One Grand Adventure

We put Diesel's blue tie on the gallery wall of the camper this weekend.  Someday I'll print a photo of him wearing it and I'll put the tie on the frame, but for now, he'll continue to travel in our hearts as we start camping again this fall.

It seemed, for a bit, like the universe was seriously fighting us as we're starting up camping again. RDB and I both found ourselves having a hard time getting motivated; there were maintenance issues we had to address, and by the time we finished lunch, the window to miss traffic had closed.  But, eventually, we got on the road Friday evening, and made our way south to Jamaica Beach RV Resort on Galveston Island.  Y'all even the bugs were out to get us!  (It's BYOBS (Bring Your Own BUG SPRAY) on the coast!)

Galveston has so much to do - from cruise ships and the Pleasure Pier and the Strand, to the railroad museum and Moody Gardens 'pyramids' to some incredible historic places.  Inspired by our recent courthouse challenge in the Miata and the beautiful architecture, RDB and I spent Saturday touring the Bishop's Palace and Moody Mansion. 

At 130 years old, the Bishop's Palace was absolutely stunning. I'll simply let the pictures speak for themselves:

We worked up an appetite and made our way over to Marios Italian on the Seawall.  Delicious Italian, the bacon-spinach-Parmesan-sauced-tortellini was delicious (and almost soup-like, there was soo much sauce!). We finished up lunch then headed back over to Broadway to tour Moody Mansion. 

At only 129 years old, the Moody Mansion wasn't going to be out done by Bishop's Palace. I was in awe with the way the light hitting the metallic paint on the walls and ceiling made the rooms glow in the afternoon sun. 

I think the Miata club would get a kick outta this!

Obviously whoever made the 'don't touch' signs for the Moody Mansion has a snarky sense of humor!

Saturday evening we did a little driving around along the seawall and found ourselves on the beach for a bit.  The easy-to-access public beaches are one of the things that I love about Galveston Island. 

Back at the RV Resort, there was plenty of fun to be had as well.  You could fish in the pond...

Just watch out for the BIG fishes...

... you can play a round of golf with the pirates...

...and is it "checkmate" or "shipmate" - I can't remember?

Just around the corner are the water features - starting with the kids splash pad....

...and pool with a lazy river for the adults!

Sunday morning we slept in, and then made our way over to Number 13 Steakhouse for brunch.  We would definitely go back for the salad and crab cake again- it was delish!  And the view of the marina was second to none!

We slowly made our way back over the camper, driving thru a few of the neighborhoods on beach side and then bay side, dreaming and discussing what the future may hold for us, knowing that change is in the air.  Ironically, I had a dream this past week that included a hilarious face-to-face meeting with a camel, and a quick search for meaning revealed that a camel seen in a dream symbolizes auspicious changes in life.   It was spot on.  Our life really is just one grand adventure after another. 

We caught the tail end of the morning football games before packing up, the Steelers just squeaking out a win in overtime.  The RV resort was kind enough to give us a 'late checkout' when I asked to buy another night so we could stay a bit later on Sunday.  We really appreciated the extra time and all the amenities this location had to offer. 

We were in site Premium #106 at Jamaica Beach RV Resort, full hook-ups. Premium because it's on the end of a row and your front yard isn't someone's back yard and you can see the waters of the Gulf over the dunes, but you are less than 50' away from the main road, so lots of road noise between you and the Gulf and no direct access to the beach.  Mosquitos and other flying bugs come out in droves once the sun sets, but I won't ever blame a campground for that.  Overall, it was a great jumping off spot, and if you're looking for on-site activities they have several. For the last little bit of summer, it was a good place to enjoy Galveston from. 

For more camping photos, go here (once I figure out why Flikr isn't playing nice with my Mac.)