I do not know how to start this post without gushing! Galveston was such a nice change of pace for us this past week! I haven’t seen the ocean for so long and it always does something to my soul. I am simply a better person at the beach!
I wasn’t sure what to expect as I had read many Texans commenting on how their beaches were ugly and the water was brown. I didn’t see that at all – it is plenty beautiful! It might not be some place I would fly to unless I was going on a cruise out of this port. However, if we ever are this way again, I would definitely make a stop and stay a bit!
Our RV park was right on the beach and this time of year the crowds are non-existent. We had a cold day or two but most days it’s been in the mid to upper 70’s which is perfect. Being here with the beach in our front yard felt expansive in a different way than any of the places we have visited so far. I love getting up in the morning and going for runs and seeing what has changed since the day before. Later in the afternoons, I would go out and read and watch the waves while Ed ran around metal detecting. We also took a couple of opportunities for late night walks which always gives me a good sleep after.
Between Ed working and me writing (working on a book for new RV folks), and getting in time on the beach, we were still able to find time to do some really fun things together. We love seafood, so we made a point to go the first night. We ate at a place called Miller’s Seawall Grill. It was decent, Ed especially enjoyed their award winning Shrimp and Gouda Grits. We both liked the Shark Shack much better in the Strand District, but it depends on your taste. Shark Shack was super casual and had great shrimp tacos.
The shops in the Strand District are also cute and we spent a little time looking around and getting a better sense for the town. We enjoyed talking to a man in the Mysticatz store that did a few demonstrations for us on their rocks and the energy fields they put out and a little on Reiki. It was fascinating actually, going to do some more research.
Probably the most fun thing we did together was a kayak trip in Galveston State Park. They have a few water trails there on the sound side, we opted to go to Jenkin’s Bayou. This turned out to be an excellent choice because they were doing some controlled burning near the other water trails. We were thankfully not effected by the smoke. That was the only downside of going in the off season, the upside was that we had this magical place to ourselves! The birding in this park was outstanding! We saw the usual Blue Herons and Great Egrets, but we also saw a couple Roseate Spoonbills, which were absolutely beautiful with their white feathers blending into a hot pink on their wings and tail. There were several Neotropic Cormorants, Brown Pelicans, and many others that we didn’t get enough detail to try and identify. After our kayak trip, we also took a hike on the must-see Clapper Trail. This park makes you feel like you are on an adventure and you aren’t sure what you are going to see next! It was beautiful, would have loved to have spent more time there.
On the way back, Ed turned into a subdivision to show me a beach house that had caught his eye. It had floor to ceiling windows and you could see the beach through it on the other side. It was absolutely gorgeous. He said “Would you like to live there?” I said “If you can hire me a housekeeper, I am done keeping that big of a house!” He said “So if I told you no housekeeper?” I said “No deal!” Then I pointed at a much smaller house further down I said “How about that one?” He laughed and told me that it was someone’s storage building. I told him THAT would be PERFECT. I don’t care how I am staying at the beach – I have my little home here and every single thing that I need and want! I have woken up every day here thinking that I can’t believe this is my life. In fact, the idea of having so much stuff to take care of and a big home to run no longer appeals to me at all. I am free in a way I haven’t been since I was a teenager and I can’t help but celebrate that feeling of being so very grateful!
We head four hours south to Port Aransas tomorrow to stay at a different beach for a month. We continue to chase that 75 degree weather! We are also looking forward to staying put for that long!