A room overlooking the Gulf of Mexico, a walk along the beach, a dinner at sunset on the upper deck of a place called Fish Tales - this was our introduction to Galveston Island. Galveston is unique in that it is part southern, part western and unlike most of the rest of Texas. When a city survives being burned by one of its early European settlers, the pirate John Lafitte; devastating hurricanes (They actually raised the level of the city after the 1900 storm.); and years of economic downturn, it emerges stronger when committed to recovery and re-discovery. That is Galveston.
 |
| Not the ferry! |
 |
| The ferry! |
I was surprised at the size of the island - 32 miles long and 2 1/2 miles wide. Apparently, the residents are fairly self-sufficient and don't see much need to go to the mainland, happy with being just where they are. But we had to leave the island to continue our fall adventure and we found a relaxing and scenic way to do it...the ferry to Port Bolivar. These ferries run every 20- 30 minutes, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. We did have to stop and be inspected for security. I guess we looked harmless and escaped having to remove the contents of our car which must have appeared to contain all our worldly possessions. And, we never had to take off our shoes. We then boarded the ferry and decided that it is the most pleasant way to make the 2.7 mile trip across Galveston Bay. We did it in about 18 minutes. And guess what - it is free!
We were greeted at Port Bolivar by a group of Pelicans perched on the dock. (Nice touch) The ride through Bolivar Peninsular was along a two-lane highway traversing quiet beach towns, some farms and the occasional field with oil pumps. Prominent were the homes, everyone elevated on stilts - some two stories high - sure evidence of flood preparedness. The drive was a slower pace than the interstate and was such a welcomed change, especially for the chief driver - Terry.
And so we were on our way to New Orleans - Laissez les bons temps rouler!
No comments:
Post a Comment