Sunday February 18, 2007

Well, I once again major in not getting up. Or I get up and just don’t get out the door.

Check-out time is 11AM so right around 10:58, I put my stuff outside of the door and start to haul it down stairs. The guys who live in the hotel, start to appear, moving their chairs outside onto the deck to watch me pack. I could get up earlier, but to be honest, it doesn’t really seem to help.

I load everything up that I am leaving with. I left a bunch of paper behind. Not like I probably won’t replace it very quickly. I give the lady the key and remote to the room. As I ride off, the guys are still watching.

But, hey, it’s only noon and well, I am in the mood to eat before I hit the road. LOL. So I head down the road to McD’s. I pick up the paper on their wireless service and it says that they charge for it. I put the paper back down and make some really bad food choices, and wait for my order to be filled.

Now the Jennings McDonald’s might not run this way all the time, but don’t expect to get your order right. And the people know that. As soon as they get their food, they pull up a bit and start counting, checking etc. And they have people pull forwards and, well, let’s just say that a couple of these cars have been sitting there forever. This McD’s definitely doesn’t mean fast food.

I laugh and try to get into a book, but can’t.

I climb back on my Vulcan and head off down the road. The time goes by fast and it seems to be a good day for riding. The winds aren’t blowing me all over and the sun feels warm.

I come into Texas pretty quickly. They have a nice rest area and I kick back and sit in the sun watching people come and go. I chat with a couple of them then climb back on my bike.

As I get off on the exit onto the highway that I want to follow down to Bolivar, I find myself in a nice little town called Orange. The place has some really neat qualities. Here is a pic of the park. There aren’t many communities that care enough about the kids to give them this kind of a play area. People look at me weird as I pull up to take the pics, but I figure that they don’t know the bike, they also see that it is loaded.

As I cruise on down the road I get a little mixed up and take an unscheduled detour or two. I come upon a town named Bridge City and try to hurry on towards Galveston. I am a little worried about getting a campsite on a three day weekend, with Mardi Gras still going on.
When I get to Bolivar Peninsula, I just have to slow down. I like the way the houses look. They are different from the Lake homes at home. They are different. They have decks outside all around the house. At home, people are cheap. They don’t want to look out at the traffic, they only want to be outside if they can see they lake. It’s not like that here.

I stop for some gas and exchange some conversation with one of the lady’s that works there.

As I motor towards the ferry landing, I wish that I had taken a comfort break. I wish this as soon as I see the sign that says there is going to be an extended wait. LOL

When I get there, it’s only a two ferry wait and the ride is a quick one.

As I am one of the last vehicles loaded, I am in the rear. There are bunches of people feeding the gulls off the back. The little kids don’t make the toss clear the deck and there are birds everywhere. I sigh and think to myself, I hope they haven’t had a lot to eat today. (I really don’t want bird dodo on my bike and belongings.)

As I cruise through Galveston I notice that their Wendy’s faces the seawall. What a neat thing to have. Cheap food with a great view.

I follow along the seawall to head to the Galveston Island State Park. The office is closed, but there is a sign saying that there are a few campsites available. The sign also says that the sites are ten dollars a night more expensive than the most expensive price list I have which is dated January of this year. I reevaluate my finances and am glad that I put some funds into an account. I just wish I had more funds and hadn’t stopped to eat as much.

I have to get the campground host to show me where the numbers are for the sites. They are on the cabanas. Not visible from the road unless you climb off the bike and then use a flashlight. Doah, what’s up with that? LOL

I find a site, set my tent up in the dark. It’s not hard, I do it a lot as I always seem to leave late (sigh). I climb in my tent and fall asleep listening to the surf pound the shore. I’m gonna really enjoy my short stay here.

Happy Trails, Marty