Galveston, Oh Galveston !

Galveston Island RV Resort
Galveston, TX
January, 22, 2018

We landed on Galveston Island January 19th by ferry from Bolivar Peninsula.  


The Texas DOT provides the free ride which takes about 30 minutes. 







What a great welcoming committee we had !

A private company began the ferry service in1929 with two wood-hulled ferries which carried 25 cars at a time and made 6 round trips a day.  By 1930, the ferries were sold to the state and for more than 12 years charged 25 cents for a ride.  The rides became free around 1949 and have remained that way since.  Today, there is a fleet of 5 ferries that can carry up to 70 vehicles each.  Ferries run 24 hours a day 365 days a week.  I also read that according to the national ferry report, its the fifth largest ferry system in the U.S. 
Galveston Island RV Resort  is a perfect spot to call home with spacious, level, concrete pads and a large, clean off-leash puppy park.  It is located on the west end of the island.





 

Our first wake-up Saturday morning...looking right towards the beach.

We are across the street from the Gulf with easy walking access and the best part...the pups can go too !  

Looking left...our site backs up to a large open space.

Saturday was a busy "errands" day.  Our first stop was the Galveston Island Visitor's Center. 








It is housed in the 1859 Ashton Villa, one of the oldest brick homes in Texas.








In 2008, Hurricane Ike left it's mark.














By the time we were done with grocery shopping, etc. the fog had rolled in and hung around through Sunday with  on/off again rain showers as well.  No worries, we enjoyed a much needed rest/lazy day!

Monday dawned with cool temps and bright sunshine...yippee !  The plan...beach time and exploring the marsh along West Bay via FM 3005.  Seawall Blvd/San Luis Pass Road/FM 3005 are all the same road which parallels the Gulf.  It runs from one end of the island to the other.  It's a pleasant, easy drive with colorful homes on stilts, folks strolling along the tide looking for shells or fishing,  and some surfers enjoying the waves.  The best thing...no high-rises !      

At the west end of Galveston, there is a $2.00 toll both and bridge that takes you over to the mainland.  






This morning we headed that way to the Kelly Hamby Nature Trail just across the bridge.  

It is a short boardwalk through "a forrest" of salt cedars (ranchers planted them years ago for the cattle) and tamarisk trees with various sea grasses.     





The trail winds it's way to the ocean...

Joe and I enjoyed a quiet walk on the beach.  There weren't many birds... just a few Snowy Plovers 

 and a lonely Ring-billed Gull.

The waves were crashing...music to my ears...

and we were the only ones around !  Doesn't get much better.

Our next stop was also on the mainland...San Luis Pass County Park.  


We drove Pearl right down to the beach.  Did you know the beach is a public highway and the speed limit is 15 mph?  We didn't...that's pretty cool. 

We weren't the only ones enjoying a beautiful day.  The pelicans were happy too !

Once we returned to the island, we did more exploring in the marshes along West Bay.  I'll save that for another post so until next time...

HAPPY TRAILS !

La Jolla

San Diego Metro KOA
Chula Vista, CA
January 24, 2017


It was a very rainy, stormy, and windy week-end.


Thank goodness the owners of this MH were not at home and didn't have any pets inside.  








Several eucalyptus trees were uprooted in the park including the one behind our MH.  It only brushed the back and back driver side...no major damage.




Imagine the smile on our faces when we woke up to partly sunny skies Tuesday morning.  We were in the road and headed north about 23 miles to the beaches of La Jolla.  La Jolla is within the northern city limits of San Diego occupying about 7 miles of spectacular coastline. 

Our lighthearted escapades to La Jolla have become a favorite for me when we are here.  It's all about the sea lions and seals, the Brown Pelicans and other shore birds,  and the ocean which was especially wild this day thanks to a high surf warning.

The sea wall, built in the 1930s, was suppose to be a safe place for children to  swim. 

Every winter, the children's pool area is closed off to the public for pupping season.  The seals and sea lions take over. 




Oh, what a face !



"ZZZZZZZZZZ !"

 If you have read our blog in years past, you know how much I love watching the Brown Pelicans. These beautiful and fun birds could keep my camera happy for hours. 


Notice the dark brown/black neck, bright red throat pouch and white head tinged with yellow?  It's breeding season !

Sights along our walk...

 After Tuesday,  the most perfect, awesome and funnest weather we had experienced this year set in for the rest of our stay in San Diego.  Unfortunately, Joe and I and the pups didn't have a chance to enjoy one single day of it !  We woke up to a sick Dover on Wednesday.  We took her to Bay South Veterinary Hospital for a check.  She got medicines to stop the throwing-up and we brought her home with the understanding if she wasn't better to bring her back.  She didn't eat Tuesday, Wednesday, or Thursday.  On Friday, she was still throwing-up and not eating so it was back to the hospital.  She was admitted and spent three nights there with a diagnosis of acute pancreatitis.  South Bay is a great vet hospital with 24 hour staff.  While she was there, Joe and I became quite ill with the flu.  I spent three days in bed with fever, chills and very upset tummy !  Joe wasn't much better. 

So happy to get the last week behind us !  We arrived in Tucson yesterday...looking forward to seeing old friends and meeting new friends soon.  Also there are the doctor visits and  bus "stuff" to check off the list.  

Until next time...

 HAPPY TRAILS ! 

Brown Pelicans

San Diego Metro KOA
Chula Vista, CA
January 15, 2015

Today was La Jolla day..definitely at the top of my list for things to do when here. From the KOA, it is about 22 miles to this hilly seaside village where streets are lined with unique boutiques, galleries, and cafes. But the most compelling highlight for me is the ocean. And yes, the pelicans.  

 If you want to see these elegant birds, the best time to visit La Jolla cliffs is December through February. This is the time of year the Brown Pelican displays it's most colorful plumage. 

 Brown Pelicans mostly eat small fish that form schools near the surface of the water. They catch fish by plunge-diving from high up, using the force of impact to stun the fish. 

 I read that Brown Pelicans were part of the reason the U.S. National Wildlife Refuge System was established in 1903. They were poisoned when they ate fish laced with pesticides, and were almost extinct. In 2009, they were removed from the endangered species list. 

We waited and waited for the perfect picture of the "dramatic red throat pouch", but it just didn't happen today. The pouch can hold up to 3 gallons of water...about 25 pounds worth! 

 Young brown pelicans  lose their feathers 6 times before they look like their parents. When they are 3-5 years old, they are gray-brown on top, blackish-brown on their belly and striped black and silver on their chest. Only after breeding, do their heads turn yellow and their necks turn white. Also, young brown pelicans have brown eyes that turn tan or blue during courtship. 






Open wide!

It was the best pelican day ever! And as always, Joe had to drag me away. It was cloudy and quite chilly today, but I hardly noticed! 

 California dreaming on such a winter's day...

Until next time, let the good times roll...

HAPPY TRAILS!

( Information about Brown Pelicans were found on www.biokids.umich.edu, www.allaboutbirds.org, and animals.nationalgeographic.com .)