texas – Page 2 – Veness Travel Media

Okay, But He’s Still A Jerk

We only had four days on South Padre Island, so we packed in as much as we could. We knew one of our outings would involve the work of someone we consider a five-star jerk, but we didn’t know there was another total git who had a big impact on what would become Texas, and on the country as a whole.

If you’ve been following our blog or follow us on Facebook, you know we’ve mentioned having Starlink as our internet system. For RVers, it’s the only fully reliable connection, and that’s something we are not able to take risks with; we have to have internet powerful enough to deal with large files being transferred, because we’re working as we’re traveling.

*Starlink and Simon, both hard at work.*

You might also know who owns Starlink. And if you do, you know Elon Musk is a controversial character, to say the very least. Perhaps he’s nice to dogs and babies, but we absolutely cannot stand his attitudes or behaviors. It was a huge moral dilemma when we had to decide how to deal with internet on the road.

All of that is a long tirade leading up to us saying we made the trip to Starbase, about 40 miles from our campground (by car; maybe 5 if there wasn’t a gigantic ocean inlet in the way), out in the boonies of Boca Chica.

If Elon ever convinces more than one human being to implant a microchip in their brain, he might enclose his Starbase compound and carry out whatever plan he’s working on, but for now you can drive right up to it, and we did. We were impressed by what we saw, in the same way we were impressed by the Reichstag in Berlin – with a mix of admiration for the building and fear of its owner.

*This long road goes straight to the beach, past Starbase and the Starlink compound.*

Starbase consists of an area that features rockets and big, mysterious buildings; an area where small, pre-fab homes are stored, presumably for future employees who want to live onsite; the Starlink center; and a launch pad. A massive amount of empty land and the sea surround the compound.

*It’s possible these giant…um…rockets…reminded us of their creator in more ways than one.*

A few hundred feet past the Starlink base is Boca Chica Beach, which, for now, is the reason you can drive right past Elon’s private property. You can also drive on the beach, because of course you can; this is Texas, and it won’t be messed with by paltry safety rules. Admittedly, Florida has a driveable beach where accidents happen every year, but…well…Florida.

We were actually glad we saw Starbase. There’s no question the place – and the ambition – is impressive. But we’re never going to agree to having microchipped brains or treating people as expendable.

*We didn’t expect to be able to get this close to the rockets.*

The next day we drove to Brownsville, in part because we were supposed to spend three days camping there and we honestly weren’t sure we wanted to, and in part because we wanted to see Palo Alto, where the first battle of the Mexican War took place when President Polk decided, in 1846, that part of Mexico was now his.

I (Susan, obviously) am going to go even more preachy on you than usual, so skip this paragraph if you don’t want to hear it. I won’t be offended, and you’re probably making the right call. But the fact is, I cannot for the life of me understand most wars. Nazi Germany and other wars whose goal was a land grab with a massive side order of genocide is something completely different. That’s a war that needs fighting. Inciting war against people living peacefully just because you want what they have, that’s not how young lives should be lost. Getting along and sharing billions of acres is an option. If you have absolutely no self-control whatsoever and cannot live one more minute without taking someone else’s territory, set up a big speaker and…I dunno…maybe yodel at them without ceasing until they relent. It all ends in negotiation anyway, so skip the murder and get straight to the talking.

Okay, done. Mostly.

Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park features a battlefield marked with U.S. flags and Mexican flags, to show the front lines where the armies faced off as Mexico insisted its territory was its own and the U.S. said, “Nuh-uh. Ours now.” It also has a small interpretive center. We’re here to say it’s one of the best little museums we’ve seen on this trip, and that’s saying something.

Jeager, one of the park rangers, was the right man to answer our question: Didn’t this land come with the Louisiana Purchase? The short answer is, “No.” The long answer is, “Nooooooooooooo.” And the reason it’s “No” is because Mexico’s territory extended up into what is now southern Oregon, while the Brits still held what is now northern Oregon, Idaho, and Washington (state, not D.C.).

Part of what is now Texas was annexed as its own republic, but Polk wanted more. So why not lose a bunch of lives and make the Rio Grande the new U.S./Mexico border? What a jerk.

At the same time as the U.S. was deep in the two-year war for Mexican land, the British decided they weren’t interested in a long fight that would probably end in the loss of their territory below the 49th parallel, so they signed the Oregon Treaty and, at the end of the Mexican War, the continental U.S. enjoyed the boundaries we now know.

General Zachary Taylor, a non-political General who didn’t think the war was justified but ultimately led the successful campaign, became a national hero, and then the 12th President of the United States. Fascinating.

Simon was captivated by how well defined the Palo Alto battlefield was, and by the clarity of the interpretive center’s exhibits, which made it easy to see what had happened there. Susan was drawn in by the human side, and by the way researchers unearthed buttons torn from the soldiers’ uniforms during the violence of the battle, and used them to track the troops’ movements, even down to individual soldiers at times.

For us, the ripples and ramifications we’re encountering on this trip explain so much about what is wonderful and heroic and admirable and outrageously generous about this great country, and they also bring into stark focus the events that stand as lessons about the past and warnings for the future, and the decisions that do not represent our better selves.

Well, Hello Old Friend!

Even though we live inland, Florida’s Gulf Coast has been a presence in our lives for nearly two decades. We write about it, we watch it for hurricanes, and we’ve traveled its full length for work and for enjoyment. Little did we know how much we’d feel that old familiar friend’s presence again.

After being in the mountains and the desert for so long, the coast, the smell of water, and the humidity came as a slight shock. What also came as a surprise was the look of South Padre Island. We had to remind ourselves over and over that we weren’t in Daytona, or Clearwater, or Miami after we crossed the big causeway over the Intracoastal Waterway. Had we been blindfolded and dropped on one of the area’s three main drags, we’d have put money on being in Florida.

South Padre also stands out as having its own character. Very touristy in the heart of the strip, but when we drove to the literal end of the road, it felt like we were in Michigan’s upper peninsula, driving right along Lake Michigan’s coast, with sand dunes on both sides and not a whole lot else.

At this remote end of the island, we found lots of RVers boondocking (camping with no hookups). Several vans and a few Class Cs and Fifth-Wheels were parked right off the road, obviously hanging out for several days.

We walked along the hard-packed beachfront, took cheeky side-eye glances into other people’s rigs (from a respectable distance), and appreciated the solitude while also knowing it wouldn’t work for us. Apart from anything else, we couldn’t have turned Fati around in such limited space.

Lunch at Mahi Nic – which came as a recommendation and was right along a canal – felt exactly like being at one of hundreds of waterside dining spots we’ve been to in Florida. We both ordered hot dogs (bacon-wrapped Captain Hearty dog for Simon, with chipotle mayo and pico de gallo; Nate Dog for Susan, with mustard, ketchup, onions, and pickle relish), with a side order of fries.

This is not something either of us would usually order, and we don’t know what possessed us. We do know the dogs were superb, and the fries were as big as our heads. We also now know that Susan can’t eat hot dogs that have a lot of garlic in them.

We had a nice wander around the beach, but both of us were really tired. It had been so long since we’d broken camp and moved in Fati, and the wind had been strong enough during our drive to require extra concentration and arm muscles, we really did feel the effects. South Padre Island KOA Holiday made a pleasant waterside base for our stay, and we were quite happy to relax a bit, enjoying the sound of the breeze through the palm trees.

Dinner that evening came from Viva, and had it been warmer outside we probably would have eaten at their indoor-outdoor dining room that faced the Intracoastal Waterway. Instead, we got a carry-out and ate at home, then called it a night after watching two episodes of the Great British Baking Show, our go-to indulgence when our brains don’t want to think anymore.

*Simon went for the Gulf Shrimp and veggies*

*And a beautiful sunset made it taste even better.*

We were up and out relatively early the next day, heading for breakfast at Josephine’s Kitchen. Susan went for two feather-light crepes with fruit, Simon dove into the Avocado Benedict, and our server brought Ruthie the best “pup cup” she’s ever had in her whole wide life. It was filled with bacon and blueberries, but she decided there was no reason to eat blueberries when bacon was around.

Next we popped over to Sea Turtle, Inc. This small operation rescues and rehabilitates sea turtles, and the facility had several long-term and short-term residents, as well as interesting displays featuring the local sea life. It’s all about education, and again, we felt very much like we were back home in Florida.

*Did you know turtles yaw*n? *Us either!*

*Ruthie did not understand the assignment.*

Think whatever feels comfortable for you about SeaWorld in Orlando, but do bear in mind, the work they do rescuing and rehabilitating sea turtles, manatees, and other living beings is absolutely second to none. We know their facilities well, and it’s astonishing how much they’ve added to the welfare of the seas and sea life.

The South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center was right next door, and we could easily have spent hours there, even though we don’t consider ourselves birders and can’t identify most of what we’re seeing. What a fantastic place! When migrations are going on, it must be utterly spectacular.

*The view from the third floor of the nature center’s observation tower.*

*An egret, probably, and some duck things with beautiful faces.*

Although the facility is mostly outdoors, dogs are not allowed on the walkways. We understand this; dogs bark, and birds don’t like that. Still, our Ruthie would have loved it. So many good sniffs!

*This bird surely has a real name, but for us it was a Vulture Kingfisher.*

Even small children know this one’s name.
Bob. It’s Bob.

Directly across the main strip from the birding center was Clayton’s Beach Bar, “the biggest beach bar in Texas.” Simon cannot pass up places like this. It is simply impossible for him to do so. Two fish sandwiches and a beer each later, we were perfectly chilled and in the mood to pass judgement upon those who were dancing to the band that had begun to play.

*The bar so big it’s like being on the upper deck of a cruise ship.*

When the band showed up Simon said, “They’re going to open with something big. ZZ Top, maybe.” What they really opened with was something akin to a dirge. Very funeral-sounding, and nothing we could identify. It didn’t get a whole lot better from there, and when people started dancing to “I got friends in low places,” it looked like none of them were dancing to the same song, or to the song that was actually being played. But they were having fun, and that’s all that counts, so we bid them a silent goodbye and went back to Fati until dinnertime.

Meatball Café was our choice for the evening, partly because Simon had been craving pizza, Susan can’t have it, and the café offered eight-inch pizzas, salad, bruschetta, and calamari. Half a side salad and some bruschetta was enough for Susan, and Simon was a happy boy with his pizza. We have no photos of this meal. We don’t know why.

We’d done a lot of dining at or from restaurants, as the area’s tourism was eager for us to try several restaurants, and we had enough left over to see us through the next day. We were so full afterwards that we may have skipped a meal…or two.

A Year On The Road – The 8-Month Map

Here we are at the two-thirds mark of our grand ‘A Year On The Road’ RV adventure, and we have reached deep south Texas. We are currently in Donna, TX, and we have traveled a full 928 miles in the last month from our December base in Las Cruces, New Mexico.

Our route from Las Cruces took us down through El Paso to Van Horn, and then on to Alpine (for the magnificent Big Bend National Park), before heading further south to Del Rio and then Castroville for Christmas (just outside San Antonio). The New Year then took us southwest to Donna via Kingsville.

*All safely set up at our RV resort in Donna, Texas. We could end up being here a whole month!*

Our total RV mileage since we left home is now 8,242 and Texas is our 20th state (not counting Florida). That 928 miles probably doesn’t sound like much, but it is more than the total for months 6 and 7 combined, as we had started a significant slow-down in favor of being longer in one place and exploring further by car.

*The story so far. The full track of our trip in Fati is in yellow, and our multiple side-trips in Nippy are shown in pink. We still have another 1,500 miles or so to get home!*

Our little Ford Fiesta, Nippy, has put in an additional 1,558 miles in the past month, giving her a total to date of 19,708. Combined with Fati, we have driven a grand total of 27,825 miles, or basically enough to have gone right the way round the world, plus an extra 2,924 miles!

*We had to make sure we didn’t arrive too early at our Donna campground, so we paid a call to the local Post Office (which had a nice empty parking lot!)*

In all honesty, we are not looking to break any long-distance records at this stage. We knew we had to get some miles under our belt by January as the weather becomes a major factor at this time of year, and we need to stay as far south as possible. RVs are not built to travel far during the depths of winter and, even being this far south has had its challenges, with temps dropping below freezing several times this month. Including the wind-chill, we hit 15F/-9.5C at its coldest and, living in what amounts to a glorified tin can, that gets REALLY cold, really quickly!

Our route from here will hug the Texas coast all the way to Louisiana in March, and we should just be warming up again by then!

Simon, Susan & Ruthie