Google Tag Manager icon Bolivar Peninsula Skip to main content

Featured

The Cruise--Details

I didn't include more details in the prior "The Cruise" post for two reasons. 1)  I didn't think anyone would be interested; and 2)  This trip didn't include much of the normal topics:  good beer, good coffee or John-style travel. But there are details, which may be useful to some people contemplating how such a trip is put together. On the first day of the trip, we drove three hours to pick up my mother in Cedar Rapids, Iowa.  At 85, she isn't comfortable driving for long distances and hadn't flown for many years. We then drove 3 1/2 more hours to Chicago, where we checked into the Wyndham, where you can get a room that includes the cost of parking for up to 12 days.   We were up early on the hotel shuttle to O'Hare, where we then boarded the a non-stop American Airlines flight to New Orleans. Here, we checked into a Hampton Inn near the port.  My mother was pretty tired, so Julia and I went out for a Cajun dinner and live music.   Rememberi...
3 comments
Read more
Labels

Bolivar Peninsula


I left Sea Rim State Park  and followed the road back north to Port Arthur and then back south to the outer reaches of the Bolivar Peninsula.

Reviews at Campendium for Bolivar Flats free beach were favorable.  When I arrived mid-morning, there were wide expanses of open beach.  Several groups of horse campers were set up on the right side of the beach where camping is allowed for a $10 permit.


On the left side of the beach were several large fifth wheels set up back towards the sand dunes.

I asked a senior gentlemen with the horse campers where I could buy a permit, and he said that I could get one at any of the local businesses–8 miles back.  But he told me that unless I had strong feelings about camping on the right side of the beach, the left side was totally free.  He said that the horse campers all had permits because they liked to support the public beach.  If there had been a donation box/ or self-serve area for permits, I  would have kicked in my $10, but there wasn’t so I didn’t.  I pulled in behind the fifth wheel campers close to the sand dunes.

This is strictly boondocking, but with some benefits.  There is one porta-potty, and  a lot of trash barrels set up along the beach.  Also, the local sheriff’s department regularly patrolled the beach to make sure everyone stayed in line.
The beach was spectacular, and the horses were fun to watch too.




I did have a bit of excitement on the first night.  Just after dark, four horses escaped from their corral/pen and galloped close by the Brew Hut, drawing frantic barking from Callie who knew they needed to be herded back where they belonged.    Pretty soon, several kids came running after the horses, drawing more barking.  Finally, two pick-up trucks joined the hunt.  The horses ran back and forth along the beach, having a great time.  Eventually, the galloping stopped.  A young woman from the horse camp confirmed the next morning that all horses were returned to their proper places.

The wind blew and blew that night.  In fact, it blew so hard that my refrigerator flame went out.  I got it back going the next morning, and then the wind shifted to the opposite direction but kept blowing just as hard.  During these days, high tide was around 12:40 p.m. (I looked it up on the internet).  The waves were within about 20 feet of the Scamp door at high tide.  The fifth wheel trailers backed out of the beach right around 12:45 p.m. If they would have left at 11 a.m., I would have followed, but I had a pretty good idea that the waves were as high as they were going to go by 12:45.  You can get an idea from these photos how close the gulf was.



Bolivar Flats was a great place to stay for two nights.  However, after about a week of beach along the Louisiana and Texas shore, I was ready to get some of the sand out of the Brew Hut and attend to a couple of maintenance issues.  On the next morning, I hitched up and headed for the Bolivar-Galveston Ferry.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular Posts