Campgrounds, Texas

No sympathy?

by Ingrid

The last couple of days have been cold and dreary along the Texas Gulf Coast.  I know, all my friends to the north suffering from below freezing temps and snow measured in feet versus inches are rolling their eyes as I complain.  But remember, I’m living in an RV.  Thin walls and single pane windows do not make for high insulation ratings.  Still no sympathy?  No, I didn’t think so!roseate spoonbill

snowy egretSo with the RV being pelted with a steady down pouring of rain accompanied by a cold wind, I figured this is the perfect opportunity to stop complaining and get the blog caught up with our travels.

Between sightseeing, socializing, and Christmas the past two weeks have flown by.

We pulled out of Galveston, Texas, on December 9th and meandered our way via a series of county back roads to the little town of Lamar where we set up camp at Goose Island State Park.  The trip took us about 3 ½ hours traveling south along the Texas Gulf Coast from Galveston. Goose Island State Park

Goose Island State Park offers two different camping experiences.  Bayside sites, which we chose, are near the water.  The other loops are located within a grove of oak trees.  Some of those sites with low hanging tree limbs could present a problem for larger rigs.  It’s also very shaded which in winter isn’t necessary.  I’ll opt for the sun at this time of year, thank you.Goose Island State Park

Mustang Island State Park

After three very relaxing days watching sunrises, sunsets, and birds, it was time to move on.  We traveled a mere 45 minutes to our next destination; Mustang Island State Park located near Corpus Christi and Port Aransas, Texas.Mustang Island

This was the first time our RV had the pleasure of enjoying a ferry ride which lasted all of about ten minutes.  Since we started in Rockport and were heading south, the shortest route to our destination was via highway 361 which requires crossing the Corpus Christi Ship Channel.Texas Department of Transportation Ferry

Texas Dept of transportation ferryPort AransasThe Aransas Pass Ferry operates in lieu of a bridge allowing free movement of the many ships moving through the channel.

This free ferry is operated and managed by the Texas Department of Transportation.

The Ferry connects Port Aransas to the mainland and operates 24 hours a day 365 days a year.

This was just the beginning of our fun two-week stay.  Next up… cavorting with fellow bloggers and RVer’s.


75 thoughts on “No sympathy?”

  1. Pingback: It was the best of times …. | Live Laugh RV

  2. I’m sure I could’ve summoned up some sympathy but I was distracted by the splendid pink spoonbill – almost lost my mouthful of yogurt as my jaw hit the floor. What a fabulous photo. I’ve just wandered over here from Sue’s blog. But I better go back, for now. 😀

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    1. Awe thank you. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. The birds were very accommodating that day. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Happy New Year 🙂

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  4. Great shot of the spoonbill Ingrid. We have a few spoonbills here on St. Simons, but they’re such wary birds that they’re always as far away from humans as possible. I can’t imagine how you got such a great shot. Was it a long lens or were you in uber-stealth mode? Happy New Year. ~James

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    1. I shoot with a bridge camera and zoomed in all the way which is equal to 600mm (my lens max). I found wearing a camo shirt and green hat has allowed me to get closer to birds (and uber-stealth mode) I convinced my friend Mona to wear a camo shirt and she noticed a difference as well. Happy birding and Happy New Year 🙂

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  5. Been there, done that, Ingrid. 5° F at the Grand Canyon. No wish to do it again. I’m enjoying the cold weather here with a house to retreat to. Besides, it’s freezing in Fountain Hills right now! Have you got a little fan heater to keep you warm?

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    1. Yes, we too have experienced way too many severe weather conditions. My phone keeps going off with weather alerts in Phoenix. Weather Bug either hasn’t detected my Texas location or the user (moi) has gone in and changed the settings 😉 Oh well, I’ll be back in Phoenix soon enough. Crazy weather everywhere. Seems like life is agreeing with you on that side of the pond. Happy New Year….. miss you 🙂

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      1. Fahrenheit – The Grand Canyon is at an elevation over 7,000 feet and can be rather cold in the winter. Dress warm…. coats and boots!

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      2. 5 deg F Jennifer! V V cold! We stayed at an RV park covered in snow in Williams just south of there at about the same time of year. Big coats and warm non-slip footwear would be advisable.

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    1. Thank you Sheila. The birding is always a joy. I just wish this weather would start warming up…. I have some whooping cranes to photograph. Happy New Year!

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  9. The Birds… the sunset… gorgeous! A ferry ride too… fabulous! We may get a little snow too here in Anthem…YIKES!! Happy New Year! 🙂

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    1. Yikes is right. My phone keeps going off with weather warnings for Phoenix. Weather bug hasn’t figured out where I am or the ‘User’ moi hasn’t changed the settings LOL. Oh well, we’ll be back in Phoenix soon enough. Stay warm and Happy New Year to you as well 🙂

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      1. Uh oh, we’re off to Surprise, near Phoenix on Saturday. Forecast says mercury is going to climb up to the 60s and 70s later next week. Just not sure what clothes to pack

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        1. Big difference between the Phoenix area and Grand Canyon. Big elevation gain up to the canyon. You’ll need to pack for both. Have fun… it’s so pretty!

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  10. Although your northern friends won’t give you any, we will give you a little sympathy. We have been there and it can be bone chilling inside the RV during colder weather. Great pictures!

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    1. I think the dampness gets to me the most. Having spent the past twenty-five years living predominantly in the dry arid west, the humidity is a bit of an adjustment. Thanks for stopping by and commenting. Wishing you a Happy New Year 🙂

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  11. The first. bird shots is stunning!! What a capture Ingrid! I’ m taking a break from posting, will see you next week. Sorry to hear about the cold weather…Stay warm.

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    1. Thank you Amy. I hope you are enjoying a lovely holiday. Your posts have been missed but breaks are good. I wish we would get a group of sunny warm days instead of just one here and there. Oh well, I’ll suck it up and get out the long johns. After all, there’s birds out there that need photographing. I’m back in Rockport/Fulton where there’s sandhills and whooping cranes 🙂

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  12. Coolness I can get through it with plenty of sunshine to warm through the windows, but the rain pounding on top of my head, not! Half tempted to make the bed up bottom to top!! Still have an adult semi-styled thunder suit in my head created from felt, eye cover and padded ear toppers and a nose breathing hole. I think I dreamed this:) Day 2 Whole30 lv! Hope you see sunshine for New Year’s!

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    1. I’m with you, I can handle cold and sunshine. Gray skies and rain… not so much. Not getting the Day 2 Whole30 lv thing. I guess I’ll Google Whole 30 and see what pops up.
      Here’s wishing you and me a much better 2015 and kicking 2014 in the you know what 😉

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  13. Wow! Like everyone else, I love that fabulous spoonbill shot. Did you like Mustang Island? We are considering a stop there when we head east again. Hang on to your warm days. We are still in Vegas, and gave a winter storm watch for this afternoon, with up to 3″ of snow. Really??? It’s gonna get messy!

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    1. We did like Mustang Island but be warned, it’s parking lot style camping. I’ll post about it soon. It’s a short walk over the dunes to the beach which is lovely. You might also consider staying at Padre Island National Seashore. Feel free to email me with questions and note I’ll be emailing you for U.P. questions for our August/September visit.
      Snow in Vegas? Hunker down. Those roads get unusually slick. Happy New Year!

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    2. We were snowbirding it last winter in Austin. It was pretty nippy there, but we were happy to be out of the Canadian deep freeze. Last winter was brutal. Old man winter was one grumpy ole bastard!

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  14. Still no snow in Toronto, but the temps finally hit the freezing mark yesterday so I’m sure it’s just a matter of time.
    Hoping you get a reprieve from the cold and rain soon.

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    1. Another round rolling in, but hey…. Vegas is getting snow. So it could be worse. No snow in Toronto yet? Stand by… the weather always has a way of making it up. Cheers to a great New Year.

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  15. Nice spoonbill shot, we’ll empathize with you and be thankful we’re not up north. Glad you made it back to Lamar safely. Time to hunker down for the next round of winter weather.

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    1. Yes Faye, the weather here is still better than up north. I can deal with the cold but the rain is starting to irritate me. I’m not used to the gray overcast skies anymore either. We haven’t even taken the bikes off the rack to ride around the Lamar neighborhood yet. Ah, in time. Have a great New Year!

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  16. What a great spoonbill shot Ingrid and that sunset…fabulous! We are preparing for a winter storm here so I imagine maybe as early as tomorrow we will be looking at snow on the Palomar Mountains.

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    1. Thanks LuAnn. Every now and then I get lucky with a unique shot. My delete button is getting a serious workout these days. Seems like the weather is crazy just about everywhere. Hope you capture some more beautiful landscape shots and trimmed with snow. Cheers to fun adventures in 2015!

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  17. Love, love, love the spoonbill shot! Your post came at just the right time. We are planning to visit the Texas Gulf Coast on our next RV trip and I had looked at going to Galveston, Goose Island State Park, and Mustang Island. Your post answered some of my question about distance and about the ferry. Thank you for that. We’ve taken our RV on ferries in Alaska and the Yukon and it is always an adventure. Did you need reservations for the state parks?

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    1. Thanks. Every now and then I get lucky with a shot. For all three state parks I would highly recommend reservations on weekends. Weekdays don’t seem to be a problem. The locals love to get out on the weekends. When you purchase the Texas State Park pass ($70) you’ll be given 4 cyber coupons to save money on each stay. Feel free to email me if you have more questions. Happy New Year!

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    1. Ah, in a land long long ago, was a young maiden who dreamt of NG adventures and photography. But alas, the maiden was drawn more to lipstick and nail polish and opted to sling drinks in planes. The former sky wench will remain happy sharing her photos with her beloved blog audience, but always wonders “what if” 😆

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  19. Ingrid, your spoonbill photo is fantastic! I’m sorry, but I can’t feel TOO sorry for you, since our temps here are dropping to 9 degrees tonight in Oregon. That is just ridiculous in an RV. It’s definitely time to head south! Hope to see you there. 😉

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    1. Thank you Laurel. Well, you get the ‘sympathy’ vote for sure. Don’t you just love feeling that cold air come through the closed windows? No Low E windows here LOL. Shoot me an email sometime and let me know your tentative plans for heading south. Have a happy New Year!

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  20. I love your bird photos, they are beautiful. Glad you are looking at the sunnyside of things! It is indeed a strange winter – up north, we’ve had little or no snow and the ground is bare – we are headed north to Michigan to rest, relax, and ring in the new year! Happy New Year and hang in there!

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    1. Awe, thank you Pam. My quest continues to capture one of these pink beauties in flight. All my attempts thus far have been worthy of the delete button 😉 Here’s wishing you a New Year filled with lots of fun adventure!

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    1. Thanks Lisa. As much as I am enjoying my stay along the Texas Gulf Coast, I’m thinking next winter will include a stay in San Diego and Anza Borrego. Have a happy New Year!

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  23. Fabulous Spoonbill shot, Ingrid! I can’t imagine being in an RV in really cold weather. You’re so brave and obviously a very hardy couple. How nice to have a free ferry ride. Great shots of your home on board. Hope your weather warms up soon. 🙂

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    1. Thank you Sylvia. This weather has been like a roller coaster. Another blast of cold and wet on it’s way…. grrrr! Oh well, we have plenty of heat, blankets, and alcohol…. what more could a gal want 😆 Wishing you a wonderful New Year!

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    1. The whoopers are here. I could hear them this morning in the distance. Drove over in search but they were too far from the road to photography. I have a whole month for them to cooperate. Wish I could’ve gone with you to Leonabella. I also wanted to get back over to Charlie’s Pasture. With only two weeks on Mustang Island and half filled with crappy weather, I didn’t do as much as I wanted. Oh well, you may see me over there yet again 🙂

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  25. Love the Roseate Spoonbill with wings unfurled! Mustang Island has the best beach ever to walk along and find shells, starfish and sand dollars…I loved Port Aransas..and the oldest bar, which I cannot remember the name of…duh…One thing about South Florida….great temps for Winter..If you ever head this direction, let me know..I have some great info!!

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    1. Thanks Donna. I know I can always count on you for some great recommendations. I’m working on Al to stay west next winter… San Diego, Anza Borrego, Why, Tucson, etc. BUT those ducks beckon him. Ducks? Wife?…. we’ll see who wins LOL.
      Have a wonderful New Year!

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  26. That looks like a great spot. We really want to go to Texas but we need art shows to do through the winter to make money. Oddly enough, Texas doesn’t have any in the winter. But the ocean looks glorious!!

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    1. Winter is actually the off season for the Texas Coast so I can see why there wouldn’t be any art shows. Perhaps some day you’ll head over here anyway. Rockport does have a couple winter festivals with art vendors but not big. Have a great New Year 🙂

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  27. Beautiful birds and sunset.
    Here is some more sympathy. I just spent my first week in my RV. Im in Central Alabama. I am concerned. Wednesday night it is going to be 27. I’m slightly worried about my non-winterized plumbing. 😀

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    1. Yep, these RV’s aren’t the most fun in extreme weather. We always make sure we have lots of water in our fresh water holding tank then disconnect the water line to the RV park. Sometimes we’ll even disconnect the sewer line. Also be sure and run your RV furnace and don’t rely on electric heaters. You want your belly heated. Stay warm and wishing you a New Year filled with adventure 🙂

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      1. So far it is not extreme. I’m going to disconnect my water tomorrow night when it goes down to 27. I can’t run my furnace. There is a problem getting propane here. I’ve been working on that for 2 weeks. I’m using electric heaters and leaving the sink and bathroom cabinet doors open. I am also putting a work light with a 60watt bulb in the area where the water comes in an where the gray and black tanks are. Hopefully that will see me through tomorrow night. Maybe things won’t get worse temperature wise. It’s been staying above normal. I won’t be here more than 20 more days.

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