Mighty Texas weather might unleash some nasty storms even in the dead of winter, so we watched the forecast carefully before leaving Louisiana early January 2019. We postponed our arrival into Houston for a day, allowing for a tornado-filled storm front to pass.
We chose Peaceful Pines RV park near Houston. Although it was somewhat peaceful, the place hardly qualified as an RV park…. It was more like a place to park in the dirt. The people who owned the place had purchased it recently and seemed nice, but the place needed a LOT of sprucing up….
Our neighbor was a full time RV family and we enjoyed chatting with them. Scott and Andi travel and work from the road, while enjoying quality time with their kids. Like us, they found an alternative way of living. The best part about the process was having their children experience nature and learn about life in a different and more connected way. You can catch up on Scott and Andi’s adventures on their YouTube channel ThriveinDrive.
In downtown Houston, imposing steel and glass office buildings rose alongside traditional buildings with softer architectural lines, while an occasional vibrant mural added energy to the otherwise cool and structural cityscape.
Farther out, in the posh neighborhood of Houston Heights, we walked through the park and admired the quaint mix of residential homes in traditional Queen Anne, Craftsman, Folk National, and Folk Victorian styles.
For a nice flavor of Texas we met up with a friend at Goode Company’s Woodlands Kitchen and Cantina for some Tex-Mex. The food was great and the company was delightful.
The highlight of our stay was a trip to Galveston. I’d heard so much about it and was curious to see it. Galveston Pleasure Pier peered through the fog. We learned about the town’s history as we walked along its old streets and around Pier 21.
Near the seawall, we looked for a lunch place, hoping for a water view and some good seafood. We dodged a van full of visitors that took up the last parking spot at Miller’s Seawall Grill and instead found a cozy place right around the corner: Fish Company taco. In the intimate yet unpretentious atmosphere we savored delicious fish tacos (the sauces were the best!).
We drove to the beach and were not really impressed by the murky waters. Wintertime might be particularly bleak and I wonder how the beach looks in the summer.
Galveston, oh Galveston
Glen Campbell – Galveston
I still hear your sea waves crashing
The part of Galveston I enjoyed the most was the town itself: I loved the old architecture of the homes that lined the town’s streets, the lush Southern gardens, the imposing architecture of churches contrasting with the sweet pastels and Victorian frills of nearby homes. There was a quiet magic about it.
We capped the evening with a quick margarita and prepared for our next stop, Austin, Texas.
