Trip From Nashville to Rockport Texas

Trip From Nashville to Rockport Texas 

Our favorite stop when heading to the gulf coast is Buccaneer State Park in Waveland, MS. So off we headed....

       According to Mark, one of the important reasons for stopping in Waveland is so Lisa can gamble. 

They load free money on your player's card and they have a buffet in the casino. The free money is all we typically gamble. Lisa uses both her card and Mark's, so Mark teases her about her gambling habit.  Plus, the beach is directly across the street from the campground.

                          

Karma and Apollo played together on the beach for their first time. We don't believe he has ever gotten to play in the open water, like a lake or an ocean, before today. Karma absolutely loves playing in the water. Apollo was a little skeptical at first but he decided if Karma was doing it, it must be ok. 

Lake Charles, LA Veterans Park

We enjoyed a morning stroll on this beautiful, sunny day through this beachfront veteran's memorial park. Look at that gorgeous blue sky...

Bolivar Beach to Galveston Island Ferry

We spied a submarine sail while we were on the ferry.

Karma and Apollo were playing on the beach before Mark got into trouble with the Park Rangers for having the dogs off leash. We think all the other people who were on this crowded beach must have been terrified of these vicious dogs. (note.... there is no one on the beach as far as you can see in either direction...)

Seawolf Park Galveston Texas

 Seawolf Park is a memorial to the USS Seawolf, a USN Sargo-class submarine that was mistakenly sunk by USN forces in 1944 during WWII. There are two museum ships, USS Cavalla and USS Stewart open for touring along with parts from three other vessels and  the remains of a former merchant ship. The park is located on Pelican Island just north of Galveston.

As a submariner, this was a must see for us.

The sail from the USS Tautog (SSN 639) was part of the memorial to the Cold War submariners. 

The sail is often one of the few parts remaining after the submarines are decommissioned and scrapped. The sail for the USS Lapon (SSN 661) (the submarine Mark served on) has been scrapped, but her sail is on display as a memorial at the VFW in Springfield, Missouri. 

A SUBROC was a nuclear depth bomb that would have been launched by the class of submarines Mark served on.  During the time Mark was in the service, the submariners could not even acknowledge that the weapon existed or was on board. It was surprising to see the SUBROC being on display since it was considered so highly classified during his navy career. All 285 warheads were decommissioned following the end of the Cold War. Since the SUBROC was a nuclear warhead, it could not be exported to any other navies.

This is a Mark 37 torpedo used during WWII.

This memorial was dedicated to honor each US submarine that has been lost over the years. The outer circle houses a plaque for each submarine and the men lost. We walked the perimeter of the memorial to honor those lost at sea. Mark served 12 years on a submarine. These memorials feel personal to us. We honor those who lost their lives and paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

The Thresher and Scorpion were the only two USN nuclear subs lost since the start of the nuclear program.  The Thresher and all 129 men aboard were lost during sea trials after an overhaul.  The Scorpion was lost under suspicious circumstances in the Azores. All 99 lives aboard were lost.

The sea turtle was part of the artwork in the park.

The memorial had an area dedicated to the women who served during the WWII time frame.

USS Stewart DE-238

The USS Stewart was an Edsall class destroyer escort ship now being used as a museum ship on public display.  The "valuable cargo" mentioned in the above plaque was referring to President  

               Roosevelt after she escorted him down the Potomac en route to a mission in 1944.

Sunrise at Galveston Beach

Mark was able to capture this stunning sunrise with his camera.  It is probably safe to assume Lisa slept through this magnificent early morning display. 

We met our friends Kim and Wesley for lunch at a great little seafood place on the beach. We try to squeeze in a visit or two with them when we are in their neck of the woods. Kim and Lisa have been friends for about 10 years now.

Creekfire RV Resort Savannah Georgia

Creekfire RV Resort Savannah, Georgia

During our travels across the US, we have visited so many places. Savannah has been one of our favorite cities. People are friendly and the history of the city is amazing.  It doesn't hurt that it is on the coast and has lots of fresh seafood. It is also close to John, Lisa's nephew, stationed at Fort Stewart.

Karma and Lisa were napping. He patiently waits for her to get up every morning as part of a daily ritual so he can get his morning dental stick. These dental sticks are one of the highlights of his life. We laugh and call them his "crack".  He is definitely a dental stick junkie. We don't dare run out of them.  He's addicted to one brand. If anyone offers him a milkbone, he refuses to even consider taking it. He will turn his head in disgust with an air of superiority and give them a look that says it all. Apparently, milkbones are not up to his standards. He is a dental stick snob.

We visited the Veterans Memorial on the waterfront in Savannah.

There are so many things in life that we just accept and give very little thought- like the 1996 Olympics. They were unable to have the Olympic sailing and yachting events in Atlanta, so those were held in Savannah. We  knew that the kayaking events were held in Chattanooga on the Ocoee River, but never gave any thought to the other events.

 The south is much more tolerant and accepting of different views than what we have seen in other parts of the country.  Most of the country at this time is antagonistic about any views different from theirs. The differences incite violence and are very decisive.  

Lisa and Karma found Christmas decorations in downtown Savannah.

Meet our newest family member, Apollo.  He is a German Shepard that Mark's friend gave to Lisa's  nephew.  He was no longer able to care for him, so while we were in Savannah, we picked him up. He has no idea his whole world is about to change. At first, Karma was indifferent to him. He basically refused to acknowledge him.

Fort McAllister is the best-preserved earthwork fortification of the Confederacy. Though the earthworks were attacked unsuccessfully seven times by Union soldiers, it did not fall until it was taken by General Sherman in 1864 during his March to the Sea. Located on the coast, it is nestled among giant live oaks and a large salt marsh The fort was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

The fort was Apollo's first outing on a leash with us.  He has so much to learn. The differences between him and Karma are significant.  Lisa spent Karma's first 2 years training him which made him much easier to deal with in our current lifestyle. We have to help Apollo break some bad habits and learn a bunch of new commands and routines. Apollo is a tad overwhelmed but he quickly has gotten attached to Mark.  He does not want to let Mark out of his sight. Luckily, there were very few people at the fort and we had a really good first outing with Apollo. Karma is a bit jealous and isn't sure he wants a brother long term. Karma reminds Apollo periodically he is the alpha and Apollo is good with that.

We spotted an alligator in the lake at the campground. There were posted warnings about alligators, but we had not seen one on either prior visit.  Staff told us they had removed one that was 14 foot long over the summer. This just ended Karma swimming in the lake. Apollo does not even know what he is missing out on.