2024- Post #1
Dec 29, 2023- Jan 9, 2024
There is no better way to ring in the New Year 2024 than watching fireworks over the rolling waves with a big group of new friends! This year we celebrated with great people, some new and some from last year. Last December 2022, Marc and the group welcomed us. We had a grand New Year’s celebration with them (see blog post #1). Before we left, Marc, the organizer, informed us that they come every New Year and hoped we could join them again in 2023.
On December 29, 2023, we drove down the Bluewater Highway along the Texas Gulf Coast and turned onto the Brazoria County Free Public Beach Access, south of Houston and west of Galveston.
Marc from Fort Worth is now a buddy we can keep in contact with.
Another couple were locals from Houston and came to the beach throughout the year. She and I spent several hours chatting.
We spent several evenings on the beach with a couple from New Brunswick, Canada, enjoying glasses of wine while they filled us in on information regarding Alaska and Canada. We were picking their brains in preparation for our bucket list trip to Alaska and crossing Canada toward New Brunswick and Newfoundland. They invited us to spend time at their place in New Brunswick, and we hope to be able to take them up on it.
Stephen, Jorieke, and sweet little Phoebe from England travel throughout the US. They can be followed on their YouTube channel, @SJPinAmerica.
Allen travels around the country in his van, photographing fantastic wildlife. You can follow him on his website, Lightsidephotos.com, or his YouTube channel, @thenikonnomad.
I got the mug with one of my favorite Allen Martin photos.
Mike got the print with his favorite Allen Martin photo.
A man from Missouri serenaded us with his guitar and sang the beautiful ballads he had composed.
A couple traveling in their Trivago told us about the challenging National Parks hikes they accomplished, such as the Angels Landing and The Narrows in Zion National Park. Those two people are amazing!
Joe and Corbi recently started traveling around the country in their little ‘Super Bee’ pop-up camper with their dogs Luna and Ellie. Corbi is a fantastic artist, as well as a photographer. Check out her website, corbiephotography.com,or Bee Butts Designs, for her watercolor art.
Corbi drew this beautiful remembrance of our time on the beach.
After New Year’s Day most of the group moved on. Before he left, another gentleman from Missouri made sure our rig was in a position where we could pull out of the soft sand and not get stuck because…..
A Hitch with our Hitch
Everything is not always rosy when traveling and living on the road. It would be best if you were prepared physically and mentally. Most importantly, be emotionally prepared for the unexpected and have the state of mind that, most of the time, diversions end up being a good thing.
When we arrived on the beach on Friday, December 29, Mike began to unhitch the camper from the van; he noticed a crack that went almost all around the shaft. We were lucky to have made it there without any problems.
We purchased our hitch from Henley Hitch Company. The hitch was expensive when we bought it, but it has often been a lifesaver. We also got a lifetime warranty with it. Mike called them immediately since it was Friday afternoon before a holiday weekend. They would send out a new hitch to us after the holiday. We only paid for shipping. However, we decided to pay for ground shipping (because we are cheap). Overnight would be four times as much because the part is very heavy. And we thought it would only take two or three days. It was supposed to arrive on the following Saturday, January 6.
Waiting for the New Year Celebration – December 30, 2023
Seagulls weren’t the only ones trying to catch shrimp. The little shrimp that makes holes in the sand is excellent bait. Mike watched some of the men plunge for bait shrimp. Allen and Marc made a device like a syringe to suck them out of the sand.
The shrimp live in these little holes in the sand.
plunger and shrimp
It was a good day for a bike ride. Mike should be an E-bike salesman. Several of the group gave the bikes a whirl and were hooked—even the skeptical ones.The couple from New Brunswick will be getting one soon!
Dec. 31, 2023, New Year’s Eve Celebration
The fireworks along the beach began as dusk fell.
After the plates were empty, the karaoke machine was brought out.
Singing commenced – some funny, some sentimental, some fun. Even Mike entertained the group with renditions of John Denver and Jimmy Buffet classics.-
Lots of silliness was injected.
It was hard to decide where to look for entertainment – the sky for brilliant fireworks displays, listening and watching the singers, or laughing at comedians on stage.
It has been years since Mike and I stayed awake until midnight on New Year’s Eve. This year, we were determined to meet it.
The Countdown
About one minute before midnight, we all rushed to the surf with our glasses of champagne, party hats, and noise makers. “6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Happy New Year!” The toasting of our plastic champagne flutes all around. (No glass allowed on the beach.)
New Year’s Day
Like many people worldwide, the group started the day with Bloody Marys. It’s good that Mike and I didn’t need one because neither of us likes them.
Some of the group started leaving to move on down their trails.
A Very Windy Day – Jan. 2, 2024
More of the group started to leave. I was sorry to see the couple from New Brunswick go, but we exchanged contact information and promised to keep in touch.
We stayed inside most of the day. In the evening, Marc came by to get Mike to play pool with the guys. YAY! I got a chance to curl up with a book.
Bad weather comfort from sweet Chad
Mike came back early. We watched some TV as the wind continued and rain began. He went on to sleep. I started rereading my book, thinking it would help me get drowsy. The wind was howling, and the rain pelted against the camper.
We’ve been in high winds and rain, but I was worried about getting stuck in the sand. I don’t know why I was concerned because Mike positioned our camper and van on thick wood planks. Maybe it was all the noise the weather was making.
Finally, at 3 a.m., the weather subsided, but I was too keyed up to sleep. Usually, every night, Lucy curls up next to me. She abandoned me that night. Chad rarely gets in bed with us. That night, he noticed I wasn’t asleep. He lay beside me with his motor running, gently patting my face with his soft paws and nudging my hand with his big head. I stroked him and went sound to sleep.
When he woke up the following day, Mike replied, “What bad weather?” He slept through the whole thing.
If You Have to Be Stuck Somewhere, the Beach Isn’t a Bad Place
The hitch delivery was postponed several days. Each day, we got a notice that our hitch would be in the next day. But when that day came, we got the same message. I think the bad weather around the country delayed deliveries. So, we had to fill our time while waiting. What to do???
Feed the seabirds,
The hitch didn’t arrive until January 9.
We picked it up from the UPS center, hitched our trailer, packed it, and caravaned to Crystal Beach on Boliver Peninsula (blue arrow on the map) with Joe, Corbi, and Allen. The 50-mile trip only took about an hour and a half, which included going over a bridge with a $2.00 toll (green arrow on the map) and a free ferry ride (blue arrow on the map). We rode on this ferry last year, but it was nighttime. The ferry is available I wanted to leave the van to stand on the deck and see some dolphins this year, but the wind was so brisk I decided to stay inside. Corbi, Joe, and Allen got out of their vehicles and took pictures.
We were going to spend the night and leave the next day. But we liked this beach so much, and beach time is so relaxing, that we postponed it for several more days. This time, it was our spontaneous decision.
What did we do?
Gaze upon the view from my window
Allen taking photographs.
Dinner around the campfire with Corbi, Joe, and Allen.
Photo by Allen Martin.
Coming soon on MikeandMaryTrails’ blog are samples of Allen and Corbi’s talents and links to their website.
Onward we go….