Moody Gardens, Galveston, Texas
November 3 - 4, 2001

Clear Lake to Galveston, TX, Saturday, November 3, 2001

     Angela, her sister Susana, and I departed from South Shore Harbour Marina at 10:30am.  We ran out to the Houston Ship Channel (HSC) and down the HSC to the Intracoastal Waterway (ICW).  We turned right and went through the Pelican Island Cut and under the Causeway at I-45.  Then we turned left into the channel to Offatts Bayou, the location of a good anchorage and destination for Clear Lake boaters, and the location of Moody Gardens.  We arrived at 1:00pm and tied up at Slip 107 at the marina there.


     My son, Chuck, and his wife, Marina, and their son, Nikolas, met us at the boat.  Our plan was to spend some time with them at Moody Gardens, and then they would return to Clear Lake by car.  We started out by having lunch at The Garden Restaurant at Moody Gardens.  Then we purchased a Family Pass for five of us.  We all went to see the exhibit called Deep Sea Treasures, on the top floor of the red pyramid. 

     Chuck and Marina took Niki to the Aquarium, while Angela and I took Susy to see two IMAX movies, "Dolphins" and "Haunted House".  We watched the lights and musical fountain from the aft deck of the boat.  We ate on board and played "Sequence".  The weather had been nice, about 80 degrees F with a cool breeze.

Galveston to Clear Lake, TX, Sunday, November 4, 2001

    We slept late, and I sat on the aft deck and enjoyed the cool breeze.  The humidity was lower on Sunday, and the weather was delightful.  The ladies fixed my breakfast and brought it to me on the aft deck, which was a treat.

        

     We walked over to the hotel and toured it, to show Susy what a nice facility it was.  There was a good view from the top floor.  The art on the walls and the inlaid marble floors were a pleasure to see every time we went there.  The lobby was impressive; and the pool complex was inviting, too.  Then I went back to the boat to check fluid levels while Angela and Susy saw the Aquarium and the Rain Forest.


     At 2pm we met at The Colonel, a replica of an old steam paddle-wheeler, which we all rode for that hour.  The Colonel made a circle tour of Offatts Bayou, and it was an enjoyable and educational ride.  The ride allowed us to see the overall Moody Gardens scene from a higher altitude and distance.  Then we pulled up the anchor and headed east for the Port of Galveston.  

  
     We cleared the Pelican Island bridge with our antennas up and idled through the port facilities.  We saw a cruise boat in the port, along with M/S Elissa, an 1877 restored sailing barque with a permanent berth right beside the Harbor House marina.  We also saw an offshore oil rig and a container ship.

      

      

     Leaving Galveston we saw one of the several car ferries that move between the east end of Galveston Island and the west end of Bolivar Peninsula.  We had a nice run back up the HSC and into Clear Lake.  We saw a beautiful sunset as we approached the entrance to Clear Lake.  The last thing on the to-do list for that cruise was to leave the boat at South Texas Yacht Services.  It was time to make the repairs from the 2001 cruise, and South Texas was ready for us.  We had already spotted a car there, so we just had to tie up in a slip and unload the boat.  That was more of a job than it sounded because we had to empty the refrigerator.  But, we did it, collected our other car from South Shore, and tool the boat provisions, clothes, and cold foods home.