On the Beach

Colorado River near La Grange, Texas

Texas has most of the biomes of the world; the exceptions are rain forests and tundra. It’s hard to have a favorite, but I seem to end up at the beach (marine biome) most often. Between north Texas and the beach is the Hill Country; this pretty area is an intersection of the temperate grassland and temperate forest biomes. It is also a great stop over with interesting things to see and do.

Dad joined the Navy at the ripe old age of 17 to support the war effort. He became a medical corpsman and was stationed in Hawaii for a few months. He’s told me a few stories about his time in the Navy, but what was really fun was visiting the National Museum of the Pacific War in Fredericksburg, Texas

Pyramid Power

Galveston, Texas has a lot of things going for it: beaches, swimming, boating, fishing, lying in the sun, great places to eat and varied cultural attractions. However, we didn’t expect to meet Real Pirates on their ship, the Whydah, inside a bronze pyramid. The Whydah had been a

Aboard the Whydah

slave ship but because of its speed and responsive handling, Captain Sam Bellamy seized it making it his personal flagship. Interestingly, slaves on ships captured by pirates were given the choice of becoming part of the crew or being released in sight of land; many preferred the freedom of the open seas to the possible return to slavery on land. Later, loaded with treasure, the Whydah sank during a terrible storm off of Cape Cod. Legend has it that Captain Bellamy was returning to the woman he loved, planning to take her away with him. When we boarded no one was conscripting sailors or firing cannons, but we did get to tie knots in lines and play with authentic pirate treasure.