Monday, January 5, 2015

Moving Day Tomorrow, Goodbye Mustang Island

Location: Mustang Island State Park; Port Aransas, Texas

(click pictures to enlarge)

I say goodbye to Mustang Island tomorrow. I decided to move on down the road. I checked the weather and high winds are due to hit this area at the end of this week with gusts up to 30 mph. Liberty can handle those wind speeds when she is parked but it can be a little tricky if she gets hit with them on the road. Tomorrow is the last day of decent, wind-less weather so I decided to take advantage of the lull and hit the road. The next stop is only about 60 miles from here. It will be Goose Island State Park. It's technically not an island but I will have a campsite on the banks of Aransas Bay and Copano Bay. 

I have really enjoyed this park. I like the freedom to go to the beach on short notice and it is close enough to a big city for any needs. The weather was crappy for half the time here but that just made it better when the good weather came along. The yin and yang of life. It was like everyone came out of their shells on that first day of good weather. It was an experience. I will miss this place.

I know it is just a parking lot with water/electric hook-ups, but I really liked this place. It was comfortable. Even when the wind blew, it hit Liberty just right and would only gently rock her. I feel asleep a couple times to the rocking motion and the wind singing a song on Liberty's roof.


I went to Port Aransas to pick up my mail at the post office. Thank you Kathy for forwarding it. Out of a package of mail, there was only about 2 pieces that were good, the rest was junk. While there I found a laundromat to do laudry. It was full of people but I decided to stay anyhow. They had 50 dryers and I was lucky to get the last 2 for my clothes. The people doing their laundry were mostly older couples that were staying in one of the many private RV parks in town. Many are snowbirds from Canada, commonly called "winter texans". While using the rest room, I had to take a picture of something. The toilet paper was locked down with not one, but two padlocks. I asked the very good looking woman that worked there why they felt the need to lock up the toilet paper. She said they had to lock up everything, even the dryer vents. She wasn't sure if it was the "winter texans" or the many fishermen that come to the area to fish. Either way, it made for an interesting conversation and picture.

Padlocks on both ends and it isn't even the real soft stuff. Geez, what is this world coming to.

While in Port Aransas, I went by the ferry to see if there would be a problem with Freedom and Liberty using it tomorrow. The ferries at this location are very small with about 15 cars per ferry. The distance is only about 1/2 mile across a channel. I was glad I stop to check it out because they told me I could NOT take Liberty on-board except during high tide. Tomorrow's high tide is not until almost 6:00 in the evening which is much too late for me. I will have to go the long way around by going through Corpus Christi. I hope the traffic is light in town. I stopped at Sonic on the way back to the campground and enjoyed my lunch sitting on the beach inside Freedom. As usual, the beach was deserted except for me and my thoughts. Very nice.

There wasn't anything healthy in that bag, but the environment probably knocked several points off of my blood pressure.

I also experimented with using the Panorama part of my cell phone camera. As you know, 99% of all the pictures in this blog are taken by my Nokia Lumia Icon cell phone. One of the features that I haven't used before is the Panorama option. I figure it will come in handy when I get out west. Some of the landscape out there is too large for an ordinary picture. I guess I should try it out before I have to rely on it. One of the pictures in this post is Panorama. I'm still learning about it, so don't expect too much yet. Along with the panorama, I'm posting some more beach pictures. Some may be repeats, but they were my favorites. 
Panorama of the beach area. I think it may work out pretty good after I get more of handle on how it all works.

One of my favorites

Another of my favorites. Freedom being free. :)

It's almost 10:00 so I'll be turning in so I can get up early tomorrow. If the sky is right for a good sunrise, I'll take advantage of the last day on the Gulf. Sleep well and peaceful dreams to you. 

Ya'll take care of each other. I'll Cya down the road. 

6 comments:

  1. Have you searched for any geocaches along the coast? There are a few in the Goose Island area. Sometimes the locals will place geocaches in some pretty neat places. Have a great day!

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    1. I looked for a few geocaches in my hometown area before I hit the road. I felt a little insecure with people wondering what the heck an old man with something (gps) in his hand was doing by going in circles. I kept thinking someone was going to call the cops on the "suspicious man". It's different finding them in the state parks because most people understand it here. I may selectively look for some outside of the parks.

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  2. I haven't been to the Sonic since October 2013. My doctor told me I had to make a change. ��

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    1. My doctor told me something similar after I got my heart stint. I took it as a suggestion to eat unhealthy in moderation. :)

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  3. Hey Darell,

    I've been reading your blog for about a week now and enjoying it. Man, you are living the dream. Maybe someday we will meet up at an RV park somewhere. We plan on going up the west coast to Washington in a couple of years after retirement to visit Jeff and family. Ok cya later, write when you can. Oh yeah, I like the names of your rigs.

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    1. Hello Paul,
      Good to hear from you. I'm glad you like the blog. It is an interesting way to keep up with what I'm doing plus it lets the kids know that the crazy old man isn't in a ditch somewhere along the road. I'm headed on the western swing of states now. I'll be back home for Thanksgiving. Lot's to see and do out here. Don't wait too long.

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