It really feels great to be on the road again, after being in the same general area for over two months. We had a couple of RV firsts in our recent travels: going through a border patrol checkpoint on our way to Rockport, TX and a ferry crossing from Galveston to the Bolivar Peninsula. We decided to take a slightly longer route to avoid Houston traffic, and taking the ferry was an added bonus.
Goose Island State Park in Rockport, TX was a little gem, with wonderful private campsites and plenty of wide open space to bike, hike and run. We were thrilled to be back in the woods and not being able to see our neighbors. The best part was being able to see the endangered Whooping Cranes and more Sandhill Cranes. Big Tree, an over one thousand year old oak tree, was also super cool. We also took the opportunity to go to Rockport Beach during Spring Break and were pleasantly surprised it wasn’t very crowded.
Our next stop was High Island, TX, yet another great birding area with 5 sanctuaries within walking distance from our campsite. The Smiths Oaks Rookery had more colonial waterbirds than you can imagine; more than one thousand pairs of birds were nesting at sunset. It was unbelievable experience to see so many amazing birds in one place. We took several hikes in Hooks Woods Sanctuary, the Boy Scout Woods Sanctuary and the Anahauc National Wildlife Refuge while exploring the area.
One thing we really did not enjoy about Texas Gulf Coast: insects! We really did not have any issue with bugs in the Rio Grande Valley, so it surprised us a bit to have so many critters at our next stops. I found a tick when I woke up the first morning in Goose Creek State Park. Yuck! Thankfully the tick was quickly removed and no further issues. The pesky mosquitoes were also quite a nuisance, especially the ones that got in our RV. We realized our bug spray had expired, so we definitely replaced it and are being more careful in and out of the RV, especially now that we are moving into warmer weather.
Our custom “Roamin’ with the Romes” sign was just delivered to our campsite. It turned out really great! We really like seeing other peoples welcome signs by their rigs, as it makes it easier to find people we know and remember the names of people we just met. If you see our sign, please come stop and say hi!
We have really enjoyed exploring the state of Texas the past 3 1/2 months, but it is time to say, so long for now. We are now on our way to New Orleans and then traveling up and down the Florida coast.
First Border Patrol Checkpoint Crossing
Our new "Roamin" T-shirts
Campsite at Goose Island State Park
Biking to the "Big Tree"
Whooping Cranes in Goose Island State Park
Rockport Beach
