When we checked in to the Bayou Shores RV Park in Galveston we were given a spot on the shore of Offatts Bayou. This was the view from the left.
And this was the view from the right. Pretty nice huh?
There is so much to see and do in Galveston that it was hard to know where to start. This is the Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier. This pier complex was built on 2012 replacing the original that stood from 1943 until 1961, when it was destroyed by Hurricane Carla.
I haven't conquered my fear of heights enough to even think about riding this ride.
We ate at Bubba Gump's on the pier one day.
Walt's shrimp boil was good to the bottom of the pot.
You can buy hermit crabs for pets. Perfect size for living in Gypsy..............if it wasn't for the smell. So none came home with us.
We were told that Shrimp & Stuff is where the locals eat. I can see why. Good and inexpensive.......no frills here but the catfish was delicious.
We spent many happy hours at East Beach watching the ship traffic.
There are so many ships in and out of the Galveston Port that it felt like a busy highway.
It was fun trying to figure out what their purpose was, what they were carrying, where they were going, where they had been.
There's an app for that.
If you know the ships name you can look it up and find out where it has been, where it is going, what it is carrying and every little thing you could possibly want to know such as it's size and weight.
But, it was so much more fun and exciting when we were just using our imagination.
The pilot boats guide vessels safely to their berths or out to sea.
If you wear camo when you are fishing the fish don't know you are there.
It works!
The Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry is the bridge between two segments of State Highway 87.
The free ferry service provided by TxDOT is the only way motorists can cross the waterway between Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island.
The ferry service is critical to the residents of Bolivar Peninsula when a hurricane threatens. The ferries are the primary means of evacuation through Galveston to the causeway and the mainland. Ferries continue crossing the channel until high winds and tides make their mission unsafe. The boats are then secured in their moorings at the Galveston landing facility.
They pack you in pretty tight. We had gotten out to go up to the observation deck and when we came back I couldn't get into my side of the car. I rode in the driver side backseat until we were off the ferry and found a stopping point.
We got to see dolphins accompanying the ferry as it made the three mile trip. I was so excited to see them that I didn't even try a photo.
People feed the gulls off the back of the ferry. See that piece of bread up there. The gulls pluck the bread right out of the air.
The Bolivar Peninsula is a thirty mile long sandy strip of land separating the Gulf of Mexico from the waters of East Galveston Bay. This is a popular vacation spot and is home to many year round residents as well.
Piling and stilt home heights typically range from a few feet above ground to as much as 10 to 20 feet or more in coastal, hurricane and flood plain areas.
After a little sightseeing around Bolivar peninsula we hopped back on the ferry for the return trip to Galveston.
The Downtown Historic District is just one block from the Cruise Terminal Port.
The port is a great place for bird watching. Brown pelicans are interesting. They dive bill first to snap up their prey. They live in flocks so usually you see several at once.
I woke this one up enough for him to open his eyes but that was about all the response I got.
The white pelican is much larger and it catches its prey while swimming.
Sad little guy................no beak and I only saw one leg but Walt says the other one was there just tucked up. Thankfully he doesn't look like he's not been eating.
The downtown area has numerous great shops. And there are many interesting items to view.
The historic buildings are beautiful and in perfectly restored shape.
The beaches in Galveston are covered with shells. It crunches when you walk on it. But, it doesn't hurt when barefoot because they just sink into the soft sand below.
Many of the beaches charge you to park. If you park here you must be on a tight budget.
A little side trip one day gave us a chance to stop at Buc-ee's.
We do get a kick out of the huge Convenience stores with it's wide, wide aisles and their Texas themed rows of clothes, food and home products.
As you can see there is a lot to love in Galveston. And the thing I loved the most is yet to come.
“We learn something from everyone who passes through our lives.. Some lessons are painful, some are painless.. but, all are priceless.” Unknown