We slept 9 hours last night, awaking fresh and full of energy for the first time in a while. We were up early, but one should expect that when going to bed at 8 PM!  As usual, we had coffee, read email, and browsed the newspapers online (I typically read USA Today, Baxter Bulletin, and the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette), then checked the morning’s headlines on Mountain Home’s KTLO radio station, again online. A beautiful near full moon was setting over Wright Patman Lake, and provided an awesome view out our window. It’s hard to beat a lakeside “setting” (pardon the pun).

We "broke" camp, hooked up the Honda CR-V, and departed Rocky Point Park at 7:45 AM, driving south on US HWY 59.

At Tenaha, TX, our route switched to US HWY 96 to Jasper, TX, where we stopped for lunch with Menlo and Mickey Kingman, fellow Arkansas Travelers, at the Catfish Cabin. Kay had grilled catfish and said it was the best she’s ever had, and I had a combo plate of oysters and shrimp, and it, too, was good.

Following US HWY 96 south to just north of Beaumont, TX, we joined US HWY 69, which took us through the city to I-10, and then diverted to TX HWY 124 south to the Gulf coast. We drove westward along the beach on Bolivar Peninsula, catching the ferry to Galveston.  It was “cool” riding the ferry with motorhome and car in tow, across the inlet, all the while watching pelicans flying along side us and porpoises joyfully playing ahead of us.

Upon disembarking the ferry, our route took us west to Galveston’s city-owned Dellanaro RV Park, right smack dab on the Gulf of Mexico shoreline.

The Honda was towed too far today without starting the engine, and we ended up with a dead battery. Jeannie gave us a “jump” off of Bruce’s truck. We set up camp, hooked up the battery charger, and began the long convoluted process of authorizing DISHTV satellite service—something we have to do each time we move.

From our site, the wind off the surf was cool, and the sounds of the breaking surf were soothing, quickly putting us in a relaxed state of mind.  Bruce and Jeannie joined us for Happy Hour. It was a pretty awesome day.