Sam Houston Boat Tour

Another one of our tourist activities was to take a boat tour of the Houston shipping channel.  The tour aboard the M/V Sam Houston is totally free as part of the Port of Houston.  The following is from the Port of Houston Authority website:

"Named for the legendary military commander who led the fight for Texas independence from Mexico and later statehood, the M/V Sam Houston offers free leisurely 90-minute round-trip cruises along the Houston Ship Channel.

Embarking from the port's Sam Houston Pavilion, visiting sightseers aboard the M/V Sam Houston can enjoy passing views of international cargo vessels, and operations at the port's Turning Basin Terminal. The 95-ft. vessel has capacity for up to 90 passengers and features air-conditioned lounge seating as well as standing room outside on the boat's rear deck
.
The M/V Sam Houston has been operating as the Port of Houston's public tour vessel since its first voyage on July 30, 1958. In 2010, the vessel received new low-emission fuel engines and a new generator. The environmental upgrades were made possible through grants from the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funding through EPA's National Clean Diesel Funding Assistance Program."

Please enjoy the pictures and imagine that you were on the tour with us!!



Car carrier that can carry 5,000 cars and be loaded/unloaded in 24 hours.

Mike and Joanne on tour boat with Susan





Tug pushing ship into port.

One of many refineries.



Another refinery



US Gypsum facility



Salt being unloaded.



Bridge over the shipping channel

Another car carrier

EASY LIVING!!

Galveston and Battleship Texas (Feb 11-12)

We continued our sightseeing tours with a drive to Galveston so Mike and Joanne could see the island and ride the ferry back to Bolivar Peninsula.  We also wanted them to see the houses and other buildings that have been rebuilt since Hurricane Ike went through in September 2008.  Even though we were living in Southern Indiana at the time, we even felt the force of Ike as it barreled through Southern Indiana with fierce winds.  The winds (no rain) were strong enough that we actually received a benefit of a new roof!  Pat and I were in Michigan at a camping rally that weekend and were deluged with rain.  It was also the approximate time of the stock market crash leading to the Great Recession from which the country is still struggling to overcome.  Here is a before and after picture of the Bolivar Peninsula as taken from the National Geographic website.

Before and After Pictures of Bolivar Peninsula in 2008

Galveston Island today



Busy harbor

On Sunday, February 12, we drove back down towards Galveston to visit the Battleship Texas.  What an interesting day this was!!  We joined a tour with one of the volunteers who is probably the most knowledgeable person of the boat.  The Texas was commissioned in 1914 and served in both World Wars.  With major modifications, she was able to serve in the Atlantic as well as providing support during the landing at Iwo Jima.  She also took part in the invasion of Okinawa and managed to remain untouched by enemy guns.  At the end of the war, Texas served as a transport for prisoners of war from the Philippines to Pearl Harbor and transported nearly 5,000 troops home from the Pacific.  After her service, she was retired and scheduled to be used as a bombing target but the citizens of Texas launched a fund drive to save her.  The US Navy towed her to Texas to become a permanent memorial battleship and open to the public.




Battleship Texas



Susan, Mike, and Joanne on ramp to ship



Susan "aiming gun" 



Tour guide showing us how ammo was loaded into gun.



We were inside Turret where the big guns are. 
Received quite an in-depth explanation on operation



Back on deck-notice the "chains"-they are the anchors. 
You did not want to be close to these when anchors were released
because of the force and weight of the anchors.

Navigation Bridge



Crew quarters--cannot imagine how anyone could sleep!



Kitchen for regular crew

Bakery



The brig--no space so not a good place to be.



Pat, Joanne, and Mike

Engine room--thanks to the superlative guide, we were able to go into
areas not open to the public such as this unrenovated area of the engine room.

Radio room--volunteers are working to restore the equipment
with actual working radios of the WWII era.



Wardroom--this was the officers' dining room



Each ship had their own set of silver.  Because the Texas was
used in both World Wars, there are actually two sets of silver on display
This one and another set on the other side of the display case.

If you ever visit Houston, I would encourage you to take a day to visit the Battleship Texas.  It is well worth the time at a minimal admission cost.

EASY LIVING!

Johnson Space Center and RV Show (Houston, Texas)

On Monday, we finally ventured out on a sightseeing excursion to the Johnson Space Center.  We arrived after our hour drive just as the gates were opening for visitors.  We were able to jump on the first Tram Tour after going through security checkpoint. 

Mike, Joanne, and Susan waiting for Tram to start.

The Johnson Space Center occupies more than 1,600 acres and employs more than 14,000 people including contractors and civil servants.  The first stop on the very chilly ride (we did not really come prepared for an open vehicle ride with temps hovering around 50) was the Christopher C. Kraft Jr. Mission Control Center.  For those of us who remember the entire history of space flight, the viewing of Mission Control brought back memories of watching the mission control activity on TV.

 Our second stop was at the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility which, I believe, is/was used as a training facility for the assembly of the International Space Station. 

I think the most interesting fact about the Tram Tour was the explanation given for the cessation of the Shuttle program.  The program in the later years was intended to be used primarily for the construction of the International Space Station with the shuttle transporting parts during the construction.  I always thought that the shuttle would be used to transport crew members to and from the Space Station.  That was not its purpose and it would be like taking a big Mac truck to your job each day.  The final stop of the outdoor tour was the Saturn V Complex at Rocket Park.  Inside the building is a full-size model of the Saturn V rocket which sent the astronauts into space for the trips to the moon.


Joanne, Mike, and Susan outside the Saturn V Complex



Joanne, Mike, and Pat in front of one section of Saturn V Rocket

 



Banners representing each of Apollo Flights.

View of entire length of Saturn V Rocket.

After returning to the visitor’s center and eating a very expensive lunch (we were a captive audience with a choice of eating lunch for $20 or going hungry), we visited several of the attractions.  The first presentation was “Living in Space” which had a mockup of the living quarters on the International Space Station.  The narrator showed us how one sleeps, eats, and other daily aspects of living in a weightless environment.  Another demonstration was the current NASA mission to Mars with a laboratory called Curiosity Rover.  This mission was launched in November 2011 with touchdown scheduled on Mars in early August 2012.  The rover will assess whether Mars ever was, or is still today, an environment able to support microbial life.  If you think NASA is idle, visit http://www.nasa.gov/missions/index.html for a description of past, current and future missions.

The final attraction we visited was Starship Gallery Museum which contains artifacts from the years of space exploration.  “This incredible collection includes: an original model of the Goddard Rocket; the actual Mercury Atlas 9 "Faith 7" capsule flown by Gordon Cooper; the Gemini V Spacecraft piloted by Pete Conrad and Gordon Cooper; a Lunar Roving Vehicle Trainer, the Apollo 17 Command Module, the giant Skylab Trainer, and the Apollo-Soyuz Trainer.” (http://space.about.com/cs/nasa/p/jscvisit.htm)

Lunar Roving Vehicle Trainer



Lunar Lander Trainer



Susan in Shuttle cockpit

Yesterday (Thursday), we decided to drive to the Reliant Center for the Houston RV Show.  The center is in the complex with the Astrodome and the new Reliant stadium for the Texans.  Because we are staying north of Houston and the Reliant complex is south of downtown, we drove straight through the downtown area.  I must say that the roads in and around Houston are fairly easy to maneuver and we made it there and back without getting lost (OnStar helps, too!). 

Downtown Houston



Minute Maid Stadium-Home of Houston Astros Baseball Team



Reliant Stadium-Home of Houston Texans NFL Team

Astrodome-Not currently in use.

The RV show was kind of small as RV shows go with only dealers represented.  We did attend a seminar on converting RV Refrigerator (absorption type) to a regular residential refrigerator.  More and more RVs are being equipped with residential refrigerators.  The traditional RV refrigerator has a fire hazard because it uses heat to cool (as I understand it) plus the refrigerator never really stays as cold as a residential model.  I think we will probably look into converting our fridge at some point in the future.

Today has been another rainy day so our next sightseeing excursion will probably be early next week.  Pat’s brother and wife are still next door to us and we are enjoying their company.

EASY LIVING!!

From Livingston to New Caney

After staying at Livingston for about 6 weeks, we decided it was time to move.  While staying at the Escapees RV Park in Livingston was a nice and the dogs were well behaved, we were close to the highway and heard traffic noise all day and night.  Lumber trucks traveled past us at 70 miles an hour with their heavy loads of trees so it was difficult to enjoy being outdoors.  Add to that the distance to see any sites in Houston (1½ hour drive), we wanted to be closer to Houston and to stay at a quieter location.

We were able to finally have the roof of the RV repaired.  It had been leaking ever since the 20 inches of rain in Hershey back in September.  That was a big relief to be snug and dry when it rains.  It rained hard two days after the repairs were made and we literally held our breath waiting to see if the repairs were successful.  YEA RAH!!

Monday, January 30 was the date to move to Forest Retreat RV Park in New Caney, Texas.  This is more of a resort type of setting with concrete roads and pads and paved patios.  The temperatures since Monday have been in the 70’s but with rain and thunder every day.  Pat’s brother Mike and his wife Joanne arrived on Wednesday to stay next to us for a couple of weeks or so.  We are looking forward to seeing the sights of Houston with them!

Today we drove from New Caney to Katy to go to Camping World.  It was a mere 60 miles—freeway/tollway .  Thank goodness we have OnStar in the car or we would have gotten so lost.  The road system around Houston is quite confusing with freeways going in all directions and at all different altitudes.  I do have to admit that the traffic moved exceptionally well and we made the trip in about an hour.  On the way home, we stopped at Cheddar’s and enjoyed a wonderful lunch.  Joanne and I each had Salmon, Mike had a huge burger, and Pat enjoyed a steak dinner.  Good food and wonderful company made for a very pleasant day!

Next week we are planning to do some sight-seeing and should have some pictures to share.

EASY LIVING!!

Christmas and New Year's (Livingston, Texas December 21-Jan 2)

I haven't posted anything for nearly two weeks because our lives have settled down to a routine.  For Christmas dinner, the park had a dinner with the meat provided and everyone was to contribute a side dish or dessert.  There were about ten to a table so we didn't provide for everyone-just for our table.  My choice was to provide two pies.  Now, you have to know that I had never, and I mean NEVER, baked a pie since moving into the RV.  We do not have a regular oven, just a combination microwave-convection oven.  Since one of the ladies bragged about how she makes her own pie crust and would be willing to provide pies, I was not to be dissuaded and said I still wanted to bring the pies.  So I bought the ingredients for an apple pie (I don't make my own crust from scratch but have found that the Pillsbury crusts are just as good).  I decided that it would be a good idea to do the pies a day early so that if they bombed I could always go and buy some.  Well--I learned that the convection oven is better than I ever dreamed and the apple pie turned out beautiful and better that I have ever made in a regular oven!  Here is a picture of it (Pat was disappointed that I wouldn't let him sample it!):

The other pie was Rocky Road No-Bake Cheesecake (I had never made this pie either).  The recipe turned out to be fairly easy and is available at http://www.kraftrecipes.com/recipes/rocky-road-no-bake-cheesecake-105199.aspx.  I knew while making it that the filling was really good and the pie did actually exceed my expectations.  After the picture was taken, I did add some shredded chocolate to the top to dress it up a little bit.  Beware-it is very rich!!

The Christmas dinner was very enjoyable and I am glad we signed up for it.  All the food, including the pies, was wonderful.

The rest of the holiday season was pretty quiet and we never made it to midnight on New Year's Eve.  We may have been awake to try to calm Abby.  Whenever she hears any loud noises--thunder, gunshots, fireworks--she gets highly nervous and starts shaking.  She is like a small child (and sometimes not so little child) who comes in to wake up "mommy" because she is scared.  Hopefully, the fireworks in the area are done so we can all get a better night's sleep!

We hope everyone has a Happy and Prosperous 2012.  We don't know where we will be heading after winter--it may be out west or east coast--but we will keep you up-to-date.

EASY LIVING!!