February 7 & 8, 2005

February 7 & 8, 2005

LaFeria, Texas & Nuevo Progreso, Mexico

DAYS 234 & 235

 

Monday ; Today was sunny and hot. This morning when I went to register for 2 more nights in this campground, I met Ken Hammer at the registration desk. Ken and his wife Jean are members of Escapees Maple Leaf ( Ontario ) Chapter 18. We have met them twice before at the Maple Leaf Chapter 18 Fall Rally in September 2003 in St. Thomas and again at the Maple Leaf Chapter 18 Spring Rally in June 2004 in Kingston. Ken and Jean are here waiting for the start of the annual Escapees 3 week pilgrimage to Mexico called Mexican Connection. Ken told me that the McGeachy’s and the Schweyers are also in this campground. Small world ... again ! After registering for two more nights, I went over to say hello to Sandy and Peachy, and Harv and Louise.

Then it was time to head for Mexico. A few miles west on Hwy. 83, a few miles south on Hwy. 491, and a few miles west on Hwy. 281 brought us to Progreso, Texas, and the International Bridge over the Rio Grande River to Nuevo Progreso, Mexico. This is an extremely popular border crossing point for tourists. There are a couple of very large parking lots on the Texas side of the border where you can park your vehicle all day for $1.00, and walk across to Mexico. We parked the truck, and walked across the International Bridge. The pedestrian toll is $0.25 per person. The main street of Nuevo Progreso, Mexico is about 5 blocks long. The tourist area extends the length of the main street, and about a block in each direction off the main street, so the tourist area is about 5 blocks by 3 blocks. A nice long day of strolling ! The tourist area is comprised of about 1/3 dentists, 1/3 pharmacies, and 1/3 souvenir shops, bars, and restaurants. The many dentists’ offices have their prices posted on their shop windows. Extractions ; $10. Fillings ; $15. Cleanings ; $10. This is a very popular place for dental work and prescription refilling for the RV crowd. I have qualms about letting cut throat competition cut rate Mexican dentists into my mouth. We bought some gifts for Joanne’s little nieces. As I said before, every kid should have a rich, old aunt ! I bought some Mexican chocolate bars. We bought some $1.00 Margaritas. All along the tourist strip, bars sell Margaritas for $1.00, served in Styrofoam cups. Drinking while strolling down the street is permitted. At the end of theday, we walked back across the International Bridge, paying the $0.30 per person toll. Clearing U.S. Customs took about 5 seconds. “What did you buy today ?” “Twenty bucks worth of souvenirs.” “OK ... goodbye.”

We walked back to the truck, and drove back to LaFeria RV Park, and joined the already in progress Canadian Happy Hour at the Schweyer’s motorhome. Beer, wine, pizza, as a prelude to the RV Park’s wine and cheese party at 6:00 P.M.. At 6:00, we all went over to the Club House where many winery sales reps had tables set up for tasting their products. We spent about an hour and half tasting various Texas wines, munching on cheese, and socializing. We won a bottle of red wine as a door prize. I hate red wine. Just my luck !

We wobbled back to the trailer, had a late supper, and I fell asleep a few minutes after 9:00 P.M. as we were starting to watch TV.

Tuesday ; Today started out sunny and warm. It got cloudy around noon. I slept very late this morning. A week of driving, a day of walking, and an evening of wine will do that, I guess.

After lunch, we headed to the Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge. West on Hwy. 83, south on Hwy. 1015 to Progreso, west on Hwy. 281. We parked, went into and walked around their Visitor Centre, watched a short introductory video, then hiked around the Santa Ana Wildlife Refuge for a couple of hours. The more interesting things we saw were ; Green Jays, Altamira Orioles, Great Kiskadees, Chachalacas, Snowy Egrets, and a Rosebelly Lizard. When we left, we wanted to explore the rest of "The Valley" by car, before returning to LaFeria. We drove west on Hwy. 283 until it ended at Hidalgo, then turned north on Hwy. 115 to the city of McAllen. We drove into, and through McAllen, then turned east on Hwy. 83. We drove through Pharr, San Juan, Alamo, Donna, Weslaco, and Mercedes, before getting back to LaFeria. We stopped for groceries in Pharr, and bought Popeye's Chicken ( similar to KFC ) in Weslaco.

We ate our fast food fried chicken while watching the 2 hour finale of Amazing Race.

DSK

February 6, 2005

February 6, 2005

South Padre Island to LaFeria, Texas

DAY 233

 

Today started out warm and cloudy on South Padre Island. By the time we got to Brownsville, it was warm, humid, and partially sunny. By the time we got to LaFeria, it was hot, humid, and sunny. Finally ! We've been travelling for a week since we left the C.A.R.E. Centre / Rainbow's End in Livingston, and the weather has been poor.

We weren't impressed enough with South Padre Island to stay, so we hitched up and left this morning. We crossed back to the mainland at Port Isabel, and headed west on Hwy. 100. We wanted to go to a rodeo which was being held this weekend at Los Fresnos. We had passed it yesterday while driving from Harlingen to South Padre Island. I wanted to stop, but Joanne was eager to get to South Padre Island. When we got to the rodeo grounds just outside Los Fresnos, shortly after 11:00 A.M., we found out that parking and admission would be $30.00, and the rodeo didn't start until 2:00 P.M.. We didn't want to wait that long, or spend that much just to get in, so we left. While passing through the little town of Los Fresnos, we stopped to refill a propane tank, then stopped again on the edge of town to buy tomatoes, from a truck parked on the shoulder of the highway. An old, Mexican man, and a young, Mexican boy selling the sweetest tomatoes we've ever tasted, for $1.00 a large bag !

We continued west on Hwy. 100, then south on Hwy. 77 / 83 to Brownsville. Brownsville is the most southerly point in Texas, and the U.S., I think. It appears on maps to be a bit further south than Key West, Florida. The Rio Grande River separates Brownsville, Texas from Matamoros, Mexico. There are almost as many Mexican license plates in Brownsville as Texas plates. We were planning to spend the night in Brownsville, and cross over to Matamoros, Mexico tomorrow for a day trip.

Our first stop in Brownsville was at the SAS Shoes Factory Outlet Store where I bought two pairs of shoes. I have been wearing SAS Shoes for about 17 years. Every few years, I would buy two or three pairs while in Florida, on winter vacations. They are very expensive, but very good. Their shoes fit my wide feet better than any other brand, and they last for years. I also bought some SAS dye, polish, and conditioner for the bone coloured shoes I wear. The shoes last forever, but they look like crap within a year, because I’m very hard on shoes, and I’ve never been able to find the right colour of polish, or dye. Next stop was a Wal-Mart for some groceries and supplies, then a Dollar Store for reading glasses for Joanne. She has finally conceded that she can’t read road maps properly and needs reading glasses. She’s been navigating with my pilot’s lighted map reading magnifying glass in her hand.

After finishing shopping, we drove to the two campgrounds in Brownsville that were in our Passport America campground listing. Neither one had space available. It seems that most of the campgrounds down here in “The Valley” are filled with seasonal campers ... Winter Texans. It was getting hot, we were tired, Dee-Dee needed fuel, so we decided to head west out of Brownsville, following the Rio Grande, along Hwy. 281. Just on the edge of Brownsville, we stopped for diesel, and to phone a campground down the road in LaFeria to check on site availability. They had space, so we headed out for LaFeria.

As we drove along the Rio Grande, which separates Texas from Mexico, we could see huge spotlights on top of huge generators, periodically set up along the banks / levees. I guess that’s to spot Mexican “wet backs” swimming across the Rio Grande. The Border Patrol is quite evident here, with a lot of marked vehicles on the road. As we drove along this road, we also experienced something new, which I surmise must be an “import” from Mexico. When passing, the overtaking car just pulls out, straddling the centre line, with no regard for whether or not there is any oncoming traffic. The vehicle being passed moves over part way onto the shoulder, and any oncoming traffic also moves over part way onto the opposite shoulder, so that as one is being passed, with oncoming traffic, three vehicles are abreast on a two lane road. After the first scare, it’s not that difficult to contend with, but that first one sure scared the dickens out of me.

At Hwy. 506 we turned north for a few miles to the town of LaFeria, where we are now camped at LaFeria RV Park. It’s a very nice private RV park, and we’re probably going to stay here for a few days and use it as a base of operations for exploring The Valley, and a day trip to Mexico. We’ve been driving every day for a week, and would like to stay put for a few days. We’re about ten miles from Progreso, Texas, which is across the Rio Grande from Nuevo Progreso, Mexico, a tourist friendly border town with “walk-in” access across the bridge. We might leave the truck on the American side, and just walk across to Nuevo Progreso.

Tonight Bo passed some red silk. It was certainly festive looking dog shit ! Olè ! Must be from that silk plant that he ate a few days ago after sticking his face into a jelly fish. Stupid dog ! As I was walking him, I picked tomorrow's breakfast from a Texas Ruby Red Grapefruit tree in the campground.

DSK

February 5, 2005

February 5, 2005

Harlingen to South Padre Island, Texas

Day 232

 

Today was warm and cloudy. I need some sunlight !

At 8:00 A.M., just after I had showered, but was not yet dressed, there was a knock on the door. I thought it was somebody from the Travel Information Centre coming over to express their displeasure at our having spent overnight in their parking lot. It was a man from Edmonton, who had just pulled into the parking lot, and was hungry for some Canadian company. I told him I would come to see him a little later. I finished dressing, and went inside the Travel Information Centre to get directions to the nearest RV parts and service dealer. After getting directions, I chatted with the old man, who was also inside the Travel Information Centre. His name was Keith, and he was born in Dauphin, Manitoba. He left Edmonton January 15 for two months in the south, travelling in a class B van conversion. His wife did not want to go along, so she's gone to Disney World with the grandchildren. We chatted for a few minutes and I returned to the trailer, eager to get going to the RV dealer, and get the toilet fixed. Another knock on the door. Keith again. I opened the door, and he walked in, kicked off his shoes, and sat down like we were long lost friends, and he was settling in for a nice, long visit. We had difficulty getting rid of him.

We drove to the RV parts and service dealer, not too far from the Travel Information Centre. It was a small business, extremely busy, and with great service. I spoke to the middle aged Mexican woman who was running the place about the broken toilet flush pedal. She said they never replace the broken foot pedal parts, because the parts kit costs $40, and after the cost of their labour to remove the broken parts, and replace the new parts, the cost was pretty much the same as a new toilet. She suggested I try to disassemble it and repair it myself, using the $40 parts kit. I went outside and began working on the toilet in their parking lot. I removed it from the rig, and began to disassemble it outside, to get at the broken parts. I got it about 90% disassembled, screws and parts all around me, when I encountered a couple of rusty screws that would not budge. The broken parts were badly corroded, as was a lot of the internal workings of the toilet. I went inside and bought a new toilet. I installed it, and we were on our way out of Harlingen by noon.

We drove south on Hwy. 77, then east on Hwy. 100 to South Padre Island. South Padre Island is heavily developed, like St. Petersburg Beach or Fort Meyers Beach in Florida. We are at South Padre Island County Park, called Isla Blanca RV Park, at the south end of the main road running along the island. They’re a bit of a disappointment, both the park and the island. I guess I had formed an expectation that South Padre Island was the next best thing to heaven. This very large RV Park was full, so we are in their overflow area, which is just a parking lot on the road across from the beach. No services, 15 bucks a night ! We unhitched the trailer, and drove into town, to try to catch the end of the South Padre Island Chili Competition, at Louie's Backyard, a large, local restaurant and bar. We were too late. We continued driving down South Padre Island's main street, all the way to the end of the road as it leaves town on the north side. On the large mud flats at the end of town, was the South Padre Island Kite Festival. We parked and walked around for awhile admiring all the kites, and the skills of the kite flyers. The largest kite had a main body that was much larger than a van, with about half a dozen streamer tails, each about 100 feet long. The kites were not kids' toys, and the flyers were not kids ! I particularly liked the double string kites, and their acrobatic flying abilities. We drove slowly back through town, sightseeing. We stopped at a liquor store, our first time at a U.S. private enterprise liquor store. I bought a half dozen beer, and a small bottle of Jim Beam Kentucky Sour Mash Bourbon Whiskey. It's good with Diet Coke !

We drove back to Isla Blanca Park, and went to check out the Recreation Hall, to see about modem access. They have a couple of phone lines available, so while Joanne prepared supper, I went online, retrieved e-mail and my January bank statement, and updated my blog. After a late dinner, I took Bo out in our "overflow dry camp" parking lot, and we did some obedience work. It's coming along very slowly, but he's learning.

This place lacks appeal for us, so I think that tomorrow morning we're going to hitch up and head out to a rodeo that's happening this weekend between here and Harlingen, then we'll head down to Brownsville, right on the Mexican border.

DSK

February 4, 2005

February 4, 2005

Padre Island National Seashore to Harlingen, Texas

DAY 231

 

HA HA HA HA HA ! Bo is afraid of the dark. When I walked him late last night, he refused to go any further than about 50 feet from the trailer, and then, only on the side of the trailer with a light over the door. It's completely dark on the beach, with no lights of any kind anywhere.

HA HA HA HA HA ! Bo can't pee on the beach. Last night, and again this morning, Bo refuses to urinate. There's nothing to lift his leg against. The last time he urinated was yesterday afternoon. We walked about a half mile down the beach, and he lifted his leg on the remnants of a sand castle. Since then, he's decided to hold it indefinitely, until we're somewhere where he can lift his leg. Stupid dog !

Today was warmer, with a thin cloud cover. The sun tried to peek out, but was mostly unsuccessful.

You know ... sometimes you've just got to take the risk. Call it succumbing to temptation. Call it opening the door when opportunity knocks. I thought ... if Dee-Dee and Harvey could make it all the way from Ottawa and Winnipeg to the beach on the Gulf Of Mexico, in Southern Texas, almost at the Mexican border ... they deserved to dip their toes in the water, so to speak. As we drove back along the beach to leave this morning, I veered off the beach and into the surf for a couple of seconds. WOO-HOO ! ! ! Just like a "LIKE A ROCK" truck TV commercial ! Same as when accelerating an 18,000 pound rig downhill to 140 km./hr., one has to do these sorts of things quickly before the "navigator" can holler and put a stop to it.

We drove back north along Park Road P22 until it crossed the Intracoastal, and became Hwy.358 entering Corpus Christi. Through Corpus Christi, west on Hwy. 44, then south on Hwy. 77 to Kingsville. Joanne wanted to take a tour of King Ranch, near Kingsville. King Ranch is the largest ranch in Texas. 825,000 acres ! ! ! Their headquarters is a small village. They employ 470 people, many of whom are "Kingeños", or descendants of the 120 Mexicans recruited to work the ranch when it began operations around 1853. They are housed, and schooled, on the ranch. As we drove around the ranch grounds in a small tour bus, we realized we had just made the transition from prairie to desert. Scrubby grass lands with Mesquite trees and Prickly Pear Cacti. While looking at a bird poster in the King Ranch Visitor's Centre, Joanne realized that those funny looking birds that we saw at Bird Island Basin on Laguna Madre on the Intracoastal side of Padre Island yesterday, that looked like ostriches, were road runners. BEEP BEEP !

After the ranch tour, we continued south on Hwy. 77, all the way to Harlingen. Harlingen is kind of the northern edge of "The Valley", as the RV'ers call the "Winter Texan" area along the Rio Grande River, which is the border between Texas and Mexico. We are "boondocked" tonight in the parking lot of the Texas Travel Information Centre in Harlingen.

Shortly after arriving here this evening, our toilet broke. There are two foot levers on the toilet. One flushes and rinses, the other refills the bowl. The refill lever broke. I'll take a look at it tomorrow morning, and decide whether to stay here in the parking lot of the Travel Information Centre, and fix it, or head out to South Padre Island. I'll probably need some parts, so it might make sense to stay here and get it fixed while I'm in a city.

DSK

February 3, 2005

February 3, 2005

Port Aransas to Padre Island National Seashore, Texas

DAY 230

 

WOW ... what a view ! ! ! As I look out the kitchen or living room windows to the right of where I'm sitting at the dinette table in the trailer, I see the Gulf Of Mexico surf crashing on the beach 100 feet from the trailer. As I look out the dinette window to the left ... OMIGOD ! ! ! I was about to look out the window, and type about the sea oat covered sand dunes to the left of where I'm sitting ... and there is a six point buck deer munching on sea oats on the sand dunes 25 feet from the trailer window. GEEEZZZ ... another one ! ! ! Two bucks eating sea oats beside the trailer ! ! ! Welcome to beach camping on Padre Island National Seashore !

Today was cloudy and cool, but a bit warmer than the last few days. This morning we drove off the beach at Port Aransas, and into town. Joanne encouraged me to buy some fresh seafood at a fish market she read about last night in one of the tourist newspapers of this area. We easily found the store, Oceans Of Seafood, and went in to buy, and learn about what seafoods are available locally, and how to cook them. This was my job, as Joanne doesn't like most seafoods. I bought half a pound of stone crab legs, 2/3 of a pound of fresh shrimp, and a 2/3 of a pound red snapper fillet. Gee, they grow their shrimp huge around here ! I learned why some shrimp in the barrel of ice were pink, and some were opaque. The opaque ones were caught in the bays, and the pink ones were caught out in the Gulf. They taste, and cost, the same. Both kinds were caught yesterday ! I got cooking instructions, and a seafood seasoning spice for the water used to boil the shrimps and the crab legs. The spices are in a mesh type bag like a tea bag. Just drop it in the boiling water, toss in the shrimp, seven minutes later toss in the crab legs. Wish me luck.

We drove out of Port Aransas, heading south on Hwy. 361, the only road on Mustang Island. We drove all the way down the island along the shore line, admiring the view. At the southern tip of Mustang Island, we crossed onto Padre Island. Once on Padre Island, the road became Hwy. P22. I think the P stands for Park. Most of Padre Island is a nature preserve known as Padre Island National Seashore, administered by the U.S. Department of the Interior's National Park Service. Thirteen miles into the park, along a paved road, at Malaquite Beach, is Park Headquarters, where we stopped to pick up information, and obtain our free beach camping permit. We had lunch in the parking lot, then explored Malaquite Beach around the Park Headquarters area. Joanne wanted to drive a mile back up the road, to the Grasslands Hiking Trail. We hiked around this 3/4 mile trail, with an interpretive trail map, through sand dunes covered in vegetation, mostly different types of grasses. Bo was very "up" for hiking. Bo seems to be very "up" for just about everything. After the hike, we were driving back towards Malaquite Beach / Park Headquarters, and decided to detour over to Bird Island Basin, which is on the Intracoastal side of the island. There were some campers on the shore line at Bird Island Basin. We parked at the boat launch, and walked around for a few minutes, observing the many different types of waterfowl that winter here. On the marshy mud flats, there were a bunch of very large birds that looked like, and walked like, ostriches. After seeing Bird Island Basin, we drove back to Park Headquarters, then a mile beyond.

A mile after Park Headquarters, the paved road ended. We just ... drove the rig the rig onto South Beach. I had some reservations about driving the rig onto the beach, but when I saw many other heavy rigs on the beach, I figured it would be okay. The information booklets caution that many rigs get stuck in the sand, and need to be towed out, which is expensive, and takes a long time for a tow truck to drive out here from Corpus Christi, but having come this far, I wasn't about to wimp out now ! Besides, Dee-Dee is a 4 X 4 ! I drove slowly onto the beach, and soon realized that a bit of speed was helpful in preventing the rig from sinking too deeply into the soft sand. The Park Ranger had said that it's probably okay to tow a fifth wheel with a 4 X 4 as far as 5 miles down the beach, at which point it definitely becomes impassable for RV's, or anything other than 4 wheel drive trucks. About a mile down the beach, I stopped and shifted Dee-Dee from 2 wheel drive to 4 wheel drive ( 6 wheel drive, actually ). That made it a bit easier. We drove another mile or so down the beach, and then just pulled over beside the sand dunes, like everybody else. There's an RV parked about every 200 feet along the beach. I don't know how far down they go, but they certainly continue as far as we can see to the south down the beach.

I wonder why a military helicopter just flew over the trailer at an altitude of about 50 feet ? It must be from the Naval Station that's somewhere near Corpus Christi, which is just across the Intracoastal, on the mainland, near where Mustang Island and Padre Island meet.

So ... here we are ! Camped on the beach on the Gulf Of Mexico. I mean ... really on the beach ! No water, no electricity, no sewer, but what a view ! I guess this is why we're self-contained.

Just before I started typing today's journal entry, Bo and I went for a long walk on the beach. Bo likes "beach combing". He finds interesting ( to him ) sea weed under the sand to dig up, birds to chase, etc.. Somewhat unfortunately for him, and a tad amusing to me ( although Joanne's not amused ), he stuck his nose onto a live jelly fish on the sand at the water's edge. I don't know whether it stung him, or just smells bad, or what, but he vomited twice within a couple of minutes of this misadventure. Then he came back into the trailer, and started to eat one of the silk plants. Dogs and cats instinctively eat grass, or plants, to make themselves vomit, to "cleanse" / purge their insides. We're both "in the dog house" with Joanne at the moment ! Bo for eating a piece off the silk plant, and me for "allowing" him to sniff the jelly fish. Hey ... it's not like he asked my permission ! I picked up a jelly fish information sheet at Park Headquarters, and I think this was a Sea Nettle jelly fish. Oh, yes, I see on the information sheet that jelly fish have "microscopic stinging cells". I guess sticking one's nose onto a jelly fish must be a bad idea.

I just returned from taking Bo for a night time walk. The lights of two offshore drilling rigs are visible out on the Gulf. I just remembered the Park Ranger's warning to us about Bo, because of Western Diamondback Rattlesnakes in the grassy areas, and coyotes in the dunes and on the beach after dark. Some campers' pets have met their demise because of both.

DSK

February 2, 2005

February 2, 2005

Matagorda Bay to Port Aransas, Texas

DAY 229

 

Today was cold and cloudy again, but at least it didn't rain. I had a colitis flare up starting about 5:30 A.M. so I felt sick and weak for most of today.

This morning we walked Bo along the shore line of Matagorda Bay. The beach was covered in oyster shells. Just before we left Bay Side RV Park, the lady from West Virginia, in the motorhome next to us, came over with maps and tourist information for the areas we will be visiting over the next few days. She and her friend are travelling in the opposite direction to us, and had just been to the areas we're going to.

We left the town of Palacios on Matagorda Bay, continuing southwest along the Gulf Coast on Hwy. 35. Between Lavaca Bay and San Antonio Bay, Hwy. 35 comes inland for a bit. The landscape changes to prairie. Longhorn cattle grazing in pastures. We stopped for groceries and lunch in Rockport. We missed the turn off to Hwy. 361 in the city of Aransas Pass, and went 5 miles too far, to the next town of Ingleside, before we realized we missed our turn off. We back tracked to Aransas Pass ( the city ), and turned east onto Hwy. 361. We took a small ferry across Aransas Pass ( the water, not the city ) to the town of Port Aransas on Mustang Island. As we crossed Aransas Pass on the ferry, we could see dolphins arching their backs / dorsal fins out of the water in front of the ferry. Looked like a scene from Flipper. Once on Mustang Island, in the town of Port Aransas, we headed for Port Aransas County Park on Magee Beach. The road is the beach ! WE had a choice between boondocking / dry camping right on the beach, or being in a serviced site behind the dunes just off the beach. It was cold, with a strong wind on the beach, so we opted for a serviced site behind the sand dunes. Once we got parked and hooked up, we went for a very long romp on the beach with Bo. He sure is "up" for anything ! Good thing I saw the dead jelly fish on the beach before he did ! Just as it was turning dark, we walked back to the trailer, and brought Teddy outside for a short walk. Teddy thought it was too windy, and didn't really want to be outside for more than a couple of minutes.

One thing I really dislike about the U.S. is the amount of garbage strewn about. It was bad enough out in the middle of nowhere in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, where I was constantly picking up discarded coffee cups, drink cans, water bottles, potato chip bags, etc., but on the beaches it's really unsightly ! There's a real lack of concern for the environment down here.

I spent part of the evening working on the photos I’ve taken over the last few days. Joanne made gumbo for supper. MMMMM !

DSK

February 1, 2005

February 1, 2005

Galveston to Palacios / Matagorda Bay, Texas

DAY 228

 

Another unpleasant, cold, windy day of rain. Tomorrow should be the same, then improvement.

We decided this morning to explore down back roads along the Gulf Coast, heading south. We left Galveston Island State Park and headed south on San Luis Pass Road towards, of course, San Luis Pass. We crossed the toll bridge over San Luis Pass onto the next island, Folletts Island, and followed the road along the beach until reaching the town of Surfside Beach, where we turned inland onto Hwy. 332. I don't know why, but the beaches / shore lines along Galveston Island and Folletts Island are much less developed than any other Gulf Of Mexico coast we've been at, in Florida and Alabama, despite the proximity of Galveston Island and Folletts Island to Houston. We travelled northwest on Hwy. 332 for a short time, then got lost searching for Hwy. 36. We stopped for lunch in a shopping mall parking lot in Lake Jackson. We stopped in a mall with a Petco, because we had never shopped in a Petco before. Petco is a large U.S. based chain of pet food and supply stores, on a par with PetsMart. We bought Teddy some Lap Happy, Bo some Greenies, and some training size little dog biscuits for both of them. Stupid cat now loves dog biscuits. Eventually we found our way to Hwy. 36, and continued northwest for a short time on Hwy. 36 to Hwy. 35. Southwest ( finally ) on Hwy. 35 to Van Vleck for diesel, then on to the town of Palacios on Matagorda Bay.

We have stopped for tonight at Bay Side RV Park on the outskirts of the town of Palacios on Matagorda Bay on the Gulf Of Mexico. We chose this park from our Passport America campground book, because the directions indicated that it was on the waterfront, behind the shrimping boats. We've never seen shrimping boats before. Well ... sure enough, we're parked on the Matagorda Bay waterfront, behind the shrimping boats. After getting registered and parked in our site, we walked down to the dock, and along the dock looking at shrimping boats. Joanne slipped and fell on the wet, slippery wood dock, and twisted her knee. All along the dock, there were ropes tied to the dock rail, hanging into the water. I wanted to see what was on the end of the ropes, so I pulled one up. WOW ! A crab trap. With 2 crabs inside. Are they ever interesting little creatures. Bright blue colouring on their claws. Eyeballs on little stalks that stick out of their head, and move around. We walked along the dock, me pulling up crab traps every so often to look at the different sizes and colouring of the trapped crabs. There were also oysters in the crab traps. I don't know if they were "trapped", or if they were in there as bait to catch the crabs.

This park has a pot luck dinner every Tuesday at 6:30, so instead of cooking supper tonight, we grabbed the dessert Joanne made last night, and went to the pot luck dinner. It was a wonderful dinner. We sat at a table with two ladies who were in the motorhome parked next to us. One was from West Virginia, and one was from Missouri. They each have a motorhome, but this winter are travelling together in the West Virginian lady's rig, for companionship. Apparently many of the RV Parks down here have a lot of these kinds of social activities, like pot luck dinners, because so many of the people in the parks stay for the season. We thought it was only the Escapees parks that have such a busy social calendar. It's unfortunate that we won't be here for a few more days. They have a casino junket. For $25, a bus ride to the casino, a room overnight, buffet breakfast, an $8 meal voucher, and $15 worth of casino chips. Pretty good value for 25 bucks ! The casinos down here seem quite motivated to get us RV'ers to their gaming tables. There was a similar casino junket from Rainbow Plantation in Alabama just after we left.

This park has a cable TV connection for each rig. This was the first time we’ve hooked Harvey up to a cable TV connection. We watched Amazing Race with a perfect picture. A nice change from the snowy picture we've had with just the roof top antenna, in Livingston. The 10:00 P.M. news has just started on TV. Tonight’s lead story is about one of today’s murders. We’ve been watching the TV news on Houston stations most nights for the last 6 weeks. Not a night goes by that there isn’t a murder in Houston. I kid you not ! The current story being reported, as I type this, is about a retail store employee who shot a customer who had shoplifted a cigar. God bless America ... and its constitutional right to bear arms ! HA HA HA ... I have to report on the next story. A man has been arrested for beating his elderly mother to death, after she flushed his marijuana down the toilet. Way to go, Mom ! Sorry ... I know that's macabre, but it struck me as funny.

DSK