2025-12-9 Lots of Holiday Partying

 We all met at Paradise Key Dockside Bar and Grill for a delicious late lunch and party game.

There were three tables full of Texas Ramblin' Roses and a couple of guests.

A drive through downtown Rockport provided another great light display.

We also checked out the Rockport Beach light displays. They were set up by different organizations.

I was driving so I didn't get a lot of pictures but it was a great display with voting for the best displays and the opportunity to make donations.

2021-07-15 TRR Rally Day 2 Dolphin Tour

 Thursday night the guy in the RV next to me was busy washing his RV. Hmmmm. Thursday night about 2AM, it started pouring with thunder and lightning. Coincidence....maybe. I got the first phone call before 7AM from one of the women asking if the Dolphin Tour was cancelled. Obviously, it was too early to call the tour place to ask. I sent out a message to everyone saying I would call them at 0800 to see whether the tour was still on. We were supposed to meet at the park at 8:20 AM to leave for the harbor. The tour operator asked me to call back at 8:30AM because they were still watching the weather. The sun was not out but the rain had moved east and the tour was on. We all headed to Fulton Harbor to the Duck Blind Coffee House which was the meeting place for the Aransas Bay Dolphin Watching Tour. The sky was very overcast but it wasn't raining and actually was perfect for a boat tour because it wasn't blazing hot. View of the marina on the way out.

Lots of picture taking in progress.

We started following a shrimping boat which is a perfect way to see dolphins because they follow the shrimp boats catching breakfast.

There was seating inside with good views out of the windows which could be open or closed but most of our group chose to be out in the bow of the boat most of the trip.

We saw a couple of ships headed into nearby Corpus Christi.

Lots of pelicans gathered on a gravel island that moves based on water current. Since it wasn't mating season, we were actually able to pull right up to the island.

There were about five dolphins following the shrimper.

The boat wasn't a beauty but a working man's boat hard at work. They were followed by dolphins, birds, and us.

The net was being pulled in to empty the catch into containers on board.

Lots of happy faces on this tour. There were about 7 others on the boat in addition to our group.

This is the back of MoonDog restaurant which has outside covered patio seating in addition to inside seating.

Some of the ladies went out to lunch or sightseeing after the tour. Friday night was dinner at Paradise Key Dockside Bar and Grill, a large restaurant on the west end of Rockport that can seat large groups and has good food. Almost everyone wants to eat seafood while on the coast but restaurants have other choices as well. They had a band playing and our wait wasn't too long although they were very busy.

2020-07-20 Rallying in Rockport

 I left San Antonio about 9:00AM with my friend Mary Jane trailing along behind on our way to a Texas Ramblin' Roses Rally in Rockport TX.  It took us just a little longer than planned because we ran in to 7, yes that is seven, road construction zones on the backroads. Some were a block long with a stop/go light and most others were a little longer where you had to follow a pilot car. Fortunately the waits were not too long.

We arrived at Wilderness Oaks RV Resort in Rockport and were quickly checked in and led to our sites

I have hosted a number of rallies here and they always make you feel very welcome. Some of the group came as early as Tuesday just to relax. I was planning to stay several days after the rally before heading east to another rally. More on that later.

Mornings at our rallies usually start at 8:30AM for early risers who want to exercise. Joyce, in the white shorts always leads the exercise group. You would never guess but Joyce is 89 and in better shape than most 20 years younger. She does a lot of stretching exercises for the group. 

We ended up with 37 women at the rally. Rules were masks, social distancing, and lots of sanitizer. Some women enjoyed the salt water pool. Some didn't really come into the rally room or go out to eat but were just glad to be able to get out and wave at their friends while staying more isolated. That was just fine and we were glad they came.

We had quite a few new or new to members RVs that were christened and given a safe travels blessing by President Jimmie Andrews and her squirt gun filled with H2O champagne. This is Joyce's brand new Phoenix Cruiser she picked up at the factory this spring. Did I mention that Joyce is 89? She plans on lots more travel. She spends fall, winter, and spring in the Rio Grande Valley and the summer in New York driving her RV back and forth.

We had dinner on Thursday night at Old Fulton Seafood Cafe & Deli but I failed to get a picture there. The food was great. I have to admit that I had their special lazagna  instead of seafood but it was the best I have ever had......an old family recipe belonging to the owners mother I was told. They set us up on a separate room at several table.

Friday at lunch, we went to Paradise Key Dockside Bar and Grill. They also put us at several tables to comply with Texas requirements which we were happy to follow. The food there is also very good here.

A drive back to the RV park along the bay allows you to see all these unique trees. I don't know if they are running away from the wind or leaning protectively over the house, lol.

We had seven new members join our chapter. Cookie was anxious to hand out their bandanas and pins. We all put yellow bandanas on our rigs for a rally so we can all identify other group members.

Others were more anxious to get their bandanas.

Finally a better photo.

We had a chapter meeting on Saturday morning to conduct some official chapter business, then took our group photo. Saturday night was pizza and salad night rather than our usual pot luck just to be safe. Then Tropical Storm Beta started to worry some. Some left for home right after dinner.

I had planned to stay until Wednesday morning. They kept talking about the storm surge along the coast even though Beta was a ways from shore. I did a lot of checking weather and finally decided I should be safe head east as long as I got through Houston before it started flooding. Yes, Houston has a flooding problem. I left about 11:30AM and it started raining heavily about an hour before I hit Houston. It rained hard all the way through the city but fortunately, the traffic was not too bad. Hard to understand why people are too dumb to put on their lights when their windshield wipers are working hard. About a half hour past Houston, the rain quit and I was able to get set up in Beaumont without getting soaked. More on that next time.

Friday had 21 RVs of various sizes and types set up in the park for a total of about 26.

Some of the group went fishing.

Others attended the first of several training videos. Air conditioned rigs plus air conditioned rally hall plus pool pretty much takes care of the "It's too hot complaint".

Friday night found us heading across town to Paradise Key Dockside Bar and Grill for dinner.

Even with a reservation, there was a bit of a wait which is to be expected for a party of 28.

 It is a very large restaurant with inside and outside seating.

And a great view out the windows.

 Choices were difficult as there were so many good things to choose from.

The original plan was to come back to the park and watch the movies "RV" but the evening at Paradise ran pretty long so we settled with just visiting in the rally room.

Another Day in Paradise

After we checked out the Big Tree in Goose Island State Park, we headed back toward Rockport. Goose Island State Park is open but only one of the campgrounds is in use. The one right along the beach is closed as is the big fishing pier thanks to Hurricane Harvey. Our destination was Paradise Key Dockside Bar and Grill. Two of our group didn't go to the Big Tree so they were waiting for us at the restaurant. Even though it was quite warm and humid (and buggy), we sat out on the covered patio where the fans and breeze off the water kept us cool enough and the mosquitoes away.

The food was great and so was the service. The restaurant has a very nice atmosphere.
 My success with selfies is definitely not on a par with many others but this is looking out at the bay.

 

Back at the resort, we had happy hour, potluck leftovers, and then played our own version of Bingo (everyone wins). Sorry but I didn't get any pictures. The resort activities director Jan and our own Carolyn Patin coerced us into karaoke.

 

Believe me when I say that everyone should be grateful I am just posting the picture rather than the video version.