New Orleans to Galveston

Day 13 – Dec 19

We awake to a beautiful day, hook up the truck and head for Rayne, LA, a small town just east of Lafayette. The highway is a concrete washboard through the Atchfalaya swamp but this is a journey down memory lane for us. On our honeymoon we discovered Chef Roy’s, a wonderful Southern seafood restaurant and we make reservations to revisit. Chef Roy has moved on; his sous chefs have bought him out. But the name remains the same and the menu is still excellent and we indulge ourselves. (Only sour note: the crème brûlée is neither crème nor brûlée.)

We are camped at the Rayne (Frog Capital of the World) municipal campground – set up for 700 RVs! We are the only campers. Is this Katrina money?

Day 14 – Dec 20

I get up and go for a jog in very windy weather and then we head back to Lafayette to visit Vermilionvillle, a historic village of early Cajun life. They’ve done it very well and the docents are pleasant and knowledgeable.  We’re there until the early afternoon.

We haven’t quite internalized the fact that many restaurants close their doors at 2 p.m. but we get a recommendation for Don’s Seafood downtown and once again we strike lucky – more great food.

When we return to Rayne we make plans to head for Galveston tomorrow and Darlene confirms that the ferry will take our RV.

Day 15 – Dec 21

An easy run down to Galveston but the roads in Louisiana are some of the bumpiest in the world. The ferry over to the island is first-come, first served but they have a special lane for big trucks and we get on easily. As we wait to depart we are greeted by a pod of dolphins that seem to be doing tricks just for us. We seen them before in Florida but these guys are jumping in pairs!

Day 16 – Dec 22

It’s  a fine day and we set out to explore Galveston. Top of my list is an oil rig – the Ocean Star – now retired and remodeled as a museum. Way up in Canada it’s easy to overlook the fact that one quarter of America’s oil comes from the Gulf of Mexico. We have seen refineries here that are the size of small cities, the horizon is speckled with drilling rigs, and it is apparent that, despite hurricanes, offshore drilling is not going to stop – ever.

It’s a good museum, obviously set up to present the profession in a good light, (a green light) but the material is laid out well and we soon can tell the difference between fixed rigs, compliants, jack-ups, tension-legs and spars.

Between videos and actual machines the process of drilling is explained fully – always with the emphasis on safety. I keep looking for information on the Deepwater Horizon, but find very little until, tucked away in a corner, I see a memorial to the 11 crewmen who lost their lives in the blowout. Nowhere is there any specific information on the causes of the disaster, but then this is a case that is still before the courts and Louisiana highways sport billboards that read “Got a BP claim? Call 1-800- ****” The deadline for claims isn’t until August 2013; this case will drag on for decades. I’m surprised that I see so many locals filling up at BP stations but then perhaps they’re trying to ensure the company doesn’t go under before all claims are settled.

After a walk around old Galveston admiring the Victorian architecture we had a late lunch at the family–owned Shrimp ‘N Stuff where I had an excellent oyster po-boy and Darlene tried to get through a mammoth shrimp salad.

Day 17 – Dec 23

Another ridiculous drive through multiple lane changes and overexcited traffic. There is a monster flea market in Houston called Trader’s Village and it is hyped for its excellence and its abundance of antiques. We decide to run up there only to find that it is now a Mexican village selling second-hand goods and budgies and tons of lurid Chinese plastic toys.  It was fun to see but there was little to attract us besides the tacos. And then, just as I was ready to be disappointed, I found a wonderful present for a friend in a used sign shop. I left happy.

Day 18 – Dec 24

Each morning we get up and go for a walk/jog along the beach. I am pleased and can actually see some progress. Today I went the furthest and ran the longest.

After breakfast we head down Seawall Drive to pick up supplies for tomorrow. At Randall’s we buy steaks and some enormous shrimp as well as a pecan pie and some croissants. Then north to Home Depot to find a string of Christmas lights.  Nothing at HD but Target offers me a single string of solar powered lights. I’m trying them out and have them pointing westerly to charge the battery as I type.

In the afternoon Dar and I wash the truck. It was filthy and now sits sparkling in front of the rig. Tonight we’ll splurge – put on our “goin’ to town” clothes and head for Fisherman’s Wharf for a big seafood dinner.

Day 19 – Dec 25 – Christmas Day

Well last night’s dinner was excellent! Restaurants in this part of the world love to fry their seafood. That usually means “deep-fry”, something we try to stay away from, but last night they showed us that it can mean light and crispy and crunchy with no oily aftertaste. I have to learn how to cook like that.

Neither of us got much of a sleep last night – very windy with lots of gusts that kept us awake. In the morning we got up, made a latte and coffee and we took to the beach with croissants for a  walk. The waves are up and thunderstorms are predicted for later. We’ll exchange gifts when we return and munch on Christmas cake (Thank you, Dulcie!) and mimosas.

Does this look safe to you?

The thunderstorms arrive but pass on by early afternoon and we head out to explore. Plenty of people out on the seawall downtown in spite of cool temperatures and big waves. We try the Seawolf Park but the whole park is closed, not just the ships.

Christmas dinner is to be surf and turf but the wind is so strong I’d never be able to keep the bbq upright, let alone lit. We settle for a shrimp dinner and both of us comment – once again – how fresh shrimp put the frozen ones to shame.  We certainly had an unusual Christmas without our family, very low key, but it was good, and we know Aaron and Danielle are enjoying skiing Whistler with her family, Alysha & Joel will have a blast in Costa Rico with their Dad.  Andrew who just returned from Australia after a month staying with his Mom while he wrote and passed his Master's exam will be spending the holidays with his girlfriend Shannon. My (Dar's) Mom and Dad are with my sister Dulcie and her kids at Kristen and Bryan's farm.  

You will notice a change of writing styles, and tenses as I (Dar) take on some of the writing.  Blogs take a lot of time to write so Ian has agreed that it makes sense to share the writing.  The letter in parentheses is a clue.

Day 20 – Dec 26
Again 55k/hr winds and now much colder so we head to Houston, 11/2hrs away, to visit some galleries.  We really enjoy the Museum of Contemporary crafts; it’s small but the work is very polished and imaginative. And then over to the Houston Museum of Fine Arts where I seem to overload on pre-Columbian gold and call it quits much sooner than usual.  Did you know that Houston is the 4th largest city in N.A.?  We were shocked that it took so much time to travel through it.

We stop on the way home at an outlet mall so that Ian can look for boots which he finds.  No such thing as boxing day sales in Texas, prices were the same as before Xmas.  The winds were better in the evening so Ian can BBQ  steaks and  we enjoy our 2nd Xmas dinner. Ian always finds me a great book for Christmas, this year it is 419 by Will Ferguson this year's Giller winner.  I am loving it and highly recommend it.   The family all seem to have had a great Christmas and not missed us. 

Day 21 - Dec. 27
More cold and rain so we snuggle inside.  I clean cupboards and the floor, as after a year of sitting the dirt does collect.  Ian works on the blog.  We catch up with family and friends and appreciate the American sim card and US phone rates.  

Day 22 - Dec. 28

We hitch up in rain, drive 5 hours to Port Aransas, an island near Corpus Christi, where we shall stay a week.  The sun has come out and it is warmer.  The park has 2 pools which I (Dar) am disappointed to discover are not heated and thus not swimmable.  Texas is not Florida even though it shares the Gulf.  We are beside the beach so we plan many walks for Dar, walk/runs for Ian.  The birding should be great.