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Day 1: Saturday 3/17/01 Menomonie Wisconsin, 4:00 P.M. St. Patrick’s Day -- we are on our way. The route from Menomonie WI is I-94 west to the Twin Cites, then I-35 South through Iowa, Missouri, Oklahoma, and finally Texas. We take I-45 from Dallas to Houston, and from there to Beaumont and Sea Rim State Park by routes as yet unspecified. This is our most organized trip. Everything came out of the bus (our '84 VW Westy), was sorted, approved or discarded, and restashed in an orderly manner – this bus has a packing system. In addition to our brilliant packing, we have a custom made hammock to span the gap between the upper bunk and poptop – just in case Woody (the 5 pound wonder dog) sleep walks. This also serves as a useful storage device during the day. At 10:00 P.M. the Des Moines Sheraton (just off I- 35) looks inviting. Unlike the zillions of state high school basketball tournament players staying there, we sleep in the parking lot. It is 29° F when we open the lower bunk, shove baggage onto the floor, and pull on three lightweight blankets. It is still 29° F when, 4 hours later, we are too cold to sleep anymore. At 2:30 A.M. we drive on (Bob drives – Woody, the lazy road dog, sleeps with me in the now warm bunk).
Day 2: Sunday 3/18/01 4:30 A.M. somewhere in Missouri. The sky to the east is vaguely light by 5:30. By 6:00 A.M. it is daylight. By Oklahoma City, the temperature is in the upper 40s and signs of spring appear – white-flowered trees and a few daffodils. Since getting to Sea Rim State Park on the Texas Gulf Coast ASAP is the first objective, we opt for the long but 4-lane route through Dallas instead of the scenic but 2-lane route through the Ozarks. By Dallas, the tips of the trees are greening up and the lawns are bright green. Redbuds are blooming. Beyond Dallas, fatigue sets in -- we decide to stay at Huntington State Park, about 60 miles north of Houston on I-45. This will give us a chance to shop tomorrow before setting up camp at Sea Rim. Among other things, we are short one bathing suit and a spaghetti pot. Woody snoozes comfortably in her custom bag between the front seats. The rear of the bus is chaos – our neat packing system seems to have failed already.
Day 3: Monday 3/19/01 Huntington State Park, Texas. Got to HSP last night just after dark (6:30 P.M.). Found a level campsite in the woods. Temp in the low to mid 50s. The morning revealed we had the campground pretty much to our selves -- a beautiful pine woods. Loblolly pine; dogwood in bloom. Little green leaves everywhere, not full size yet. We walk a little – Woody is a happy road dog. The interpretive center was closed, and no trail guides to tell us the names of plants, so we head out. Left HSP at 10:00A.M. Lots of spring flowers along the roadsides as we head toward Houston. Blue bonnets, indian paint brush, little purple things, big white poppies, little yellow somethings. Got to Sea Rim about 3:00. Camped on the beach – relatively cool (58°F) and very windy. Hiked the marsh trail, then studied the bird guides before bed.
Day 4: Tuesday 3/20/01 Sea Rim. Awake at dawn, cold – 42° F – turn the heater on. Bird watch from the bunk with coffee in hand. Out one side of the bus, waves are rolling in along the Gulf shore. Out the other side are sand dunes, then marshland. On the Gulf side are shore birds, peeps (aka, little shore birds no one can identify), pelicans, gulls. We hike a trail through the marsh – very cold and windy -- ear ache weather. Back at the bus, sit in the sun on the leeward side and watch birds. Content.
Day 5: Wednesday 3/21/01 Sea Rim. Up at dawn. 45° F. Turn the heater on immediately. Have coffee – really good coffee. Cookies for breakfast. At park HQ we hear talk about a bobcat on top of a telephone pole at the park entrance. This we gotta see.
Head out early to a nearby woods owned by the Houston Audubon Society. The day is warming nicely. Lots of birds here. Many warblers, vireos, etc. From the woods, into Sabine Pass (a very small town nearby) to buy ice, gas, ice cream cones. Then to Sabine Pass Battlefield Memorial Park where we watch a huge tanker steaming out to sea. Lots of white pelicans. Decide to try Texas Point Wildlife Refuge on the way back to Sea Rim. Not much happening there. Continue down the road to McFadden WildLife Refuge, a mile or so beyond the Sea Rim gates. See our first male vermilion flycatcher.
Back to Sea Rim and the beach around 3:00 P.M. Cold beer tastes wonderful. We work on getting the digital camera and the computer to communicate so we can transfer pictures to the web page. Warmer today – 75° F or so but very windy on the beach.
Day 6: Thursday 3/22/01 Sea Rim. Warmer this A.M. – about 59°F. Always calm at dusk and dawn, then the winds pick up. Packed and left quickly for Anahuac Wildlife Refuge and High Island (a small town on the Gulf of Mexico that is famous for its migratory birds). Anahuac is a 1 hour drive – High Island about 20 minutes beyond that. A barn owl sat on a fence post on the way out of the park. We stopped in Sabine Park to photograph a huge wisteria tree, and shop for a few groceries.
Quiet at Anahuac – over-wintering waterfowl seem to have departed for northern nesting grounds already, and spring neotropicals are just beginning to trickle in. Saw American bittern, pied-billed grebe (a sly little swimmer that sinks like a rock), Common moorhen, alligators. From there, drove 20 miles to High Island on the Coast, looking for Smith Woods – a Houston Audubon Association park. Took a little side trip through the town trying to find it. Once found, had a beautiful walk through the woods – warm breezes, spring in full bloom, wild flowers – but very few birds. Saw Prothonotary warbler, blue-grey gnatcatcher, 3 or 4 hundred (slight exageration) yellow-rumped warblers, hooded warbler, female ruby-throated hummingbird.
Paid nearly $2 per gallon for gas in High Island. Left High Island about 2:00 P.M. on route 87, heading for Galviston and points Southwest. Took the free ferry across Galviston Bay from Port Bolivar to Galviston. Had killer icecream in Galviston at the Marble Slab – they make the ice cream daily, and mix in your choice of additives while you watch. A few miles from Galviston is Galviston State Park -- we took a look and decided to stay. Waded in the Gulf. Much warmer than Sea Rim, even the water seemed warmer, and less murky. Listened to a book on tape. Slept upstairs this night.
Day 7: Friday 3/23/01 Galveston Island State Park, TX. Headed out with only cookies for breakfast (and coffee). On our way to Goose Island State Park, also on the Gulf of Mexico and 15 miles from Aransas National Wildlife Refuge. At Aransas, along with a zillion other birds, the few remaining whooping cranes spend the winter. Stopped for lunch in Palacios – had great Mexican food -- a shade or two more fiery than we're used to. Got to Goose Island about 3:00. Could have had a site on the Gulf shore, but chose to be in the woods this time – out of direct sun and wind. Set out the lawn chairs under a big live oak and just enjoyed the warm weather and perfect breeze. Took a walk along the shore later and got some Pelican shots and a few more roadside flowers.
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This page was last updated on 05/02/01
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