. Set into concrete when installed in 1859, the Brown family allowed half of it to be buried during the grade-raising. The gates and newel posts were removed and then reinstalled once the grade was raised so that they could maintain function.
Our day ended with a lovely sunset over the marsh!
