It's raining!!!! (Corpus Christi, TX 03-05-11)



Our King Ranch on the beach



     I know that seems like a strange thing to get excited about, but its been about 5 months since we've seen any real rain,  and it's pouring out!  We've actually seen more snow than rain, sadly. So, anyway, I am not complaining about it, especially since the weather forecasters got it right this time so we had no plans for this morning.  Later today we hope to go check out the WWII vintage aircraft carrier USS Lexington.






free beach camping at the National seashore

        Yesterday  was supposed to be the nicest day so we headed to Padre Island National Seashore.  The weather wasn't all that great, but at least it didn't rain. The Corpus Christi area has barrier islands just offshore, which makes for lots of beaches!   It's a little spooky, but the beaches are considered to be roads, and everyone can drive on them.  There is very little tide here, which plays a role in being able to do that.  There are signs posted near the intersections of "real road" and "beach road" that let people know the condition of the beach roads, some of which are only recommended for 4 wheel drive vehicles (which we are not) but others can be traveled by almost anyone, including motor homes.  You can camp for free on the beach in a lot of areas, you just have to get a permit, and can only stay 2 weeks at a time.  Interesting idea, but not for us this time around.  We don't read many books and there isn't much else to do there, especially since the weather is not very warm. This isn't the place that brings in hoards of spring breakers, it's a remote seashore, with no "amenities".  A lot of birders come here to see the huge variety of birds that migrate through the area.  I was almost quick enough to get a great picture of the pelicans and terns in flight.




 



ferry ride from Mustang Island

 The day we got here it was early enough that we had time to do a quick drive around, so we drove across the bridge to Mustang Island.  There is a state park there with a campground, and several RV parks as well, with lots of beaches and stores-mostly selling souvenirs and beach gear-so we didn't stop.  Apparently there's a constant breeze here, so surfing, windsurfing and kite surfing are all popular sports.  On the calmer, inside bays, kayaking is popular. Mustang Island is connected to the mainland by bridges, but there is also a free automotive ferry that cuts off some of the travel time.  We decided to take the ferry just for the fun of it, and had to wait about 20 minutes, but it was a unique experience.  It was dark by the time we got across the water (about a one mile trip, if that).  We got "spoken to" by the guy who loaded our truck onto the ferry.  While waving us onto the ferry, he was waving his hands around in what seemed to be a random pattern, but apparently it wasn't random, we just didn't speak the language.  Once all the cars were loaded he came over and basically told us we were pretty dumb not to figure out where he wanted us to park (which wasn't where we ended up).  Paul apologized for not understanding, saying it was our first time on the ferry, but he still looked at us dumbfounded.  I guess he wanted us to park in the middle, taking two spots, so no one would park close to our enormous dually truck.    Oh well, we'll know next time!

   Yesterday we had some free time so we did some planning.  We put together a rough idea of where we want to travel this summer because staying in Massachusetts requires making reservations.  Originally we were going to try to be there for July 4th, but now we're going to be there at the end of May, and stay for 2 weeks.  So Ray and Dawn, make sure you have time in your schedule for us!!  We are thinking of getting there by way of Washington D.C. since we haven't been there yet ( Steve, that's your headsup that we'll be calling you).  Once we leave MA, we'll head to Michigan for the Traverse City Cherry Festival.  Paul has always wanted to go, so this is our chance.

Missions Accomplished! (San Antonio 03-03-11)

 






San Antonio has 5 missions, one of which is the Alamo (Mission San Antonio de Valero).  We didn't go to the Alamo this time around since we went there last time we were in San Antonio.  We walked to Mission San Jose a few days ago, and then on Tuesday we got out the bikes and rode to Mission Conception.  Mission Conception is missing most of the outside walls, but more of what is there, is original, which made it more interesting.  The church has been recently restored and is still in use as an active parish.  It was interesting to see the melding of the old and new.                                                                             

 

Mission Conception

                                                                                            After we left that Mission, we got a little lost.  There was road construction, with signs that said "road closed" but we thought they meant closed for cars.  But nope, they meant closed as in completely impassable, so we had to turn around and figure out another way to get to Mission San Juan.  Eventually we found it, but I am not sure it was worth the effort.   The church at this mission wasn't open, so we just wandered around a little bit and looked at empty buildings.  There had actually been  3 churches on this site, but the third one was never finished due to lack of laborers. From there, it was on to Mission Espada. There wasn't too much to see there, except some empty buildings. All in all, we rode about 20 miles, and had an enjoyable day.  Later on we took two steps backwards however. After our ride, we went out  to dinner at a local Mexican restaurant (Nicha's), so we piled back on the calories, but the food was some of the best we've had in a very long time!  Great enchiladas and sopapillas and the chips and tortillas were freshly made.
  Wednesday was a housekeeping day for the most part.  We rented a carpet cleaner and cleaned the desert out of the carpets and they look so much better!  We gathered up our tax information and realize we are still missing one piece of information, which is very annoying, so we'll have to wait to get our taxes done.



    Later in the day we felt lazy but decided since it was our last night we really should go to the Rivewalk. 

            It turned out that our RV park was in a very convenient location, overall.  Not only could we walk and bike to the missions (and downtown, if we had wanted to) but we are on the bus route.  So, we took the local bus to the Riverwalk- it's the first time either of us have been on a bus in a very long time, but it was fun.  After walking around for a couple of hours, we ate dinner at The Republic of Texas.   We pretty much just stopped at restaurants until we found one that had a table available right outside on the water.  I really love the Riverwalk.  I love all the restaurants, the atmosphere, and also the fact that the locals use the area too.  There are many walkers and joggers along the walkways.



The Riverwalk



     Today we left San Antonio and planned to stay at Lake Corpus Christi State Park, but when we got there, they didn't have a site available that is large enough to fit us, so we kept going and we're staying in an RV park in Corpus Christi.  This afternoon we waded in the Gulf of Mexico!



Mustang Island







San Antonio, TX (3-01-11)



skipping stones on the Guadalupe River



 The last time we were in San Antonio, we totally focused on the "tourist" highlights of the city.  This time, we are doing some touristy things, but we are also trying to branch out and see some other parts of the area.  To this end, we drove over to Government Canyon Natural Area, to do some hiking.  When we arrived, the volunteer was very excited to tell us about the area and which hikes she thought would be the best "first" hike, with the best scenery etc.  We settled on the "Joe Johnston" trail, which was about 6 miles long, and featured a scenic overlook and several ruins. This is where the term "everything is relative" comes to mind.  Relatively speaking, for the San Antonio urban area, this hike is probably a highlight.  Having just come from Big Bend National Park, it was just a stroll in the woods, with a cliff overlooking more trees.  The ruins were mostly fenced, and therefore inaccessible, although one ruin of a farmhouse was accessible but not restored in any way.  Along the path, we did find one geocache, which added a little interest to the day.
        Part of our plan was to slow down a little bit, which we aren't very good at, actually.  We did spend one day here just hanging out, taking care of some paperwork, and in general being lazy.  Saturday night there was a Sock Hop dance at the RV park.  We had a good time although we realized that a lot of early 50s music is too early for us and we don't know it very well.  The "DJ" also didn't seem to understand the difference between listening music and dancing music, so  a lot of what was played wasn't very danceable.  We did have a good time though, and were invited to join a table of regulars. 



    Yesterday we headed up to Guadalupe River State Park.  That's where we were originally going to stay, and its a beautiful river! But, we're glad we didn't stay there because it's pretty far from everything else. In the summer time this place must be packed because there is great tubing down this river.  Right now is off season though, so it was quiet.  We hiked along the river for a couple of miles, and had lunch before heading back home.