Dolphins, Oh Yeah!!

Yesterday was an awesome day!!

We went back to the shuttle stop and when I saw the bus coming, I was up and waving my arms. The lady driver stopped for us, and we rode the entire loop for 25 cents. The shuttle is a nice way to get around if you don’t want to drive.

The day was warm and sunny, but when the shuttle got to the beach it was foggy right along the shore. It was kind of eerie looking.

Our driver was very nice and pointed out points of interest along the route. She told us that dolphin are frequently seen in the shipping channel. We got off the bus at the park we went to the day before and climbed the observation tower to see if we could see any dolphin. No luck.

We walked back home and picked up our bikes. Its about a 15 minute bike ride to Gulf of Mexico beaches. The fog had burned off, and it was a beautiful day.

We parked our bikes and walked over to the jetty between the Gulf and the shipping channel. There were lots of people fishing along the very long wall. We walked all the way to the end. I don’t know how far out it goes, but here’s a look back to shore. It’s a very long wall made of huge granite boulders built by the Army Corp of Engineers.

As we neared the end of the jetty, I spotted a dolphin in the channel! Then I saw a few more!! We ended up seeing a couple of different groups of them with 3 or 4 dolphin in each group. I was snapping away with my camera hoping I’d get at least one decent picture.

It was so cool to see the dolphin, but the fun wasn’t over yet. Kevin spotted a sea turtle swimming near the side of the wall. I wasn’t able to get a picture, but we enjoyed watching it. It would stick its head out for a breath and then float along just under the surface. Eventually, it dove deeper and we lost sight of it.

We saw lots of Brown Pelicans. This guy was sitting on a rock and let me get up very close for a picture.

A large group of pelicans went flying overhead.

I snapped several shots of pelicans flying hoping to get a good one. I think this one turned out very nice.

Out near the end of the jetty I spotted this boat engine lodged in between some rocks. It would take some very powerful waves to toss it up on these rocks.

I was appalled by the amount of garbage down between all of the rocks. Where does it all come from? How is all of this garbage getting into the water? Disgusting!!

Back at the beach we were surprised to see campers right on the sand. There is a campground, but it’s behind the dunes. These campers were parked right on the beach.  I asked a lady about it, and she told me its $12 a night to camp on the beach. Although I think it would be very cool to do, we wouldn’t feel comfortable putting our 5th wheel on the sand like that.

There were lots of gulls along the beach, and quite a few of these cute little Sanderlings.

One White Egret was hanging out near the shore in a little cove.

We picked up our bikes and headed back home. After dinner we watched Bourne Legacy, which we had picked up from Redbox using a free code they texted me. It was pretty good.

Thus ended an amazing day!

As I’m writing this blog, its raining and thundering outside. Texas is in a drought, and they really need this rain. We’re staying home today. I’m going to work on a sewing project I’m doing for Cathryn. Hopefully, she will like how it turns out.

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Exploring Port Aransas

Our original plan for yesterday was to ride the shuttle around Port Aransas to get a feel for where everything is located. There is a stop next to our RV park, and the shuttle comes once an hour. We sat down on the bench and waited. The shuttle came and went right past us. The driver never even looked at us. What’s up with that??

So, we started walking. We found the visitor center and were informed that you have to stand up and wave down the shuttle drivers. Lots of people just use the benches to rest so the drivers don’t stop if someone is just sitting there. Today we’ll try again and you can bet I’ll be waving my arms like mad. The shuttle is 25 cents each time you get on. Not a bad deal if you can catch a ride.

We ended up walking around town for almost three hours. There is a very nice park along the ship channel on one side of the island. This is also where you can catch the ferry to the mainland. We saw a motorhome and small camper, as well as several large trucks and many cars on the ferry. The people at the visitor center told us that heavy vehicles are sometimes not allowed on the ferry if the tide is low. When we leave here, we’ll probably just go back the way we came over the bridge in Corpus Christi.

This picture was taken from the observation tower in the park. Two of the ferries are crossing in the back. There is a nice fishing pier.

Lots of people were fishing from the wall. There were many pipes for them to put their poles into. It didn’t look like they were having much luck though.

There’s a very nice marina as part of the park.

These pelicans were enjoying the day as well.

We passed a restaurant with this very cool sand sculpture outside. They had a sign explaining that they had started this sculpture in October. As a section is finished, they spray it with a mixture of water and Elmer’s glue. The sign also said that “kids, kreeps, klimate and kyotes have an adverse affect on the sculpture”. Funny!

Many cities have some type of statues representing their town. I think it may have originally started with cows in Chicago. Port Aransas has boats made out of concrete and then decorated. I believe there used to be a boat building company here called Farley Boat Company. The same restaurant had this boat with a sand sculpture inside of it.

Of course, there are plenty of souvenir shops along the main drag. This is certainly a big shark. The shop in the background was called The Lighthouser.

 Pretty much everything in town is within walking or biking distance from us. We’re really liking the feel of this town. Its very laid back and has the feel of a tropical island. Not at all what we were expecting in Texas. I can’t wait to explore the beach!

Who knows, maybe we’ll stay put and purchase this RV on pontoons :)

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Green Parakeets Return

Our last week in Mission was pretty low key. We went bike riding at Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park a few times. At one point, four Green Jays flew across the road just in front of us. Very cool!

We also visited with a friend and took a tour of the Bentsen Palm Village Development down the road. It’s a really nice place, but we’re not anywhere near ready to settle down in one spot.

The Green Parakeets would sometimes come to our RV park, but our last week they were back in full force. They usually flew over in the morning and again in the afternoon. They seem to love the many Hackberry trees in the park. In this first picture you can see them eating the berries.

One of the trees was over our truck. About one hundred birds descended on that tree. As they devoured the berries, it sounded like it was raining as the shells hit the ground and our truck. The berries have a sticky residue, so a truck wash was in order later in the day.

Our last afternoon we decided to take a swim and enjoy the hot tub one more time. The parakeets were flying overhead and landed in a tree next to the pool. What a great send off.

We enjoyed our month in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Overall, the weather was okay. We had some cold, damp days at the beginning of the month and some hot, humid days later on. Many days had at least some cloud cover. We’re glad we visited, but probably won’t come back.

Sunday we left and headed to our next month long adventure in Port Aransas, Texas. In Corpus Christi, we saw a huge oil refinery called Flint Hill Refinery. I did a little research and found out that the company has refineries in Alaska, Minnesota and Texas. Combined, they can process 800,000 barrels of crude oil per day. Wow!

Port Aransas is on Mustang Island. We crossed over a long causeway as we approached from the South. There is a free ferry service to get to the island from the North. It runs 24/7 and can handle rigs up to 55’ long. We’ll be checking it out while we’re here.

This area has an island tropical feel to it. There are lots of sand dunes and little shops that remind me of Key West, Florida. I’m excited to begin exploring.

We’re staying at Marina Beach RV Resort. Our site is a 50 amp FHU with a level concrete pad. Sites in the park are pretty tight, but overall it looks like a decent, well maintained place. There is a laundry room and a small clubhouse plus a good sized pool and small backyard style hot tub. The pool is open, but the water is cold.

I was excited to see there is a Dairy Queen within walking distance! Maybe that’s not such a good thing as I still am trying to lose a few pounds before Korey’s wedding :)

Speaking of the wedding, the date is August 10, 2013. They have booked the church, hall, caterer, and photographer so they can now focus on some of the other details.

Korey has moved into his apartment in Omaha and started a new job. He is so happy to finally be living in the same city as Cathryn.

They had engagement pictures taken before Christmas. So far, they’ve only shared one with us. I’m looking forward to seeing more. They also have set up a wedding website. Only six months to the big day!

 

 

 

 

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

Palo Alto NHS and New Chairs

The recliners that came with our 5th wheel were not the greatest quality. After sitting in them for a few years, the cushions had begun to sink. Kevin’s was actually leaning to one side. We are limited to the type of recliners we can buy because they have to be no more than 32 inches wide from side to side so they can be turned sideways and pushed against the rear when the slides come in for traveling.

I had priced some La-Z-Boy chairs last summer in Wisconsin. I found a model that is small enough, but I didn’t like the prices. While looking through one of the Winter Texan newspapers here in Texas, I came across an ad for La-Z-Boy chairs at nearby Whalen Furniture for $299 each. That’s a deal.

 

Last week we stopped in and took a look. We ordered two chairs, but had to pay $124 per chair extra for the swivel option. Although the sales tax is higher in Texas than in Wisconsin, the total bill was still about $75 less than I had found last summer. And the sales lady was nice enough to work it out so we didn’t have to pay delivery charges. They also took our old chairs away to donate to a thrift shop.

 

On Saturday we rode our bikes to Bentsen Rio Grande Valley State Park again. We rode around the loop inside the park twice which made for a total of about 12 total miles of riding. We didn’t see too many birds on our bikes, but I did get another great shot of a Green Jay. Aren’t they just beautiful!!

 

On Sunday we headed towards Brownsville to visit the Palo Alto National Historic Site and Resaca de la Palma State Park. We went to the park first and walked the 3 mile road inside the park. There are about 11 miles of trails throughout this park and a nice visitor’s center. It was a very windy day, and we saw almost no birds. We did see a Screech Owl in a box behind the visitor center. He must have been sleeping because his eyes are closed in every picture I took. What a cutie!

 

Our second stop was the Palo Alto National Historic Site which is the location of the first major battle of the US-Mexican War in 1846. There is a visitor center with some displays and an informative movie. A one mile path takes you out into the battlefield area where there are interpretive signs and replicated cannons on display. Its just a big field.

The entire battle was fought using cannons. Basically, the US had better cannons and won the battle.

I enjoy learning about history at these historic sites, however this one was not all that interesting. I guess battles don’t appeal to me too much.

On our way to Brownsville we drove on a stretch of road that had the border fence right next to it. Some houses had the fence at the back of their yards. I stark reminder of the immigration issues our country faces.

The weather the last few days has been quite warm and humid. Both Monday and Tuesday were near 90 degrees with 70 degree dew points. The cold front that has spawned severe weather in other parts of the country has brought a welcome relief to temperatures here. The rest of the week is predicted to be in the mid 70s. Much better!

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!

South Padre Island

Yesterday we spent the day exploring South Padre Island. We got up early (for us) and were on the road by 8 am. Its about a 1.5 hour drive from Mission.

Our first stop was at the Port Isabel Lighthouse which is just before the bridge that takes you to the island. We didn’t pay the $3 per person to tour it as we’ve seen plenty of other lighthouses and had other items on our agenda for the day. But, I had to stop for a picture outside because there’s just something about any lighthouse that screams “Take my picture”!

The two mile long Queen Isabella Memorial Causeway takes you to the island. It’s the only road access to the island. I can imagine its quite a mess if there is a hurricane evacuation.

Our next stop was Sea Turtle, Inc., a non-profit sea turtle rescue, education and rehabilitation center. While researching what to do on the island, this place kept coming up as one of the best tourist places to visit. I’m so glad we did. They ask for a $3 per person donation, and it was well worth it. We arrived at 10:00 when they opened. If you ever go there, I would recommend arriving when they open as they do a couple of presentations first thing. The first demonstration was Allison, an Atlantic Green Sea Turtle that was attacked by a shark and only has one flipper. She was fitted with a customized prosthetic device so she can swim in deep water.

Curator, Jeff George, gave a very informative 15 minute presentation about sea turtles. He explained how poaching had almost wiped out the entire population and caused all species to become endangered. Great strides have been made to save these amazing creatures. Fascinating stuff!

I had no idea Atlantic Green Sea Turtles are so beautiful.

This Loggerhead Sea Turtle named Fred is about 150 pounds. He’s missing his front flipper.

This guy has learned to come to the window and he will get lettuce. How funny!

Our next stop was the Convention Center to see the Whale Wall. This is #53 out of the 100 whale walls painted by acclaimed artist Wyland, and it covers three walls. We’ve seen other whale walls in Hawaii, Florida and California.

A pleasant and unexpected surprise was the free Laguna Madre Nature Trail behind the Convention Center. It’s a series of boardwalks with some great birding opportunities. So, you get to see some more bird pictures.

There were several kayaks out in the water admiring these Redhead Ducks.

I was very excited to get this next shot. Notice the Great Blue Heron in the top left and the alligator in the bottom right of the picture. Click to see a larger view.

Roseate Spoonbill

Reddish Egret

Willet

Snowy Egret

This is either a Tri-Colored Heron or a Little Blue Heron.

We watched this Great Blue Heron fish for his supper. How cool is that! Here he is on the banks of the water.

Standing in the water waiting, waiting, waiting. He stood very still for quite a while.

Bam, a quick plunge into the water.

Success, a fish in his mouth/bill/beak!

We then actually could see the fish wiggling down its throat. Gross!

I forgot what this bird is called, but the guy next to me told me to take its picture because it was pretty rare. He told me the name, but my brain was pretty overwhelmed with bird information by that time :)  Anyone out there know what it is?

After all that bird watching, we were ready for lunch. We ate at Parrot Eyes based on the recommendation of bloggers John and Sharon. They have a $6.95 deep fried shrimp lunch special that was very good, and I had printed an online coupon for 15% off. The $1.75 margaritas were also quite yummy! We got 7 large butterflied shrimp with fries and cole slaw. A great outdoor dining deck with some caged parrots.

Several Brown Pelicans were hanging around hoping for a handout.

After lunch we did some beach walking to burn off some of those calories. There were quite a few people shore fishing. As you can see, vehicles are allowed to drive along the beach.

This guy from Michigan showed us his catch. He said they are mostly white fish.

Watch out for those jellyfish. We learned at Sea Turtle, Inc. that even after they are dead the venom can still get you for up to two days. Don’t touch!! We also learned that turtles can’t tell the difference between plastic shopping bags and jelly fish, which can cause great problems for the turtles when they swallow a bag. Merchants on the island do not use plastic bags.

We spent a few hours on the beach walking and enjoying the beautiful weather. Although there are quite a few buildings along the beach, it is not a very developed beach area. No boardwalk, benches, shops, rental huts, etc. Just beautiful ocean views.

We ended a wonderful day with a dip in the pool and hot tub back at the campground. Life is definitely good!!

Don’t wish upon a star – Reach for one!