Apr 15, 2012 - Family Time

Hey y’all…do you ever find yourself picking up some of local culture when traveling? It’s hard not to in Texas! Anyway…. We have had a great time in Dickinson, Texas (south of Houston and about ½ an hour from Galveston Island). RV ALERT: If you are ever in this area, make reservations at Galveston Bay RV Resort and Marina. We chose this place because it was fairly close to Dennis’ sister and her family and it was situated right on the Galveston Bayou. Our site was on a fresh water lake but they also have sites right on the bayou. We awoke...

Oct 2, 2011 - We're here...safe and sound!

Woohoo!! We arrived safely at our destination (Galveston Bay RV Resort & Marina, Dickinson, Texas). We are parked in a beautiful spot overlooking Galveston Bay. When we arrived yesterday, we found that the only spots available were back in. Our first thought? Uh oh (well...not really Uh Oh but to keep this post "family friendly" that will do). Back-in? Really? Do they not know this is our first time? Oh well, it is what it is! Once again, Fred amazes me with his skills. He backs this baby right into the middle of this space like a pro. Of...

Mar 14, 2011 - Dickinson, TX

Map positioning. Another quick trip through Texas. Jared, Megan and Lily still doing fine. Lily is just barely rolling over now. Next time, she'll probably be crawling. Megan's mom and Aunt and there for awhile too. Travel time: 2 hrs. 5 min. Distance: 93 miles.

Dec 29, 2010 - Picture Day

The Dickinson's at Dickinson Not much happening yesterday and today, so leant itself well to taking a few pictures. I'll let the pictures speak for themselves. Of course, that alone should be worth a few thousand words, as they say. Ryan and Dani are getting ready to head back to Oregon tomorrow, so this was the last chance. Obviously, it was great that all of us were able to get together this year for the holidays. Naturally, Melinda would have enjoyed Alex and Lily, and I'm sure neither mother would have had to do anything while she was...

Dec 25, 2010 - Christmas in Dickinson

Happy Holidays everyone (okay, maybe this will be a little late by the time it gets posted, but what the heck, things move a little slower down here in Texas, don’t they??). The boys’ families and I had a nice Christmas together. Ryan, Dani and Alexandria came down from Oregon this year, which we had planned several months ago. Melinda would have thoroughly enjoyed herself being around both granddaughters at the same time. Since I was staying in my own home (i.e. trailer), they called me when they got up, so we didn’t have the early...

Dec 17, 2010 - Neighborhood Hay Ride

Misty Isle Court Hay Ride One of Jared's neighbors gets this trailer and lines it with hay bales, and all the kids - adults who can stand it - go on a tour of the nearby neighborhoods to look at the Christmas lights. The night was a bit chilly, but all had a good time - even the adults.

Dec 14, 2010 - Softball Game

League City Ballfield complex. This ballfield complex was about 5 miles from Jared and Megan's house. It was a VERY well designed facility, with each of the six fields representing a major league field. The outfield bleacher area were all murals, painted to represent the particular major league field. This area enjoys year around softball. Could you imagine trying to play softball in Newport in the middle of December?? In addition to the ballfields, there are outdoor playgrounds for the kids, an indoor soccer field, and two concession...

Dec 9, 2010 - Armand Bayou Nature Center

Visit to Nature Center Today I drove up to the Armand Bayou Nature Center for a little field trip. It’s not very far from Dickinson – about 15 miles north, 10 as the crow flies. I got there about noon. I had picked up a Subway sandwich before leaving Dickinson, so I had lunch at a little pond observation platform before going in. My lunchsite was a learning platform for younger children, based on the placards. This was a fee site, so I had to pay $3.00 to take a walk. The lady who helped me said I was the first one there today, and I only...

Dec 1, 2010 - Dickinson, Texas

Arrival at Dickinson, Texas Well, today was arrival day at Dickinson, Texas, which is where Jared and Megan live. It is approximately 25 miles south of Houston, towards Galveston. The trip over from San Antonio was fairly uneventful, other than my nail-biting, hand-gripping stretch on the Houston freeways and toll road. As Houston is the 4th largest city in the U.S. (according to Jared), there are a few folks around. Nothing like a nice 4-5 lane freeway to get the juices going!! So I made it to my destination in one piece, and the park site...

Mar 16, 2010 - LBJ Space Center, Houston

On Tuesday we visited the Johnson Space Center, better known as the LBJ Space Center. The center was only 9 miles north of our RV Park so arrived shortly prior to the center opening so we could beat the crowds caused by spring break for 1000’s of students in Texas this week. The space center is an active working complex, currently controlling the International Space Station as well as all past and future shuttle and space flights by the USA. We were directed to quickly board the first tram tour of the day which took us to the Mission...

Mar 15, 2010 - Visit to Downtown Houston & Bay Fishing

On Sunday Connie had contacted a former colleague that she had worked with at CBC about 20 years ago. Carole was born in Texas but had married a Canadian and ended up living in Calgary for several years. After the first major round of lay offs at CBC in 1990, Carole and her new husband Mike moved back to Houston so that Carole could be closer to family. When Carole heard we were in the area, she generously volunteered to tour us through downtown Houston to show us some interesting sights and to have a visit over a delicious Mexican food...

Mar 10, 2010 - San Antonio to Houston/Galveston

As this may be the only time that we visit Texas we decided to move on to the Houston/Galveston area of Texas. The trip was only about 220 miles so we did not get away from Stonecreek RV Park until shortly before 9:00 AM and arrived at our destination Park around 2:00 PM. Once again we took turns driving with John doing the start and finish and Connie the middle section. Today, we learned that one should not to always trust printed maps and guidebooks. All of our maps and our Interstate Rest Area book indicated that there was a Rest/Picnic...