Houston

Lakeview RV Resort
Houston, TX
January 9-12, 2014

Joe and I pulled into Lakeview around lunchtime Thursday morning. Its a short drive (only 72 miles) from Anahuac to Houston. No, it was not the Grackles we were here to visit. But rather, friends Judy and Gary who we met last year in Moab.

We quickly set up our home and walked the Tan Clan. Then Judy mentioned Five Guys...oh how we love Five Guys...I couldn't get in their Jeep quick enough!

After  yummy hamburgers all the way with fries and ice tea, lots of catching up, a stop at the grocery store, and plans made for Friday, we were all off to take naps.

 

Friday, Judy and Gary picked us up at 11:00am. First stop...lunch! Monument Inn Restaurant came highly recommended by a local they met here. The restaurant is located on the Houston ship channel. It's on the second story with huge windows and a very nice view of the waterway. We enjoyed watching the barges and ships pass by.

Salad was served with a basket of warm cinnamon rolls. "Fun facts" about the restaurant say they make over 1000 cinnamon rolls on a busy Saturday. I know why! Then, we were served platters pilled high with fresh gulf seafood...oysters, shrimp, scallops, and stuffed crab. We all ate way too much. Five stars on food, five stars on service! 

After lunch, a walk was in order. We stopped to see the San Jacinto Monument. The 567 foot column, actually taller than the Washington Monument (555 feet), is topped with a 220 ton, 34 foot "Lone Star" that commemorates the site of the Battle of San Jacinto, a decisive battle of the Texas Revolution. The base of the monument contains a 15,625 sq. foot museum. The outside of the base is decorated with eight engraved panels depicting the history of Texas.

 

Along with the monument, the 1200 acre San Juan Battleground Historic Site also provides a home for the Battleship Texas. It became the first battleship memorial in 1948.  

Joe, Gary and Judy...

 

Judy found a 4 leaf clover...

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Judy had graciously made reservations for us to take a tour of the Port of Houston aboard the M/V Sam Houston at 2:30. Parking is free at the Sam Houston Pavilion. A "work in progress"...this beautiful mosaic wall depicts how the port has played an important role in the history of Houston.  
 

 

 

The port is a 25 mile long complex of public and private facilities. Its the first port to be built with federal and local matching funds. It officially opened on November 14, 1914...almost 100 years ago!  


Three Ready Reserve Force cargo/container ships are on stand-by to move army vehicles and tanks from Fort Hood to troubled spots when needed.

There was a young man standing close to us on the deck with his wife and young children. He works at the port. His children were excited to be there and we learned so much from him!

Its an inland port...thus partially protected from major storms that threaten the Gulf.

The 90 minute tour is the only means by which the public can view port operations.  It is a great way to spend the afternoon if you are in the area!

Saturday morning was another first for us...a visit to the Johnson Space Center.

We arrived at the center just in time to catch the first blue tram ride...headed to the Mission Control Center.

My favorite part of the day was in Building 30...the Mission Control Room.  We learned lots of information. We visited the new, redesigned control room that will be used for future spaceflights including the Orion Mission to Mars. The first screen on the left in the picture above was "real time", managing the activities aboard the International Space Station in the control room next to the room we were in. And then we watched as the ISS passed from daylight to dark on the screen in the middle.

We also took the red tram which took us to the Vehicle Mock-Up Facility in Building 9. Several mockup parts of the ISS are used for training...


...new and developing robotic technology...

Canada Arm



Orion capsule

...mockup pieces of the Canada Arm used for repairs on the ISS

...and the developing new Orion capsule.

 

We also made a stop at Rocket Park to view the Saturn V.

 We were saturated with information after our stops.

 The tram ride includes a stop at the Astronaut Memorial Grove. An oak tree is planted in honor of every astronaut who has passed away.

There are many other attractions at the Space Center...time and energy being a factor for us, we chose two others. We got a glimpse of what its like living in space at an interactive presentation by an astronaut...







...and enjoyed a look at some amazing artifacts in manned space flight history at the Starship Gallery.

 

Our time with Judy and Gary flew by! Thank you for your warm hospitality. We enjoyed our visit and cant wait for our next one!

 

We are slowly making our way west on I-10. We arrive in Tucson on Wednesday. We are really looking forward to a high of 74*, no rain, and no humidity!

 

Take care and until next time...

 

 

 enjoy your view!



 

 

Judy, Anahuac NWR, and WOW!

Winnie Inn and RV Campground
Winnie, TX
January 7, 2014

Traveling on I-10, most folks ride right on past Winnie, TX. Joe and I would have been no exception except that Anahuac NWR is located in Winnie and that's where Judy and Emma are.




 I was thrilled at the prospect of possibly meeting Judy and Emma (Travels With Emma) and seeing Anahuac. And then ecstatic when plans were made. Even in the bitter cold, Judy graciously committed to a day with us...a day she had off!  After meets and greets including sweet puppy kisses from Emma at Judy's, we were on our way. Immediately, Pearl (our Jeep) was filled with conversation...history about the refuge, questions and answers, stories, sharing a little about us, and learning a little about her...just like old friends.

Our first stop was the Visitors Center (a beautiful new facility) where we took a virtual tour of the refuge on an "air boat". The refuge has 34,000 acres managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

 Our first photo stop was on the 2.5 mile loop around Shoveler Pond...the only freshwater lake in the refuge.




It was interesting to learn that after Ike (2008) the lake had to be drained, given time to dry out and then all the salt removed and then refilled.








We saw lots of coots. These birds are not ducks, but rather in the rail family with strong legs and long lobed toes.












Then as we were rounding the turn...WOW! An Ibis...one of the birds I really wanted to see. Isn't it grand? Their long, down-curved bill is used for probing. They are tactile, non-visual foragers and prefer crayfish, insects, and small fishes.

We sat and watched for a few minutes.

 







 

 

 As we were leaving...so was this Great Blue Heron. What a sight...we watched as he took flight and settled in on the road just to our left.

















From there, Judy took us down Frozen Point Road. This road runs right through prairie land all the way to Galveston Bay. Why the name  Frozen Point? When a blizzard in 1895 dumped 18 inches of snow there, the cows headed south along the fence line. They ran right into the bay, bogged down and froze. 

Along the way,
we just happen to see a large flock of white and black Ibis...

 



They like to feed in groups.

We also saw a good size group of neotropic cormorants.

Galveston Bay

Judy took us to Skillern Tract for the last part of our day.  The wooded banks of East Bay Bayou turned into a few "WOW!" moments for us! First off, we spotted a vermillion flycatcher just as we stepped out of the Jeep.

This was the first time for Joe and I to see one and it was very difficult to be quiet. We had such fun following him as he flew from tree to tree...

WOW!

White-crowned Sparrow

One of the many overlooks along the bayou...

This area is great for fishing, canoeing or kayaking, bird watching...or for spotting butterflies and alligators. Its absolutely beautiful!  And oh so quiet!



Walking along talking with Judy surrounded by all this beauty was a dream come true. I had to pinch myself several times!

Oops, Judy I forget the name of this little guy....










The Common Moorhen or "swamp chicken" pecking for small aquatic creatures and vegetation. Wow!

The Blue-gray Gnatcatcher...he flicks his white-edged tail to scare up the hiding insects. Wow!

 And last...the Orange-crowned Warbler...WOW!

He was so entertaining as he meticulously moved from post to post checking each and every crevice looking for spiders.

Judy and I were snapping away...he didn't seem to mind!

 

Well, before we knew it, 6 hours had flown by. Joe and I both agree it was the fastest 6 hours ever! Having Judy as our very own personal guide made visiting Anahuac a very special day...one we will not forget. Somehow, "Thank you, Judy." just doesn't seem like enough! Don't be surprised if you see us at Tamarac this summer!

 

We had planned on going back to Anahuac today. We wanted to see the huge flocks of Snow Geese, but it was so cloudy with winds around 25 mph...we just stayed home with the Tan Clan instead.

 

Tomorrow we are off to Houston for a few days. Sure hope it warms up!

 

2014 is off to a great start for us...hope it is for you too.

 

 Until next time...take care and

 enjoy your view!