Mon 8 Sep 2008
We’ve been riding the Texas coast for the last few days. Outside of Lafayette, Louisiana we got off of the interstate for the last time and turned southwest toward Galveston. I grew up in Florida and spent 15 years in Charleston. I thought I knew flat, but this country redefined it for me. Mostly grasslands, here the marshy spartina imperceptibly transforms into sea oats when the ground gains an inch or two of elevation. The sky dominates the landscape. There are no trees. Instead, dinosaur pumps are silhouetted black against the Gulf of Mexico, bobbing and dipping their heads as they suck oil from deep in the ground. Roads run straight until, in waves of heat, they blend with the sky. You might think this visually boring country, but I loved it. Pink and grey puffs of cloud hang against a sky fading from blue to white and I’m reminded of Cézanne. My mind wanders and I can focus on simple things like Blue or Hot. It’s a welcome relief from the gripping fear of sharing shoulder-less interstate with tractor-trailers at 70 mph.
Our destination for the night is a State Park on Galveston Island. We roll through downtown Galveston with its bars and piers stopping only at lights. South of town there is literally nothing but grass – and yet we blow right past the park. Shannon and I both saw it, but it looked so much like WWII bunkers we never even considered stopping. Realizing our mistake, we turned around and I revised my first impression – not WWII, but Planet of the Apes. Everything was built from light brown concrete and there wasn’t a right angle to be seen. This place was surreal. Interesting for a night, but I wouldn’t want to spend much time here.
The opposite is true of Port Aransas, the town we spent the next night in. I could spend a lot of time there. It’s a small unspoiled beach town with a few unassuming bars and restaurants and a beach you can drive on for miles. We got off the ferry and found a cool, dark bar. Walking into the doorway we were greeted by a yellow lab that barked at us as we took off our riding boots. He expressed his affection for Shannon by stealing his socks. Over and over. We liked him too. For the price of a beer we had A/C, internet access and a home for a little while.
After beers and emails we rode the ½ mile to the beach. As we set up camp just north of the pier, Larry pulled in.