We headed south and stopped to walk along this beach....
so many beaches just waiting to be enjoyed.
Oops, watch out for jellyfish.
Passed this place where wind turbines are manufactured.
We went to this bird sanctuary in Quintana. Roe didn’t much like it.
So he and I walked down the street while Birdie went through it.
Afterwards Birdie held Roe while I went through. It was beautiful and peaceful. This was the easiest bird for me to see and identify.
We ate our picnic lunch at the park by the beach. Coastal defense?
In the afternoon we went into Galveston and stopped at Moody Gardens, but the tropical gardens we were interested in were not open. So we walked around a little.
This is the pyramid housing the tropical gardens.
A paddlewheel you can ride.
I think Birdie called this a desert something.
We were lucky and arrived at the “Bishop’s Palace” in time for their last tour.
It is presented more as the Gresham house, with changes made by the Catholic diocese noted. The main change was one of the girl’s bedrooms converted to a chapel.
Side view...I believe the round room on the top floor was Mrs. Gresham’s art studio. No pictures were allowed inside, and we were not allowed on the 3rd floor due to fire code. We were told it held the boys’ bedrooms, the studio, and storage.
Front view. This house survived the great hurricane of 1900 with water in the basement and some broken windows. Two adult children who were home at the time had the servants stand on the porch and wave people inside during the storm, saving many lives, no doubt.
Detail of carving. The inside was very ornate with beautiful woodwork, and fireplaces. It was modern for its time with both gas and electric utilities.
The Catholic church across the street. (This is #2, #1, built at the same time as the house did not survive storms)
Some other houses in the neighborhood.
This house had beautiful wood carvings in the yard.
We liked this dog.
Our campsite at Galveston Island State Park.
Bandit finally got brave enough to get out and explore the marshland.
Thursday morning was time to say goodbye to Birdie and head back east. She escorted me as far as High Island. Sunrise in Galveston along the seawall.
Waiting for the ferry to High Island.
My trip through Cameron County, LA was enough to bring tears to my eyes. It was apparent that nothing survived the hurricane 2 years ago. Destruction is still so evident.
Cement slabs with steps to nowhere.....too many to count. The only homes I saw were new ones, built high on stilts, or just as commonly, fifth wheels parked near a bare cement slab.
But then I arrived at Martha’s (Acadiamom) for another mini gtg! We had a great visit, along with her dh, and she served me yummy shrimp pie with a flaky crust and fixin’s....ate way too much.
Roe and I enjoyed walking around her farm and down the road. These horses are across the street from the house. Roe especially enjoyed meeting their dog and trying to meet all their cats.
Sunset in Abbeville. Sunrise looked pretty much the same, only in the opposite direction. Thank you Martha, you are a fine lady. If you ever get down Ocala way, I’ll welcome you to my house.
Martha helped me pick a fine route around New Orleans using some of Louisiana’s scenic byways.
Rtes 70 & 22 (On edit, that says, 90....but the others were pretty too.)
I can’t remember exactly where this was, but my favorite segment was when the road followed the curves of a bayou, lined with little houses...each with a dock for fishing or tying up a boat.
Living on the bayou..
Ponchatoula is an historic town....got there at the beginning of their strawberry festival....no place to park to get a really good picture.
Mural
Route 90 in southern MS is a pretty road. Lots of places to pull over and access the beach.
A little history about Long Beach.
We’re camping in MS tonight. I think Bandit remembers this cg. We picked the same site as before, and he is in heaven, rolling in the clover...and the sand....and the pollen.
Roe’s pretty content too...and so am I.
