MURPHYS, CA. TO BELLINGHAM, WA.

As I sat on my deck and read over a list of what I needed to pack for Bellingham, I caught a beautiful sunset on my last night in Murphys.  I’ve been away so long, preparation was almost as complicated as packing for my trip to Turkey.


Since it’s  over two hours to get to the airport from where I live, I’m lucky to have family I can stay with the night before my flight. My son-in-law, Cedric, drove me to the airport in the morning.


We enjoyed a glass of sangria and conversation on the patio. Since they will be moving to Australia before I return, I won’t see my daughter’s family until December, hopefully, if all goes as planned.


Owen demonstrated his most recent skill learned at Circus Camp. Its called flower toss, proof that the hand is quicker than the eye, at least the eye of the camera. He can flip the third flower stick into the air, but I’d miss it every time, his hands just a blur.


Jim picked me up at the airport and we drove to our campsite in Birch Bay. He got a recommendation for a restaurant right on the water front, called VIA BIRCHBAY.


From the windows we could watch clammers cavorting around at low tide. Most were actually digging for clams, something I’ve never had an opportunity to do. Maybe this week.


So, of course, we ordered the aioli pesto and parmesan stuffed clams. I can’t say enough how delicious they were. We ordered more toasts and slurped up every bit of the broth in the bottom of the dish.


Since the appetizer was so good, I chose another in place of an entree, Seafood Moltov with garlic in a brandied cream sauce, topped with smoked mozzarella. Yum. It had scallops, shrimp,mussels and clams. To die for. Very rich food has been off the table for me for a long time, but, we don’t do it often. We spent a leisurely afternoon, catching up, and realized with my sisters death, my trip to turkey, and family reunion, I only spent six weeks since last October in the Motor Home.


I enjoyed a Black & Jack brew, new to me. It was good beer, and the breeze was delightful coming through the open windows. I took a picture of the colorful bartender. Jim has a theory that people who dress for display, tatoos, piercings and multiple rings, want to be looked at. I enjoy colorful anything, and that includes people. I want to go back once more before we leave. Great place. If you visit Birch Bay, don’t miss VIA.

GULF COAST CITIES.

Galveston’s  wharf  reminds  me of San Francisco’s wharf. We went to see the Elissa, an old masted sail boat with a crew that sails her regularly. They are beautiful, no doubt about it. When we got there, you can pay to board her and walk around.
If you’ve never done it, it’s worth the price, $6 and $8 dollars, senior/ student and adult prices. We visited one  in New Bedford, MA. and watched the crew prepare for sail and make a staged water rescue in  2010.  I  visited a tall ship in Boston Harbor and another in San Francisco, so we passed and just took pictures. The seafood restaurants smelled tempting. We watched a guy unload gunny sacks filled with  oysters. It was way to early for us to eat.

Then I saw something I knew would make my youngest son drool. Beautiful Doug Fir, from old growth trees. 6 X 12′s about 35 to 40 feet long.
This pile and a couple more like it are $250,000 dollars worth, we were told. I have to cry for the old growth forest, while I admire a beautiful piece of lumber.  I wish I could bring the smell home to my carpenter son.

We walked around town again today. I took pictures of things you don’t often see. Like this cigar store wooden Indian.

This is a solar parking meter. We laughed, but it is very effective.

The entrance to this store has a painted-on rug. What a hoot!

The businesses  are getting all gussied up for Mardi Gras.

A  27 inch tall. Wow!

Decadent, velvet and old wood. The city placed a huge banner across one of the major streets. Everybody is talking about Mardi Gras.

This is Jonnie Cooks who made a charming ceramic for her Uncle Fred. For Mardi Gras she makes fantastic costume heads out of cardboard of her own invention. (I only got to see a picture.) Her method is original and well crafted. She may be selling them at Mardi Gras this year. It is the biggest event of the year. A half-million people come to Galveston for Mardi Gras.

When visiting the seaside, the general wisdom is to eat seafood. Some woman coming out of The Gumbo Bar shoved a couple of coupons in my hands and mumbled something about the best gumbo she ever tasted and I was intrigued. Jim had chicken and sausage and I had Shrimp, oyster and crab gumbo. It was a huge bowl. Plus I got my first decent beer since arriving in Texas, an Abita Turbo Dog.  The woman was right. Mine had huge shrimp. There was a shrimp in every bite, down to the last spoonful in the bowl. Gumbo heaven!!

From the day previous, a Rene Wiley painting. Rene’s husband, Ben, told me she paints about 50 hours a week and she has a huge following and sells about 300 paintings a year. This one is from her Galveston Alley series.

Hibiscus blooming  in January?  I think of all the gulf cities we’ve visited, Galveston has the most to offer as a vacation spot, or a place to live, at least in winter. It may be hot and muggy in summer.

I thoroughly enjoyed my visit here. I think Galveston is the star of the coast cities. They’ve wrested the best from their stormy spot on the coast and have it pretty well protected, a great arts community, friendly people, vibrant economy, great food, tourism and a decent beer.