Coastal Texas

We find ourselves on the Gulf coast of Texas this time. In addition to my hunt for Big Foot, I am also looking for future hangouts and warm weather. I have definitely found the warm weather here and with the humidity ranging from 70% to OMG, it reminds me of the armpit of summer. There has been a lack of breweries and other exciting visits as I am staying near the tip of a peninsula and there is not much to do besides relax and enjoy the weather as I do not fish. In addition, I have been struggling with network connectivity but I think I have a working solution for now. I am attempting to rely upon the various cellular networks and not satellite internet and it has been frustrating to put it mildly. Obviously good connectivity is needed so I can continue researching the habitats and sightings of Big Foot and other cryptozoological creatures. I can't quite justify the cost of the monthly Starlink service as that would put a dent into my adult beverage budget which is unacceptable. 

There was no sign of Big Foot on any of my adventures here so far. I blame the high humidity as I know it has not been comfortable for me or the hounds. I had to even get a hair cut as the humidity, wind, and sand from the beaches was getting annoying. Now imagine being a creature covered in hair!  

It is a difficult life, but this is why I share this with you, the gentle reader, so you know the burdens one faces with constantly warm tropical conditions. You have my permission to weep a little for me, but please do it inside as I do not want your tears to freeze. 

View from the beach. That haze is the humidity which only left us for two days.

I have gone on several solo adventures, some with the dogs, and I have socialized the people at this RV Resort.  They are very friendly and many of these winter Texans have come down from the upper Midwest (including Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, and Ohio) so they have no fear of consuming adult beverages. They do obviously skew older than me, but that is par for the course.  

I was able to find a brewery and winery place nearby. The beers were good but I avoided the wines. I have a dim view of anything other than grape based wine. I am open to other fruit if it is in a sangria but it has to be a good sangria. I went to Winery on the Bay/Dog'Gone Brewery both alone and with a group from the RV resort. I stuck to the beer but some of my companions enjoyed the fruity sweet wines that were available. They had a nice selection of beers to cover most tastes which is important in a tourist area. There was no bar seating, so I was forced to sit outside in the fresh air and sunshine. At least my tan is coming along.

Dog'Gone Brewery outdoor space. And yes, that is my first beer of the day.

I have ended up hanging around the RV resort with the dogs and swimming in the pool more than normal. It feels very like a vacation, which it sort of is before I head off on my spring journey.

Toasting the day at my site. That was the last of the free beer that the brewery in Mississippi gave me. I actually gave a six pack of it away to my RV neighbor in Johnson City as it looked like he needed a drink.

Possible sighting of Thor. Lucy decided to be a part of it too. She is so helpful.

Palm trees and blue skies, fairly typical

View from the pool. I suppose I could have included a picture of the pool, but that seemed creepy.

The hounds relaxing. This appears to be their desired state.

I did manage to go on some hikes in city parks and the area reminds me of other Gulf coast communities, a mix of nice and broken down buildings from some hurricane. The heat and humidity was very special as you will see how the dogs react, particularly Lucy.

Lucy refusing to walk another step. Ozzy is trying to be a good boy but is confused by her recalcitrance. 

Lucy finds a spot of shade and calls it quits. This is fairly typical and gets a bit old. I am not carrying her though when it is over 80/80. That is 80°F and 80% humidity. 

I did get to the beach a number of times and have found a good place to boondock for a few days when I return to Texas next December. Mustang Island has tons of space and allows for a stay of several days. It would be cool to wake up right on the beach. 

Truck on the beach with the dogs. I was safely at least 12 feet away from the water.

Beach camping is quite popular.

Ozzy relaxing in the sand

Lucy relaxing on my lap. She prefers my lap to the sand, but she preferred shade most of all.

Obviously after a beach day, the dogs needed to get a bath. The humidity makes everything sticky, the sand and salty air gets in the hair and makes everything stand up.  Prior to my hair cut I looked like  Don King. You can see why Big Foot would not want to hang out here. Not enough breweries and uncontrollable hair. 

I am in this area until the ides of March and then I need to head west. It is a few days drive to Tucson from here; remember when towing an RV, there is no prize for driving fast or a lot of miles in a day. I have a couple of days set aside as a layover in New Mexico at an RV park that is owned by one of the clubs I belong to, Loners on Wheels (LOW). The park is not near much but I think a few days to adjust from the humidity is needed. I will be in Tucson for a gathering of another RV club, Escapees, for a week. I then start the long drive back to Wisconsin culminating in C's graduation. I anticipate being in SEWI (assuming I can find a place to stay) in late April/early May and then NEWI for a week. I then have a special assignment in Kentucky and the Mammoth cave area for the summer. This involves a deep undercover investigation of an unnamed cryptozoological creature. As such my already paltry postings may be reduced during that period. I just wanted to warn people so that they will not suffer extra disappointment beyond not being able to be along for these adventures. 

I am excited to get back on the road again and have started planning my fall adventures already. It's too soon for reservations, but it is getting close and I might try to go the Overlanding Expo in Virginia again in October. The life of an perpetual adventurer never ends. I am now off to drain and flush my tanks!

Until next time, 

Thor

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