My last few blogs have dealt with my wife, Sue's, and my my week we spent in Texas. It started as a trip to help our youngest daughter, Rose - a nurse in Houston- plan for her spring wedding, and ended up being one of our best vacations ever. Our last two days were packed with touristy stuff that we will remember for ever.
Rose and her fiance, Temi, brought us to Galvaston on Monday. This island in the Gulf of Mexico is a popular tourist area for its long strips of beaches, but it wasn't the Gulf we went for. It also is the home of Moody Gardens. These three tall pyramids house an aquarium, an indoor rain forest, and a third, rotating exhibit which was closed the day we were there. That's fine, because the other two buildings were full of interesting sights.
We started in the aquarium, in which we got to see penguins, seals, sea lions, various sharks, jelly fish, and so many other shellfish and bony fish. This brought back the tropical fish nerd from my youth. At the seal lion display, Rose laughed at me because there was a little boy of about four, and both he and I would croon "Wooooow" wheneven they swan close to where we watched. We also had the chance to pet sting rays (although Sue resisted the urge to do so.)
From there we went to the next pyranmid, which literally had an indoor rain forest. The environment was, of course, hot and humid for all the tropical trees and other plants that grew inside there. Guests start at the highest point and walk down from the capony to the cloud foresr, to the jungle floor. Colorful tropical birds flew freely through the ecosystem, but other animals were in large enclosures at their appropriate level of the forest: fruit bats, vampire bats, blue duiker (a 18 inch tall deer), an ocelot, and more. It was great until we got to the final display of hissing cockroaches, trantulas and snakes, and Sue was out the exit! The rest of us enjoyed a few extra minutes with these specimens of God's great creation.
From there we went to the Galvaston pier for supper at Bubba-Gumps. Inspired by the movie Forrest Gump, this sea food restaurant was so much more than a place to dine; it was an experience. And, if you ever get there, try the jumbalaya. World class!
After such a busy day on Monday, yesterday we laid low with Rose; unfortunately Temi had to work. Again, I juggled early in the yard to beat the heat, but the fun began at 7:10 that evening: the time of first pitch at Daikan Field, home of the Houston Astros. Houston was playing Philadelphia, arch rivals of my Atlant Braves, so I had a lot invested in this game. Houston didn't disappoint, as they sent Phillie home defeat 1-0 thanks to a Cooper Hummel home run. Meanwhile, I kept in eye on the updating score board, and the Braves beat the Mets, our numbertwo arch rival. To top it off, it was dollar dog night, which meant hot dogs were only a dollar each, and my two were worth every penny.
Now Sue and I have a long layover in the Charlotte airport waiting for our final flight home to Maine. We definitelt ate too much, relaxed a lot, and had a whole lot of Texas sized fun!