to ramble …

I’ve wanted to go visit the Gulf Coast  in Texas ever since I started going to Austin periodically for work. But when I looked at the distance, it seemed too much driving for a day trip. Fortunately, my brain realized that no drive was too long to be able to stick ones feet in a new body of water.

I drove to the end of I-37 and drove along the water until I found a likely beach for stopping. It was in the mid-80s so I knew I’d be getting in the water. I waded in and jumped around in the waves, dunked myself in the waves, and then came out of the water to sit on the beach a while.  The sand was like cinnamon sugar both in texture and coloration. Before and after dunking pictures:

Some differences between going to the Washington Coast vs going to the Gulf Coast:

Washington Coast

• The closer you get to the water, the lower the outside temperature gets.
• Before you get to the beach you must pass through a depressing logging industry area.
• Wading into the water and jumping in the waves on November 3rd is a good way to be on the path to hypothermia (if you don’t get carried out to sea).
• At sunset, you face the water to see it.
• When you leave, you see signs along the road indicating it is a Tsunami Evacuation Route.
• At the rest area on the way back there are nice volunteers sitting there.
• You have to drive through the unpleasant smells of Tacoma and Kent.

Gulf Coast

• The closer you get to the water, the higher the outside temperature gets.
• Before you get to the beach you must pass through a depressing oil refinery industry area.
• Wading into the water and jumping in the waves on November 3rd is extremely pleasant.
• At sunset, you face away from the water to see it.
• When you leave, you see signs along the road indicating it is a Hurricane Evacuation Route (no cute graphic though).
• At the rest area on the way back there are 1-2 inch long cockroaches sitting on the floor.
• You have to drive through the unpleasant smells of skunk.

Other Observations and Absurdities

• A billboard for vasectomy reversals?
• Getting  out of dripping wet shorts and putting on a pair of dry pants in the backseat of a Chevy Cobalt is extremely difficult.
• While standing about waist deep in the water, I saw a bunch of little silvery fish jumping around and a Pelican swooped down 4 feet in front of me to get some of the jumping fish.
• Cabbage road kill!
• Tasty, tasty, tasty Gulf Shrimp Scampi.
• The last thing you want to see when you stop at a rest area after 45 minutes of urgently needing to pee is this:

Tags: beach, ocean, corpus christi