Day 6 - 4 Jan 08 - Lafayette to Galveston, TX

Odometer: 123,129 Weather: Cloudy and cool

Well...Slap Yer Mama...we're in Galveston, Texas and we think we've found Utopia! This is pretty close to heaven on earth but more about that in a bit. Photo is Crystal Beach, Texas, just past Gilchrist (honest Carl...look on the map).

We pulled out of Lafayette, Louisiana and had already decided that a shorter day on the raod was a better day so set our sights on Galveston, which neither of us had ever visited previously. At the Texas border, we stopped at the wonderful tourist info center (there is one at the border of each State) to pick up a State map and other info. The center is in the middle of the Blue Elbow Swamp and there was a wonderful interpretive boardwalk through the swamp. Love it already.

Gertie (our GPS) took us off the Interstate, thank God, and we swung down to the Bolivar Penninsula which runs along the Gulf of Mexico. There was miles and miles, and more miles, of beautiful beach and later beautiful beach homes, all built on 15 ft stilts. A free ferry took us across Galveston Bay to the small city of Galveston, which is also built on a small island. I always thought of Galveston as a huge city but it's not and so very pleasant to navigate.

While on the ferry, Wayne struck up a conversation with a couple from Quebec who were driving a Leisure Van (much like ours) and they are back on the road for their 6th winter. They have done this area each year so invited us to stop at the first McDonald's to have coffee and get some advice on local sights. Gaston and Nicole spent nearly two hours telling us all the places we shouldn't miss. Such a nice couple and as they are also on a 3-month holiday to some of the places we will go, I wouldn't be surprised if we run across them again.

It was dark by the time we found our RV park and when we arrived the owners had gone out so left a note on the door to say, "Find yourself a site and hook up...see you tomorrow". We are directly across the road from the beach and will go to bed tonight listening to the surf.

I'm not sure when the weather changed but I know that when we stopped for groceries just before the Texas border, the sun was shining and the temperature had risen significantly. We will strip off all the extra clothes tomorrow and I expect to be in shorts the day after.

This RVing is tough...picture this. I cooked chicken, potatoes and fresh veggies for supper, washed the dishes and made tea while Wayne hooked up the laptop and connected to the wireless internet provided. I've downloaded today's photos and doing my blog while he is reclining in bed watching television. Yep, life is tough!

We're going to do some sightseeing in Galveston tomorrow and will probably stay here at least one more night. I'm anxious to see some of the beach...because it is off-season, it's almost deserted and just perfect for a stroll and shell picking. This place still has lots of vacant land on the beach and I don't think it's been completely discovered yet....so don't tell anybody!