Fulton Mansion and the Beach

Well, the last couple of days have been fun.  Before I forget, you have to take the Ferry to get from Aransas Pass to Port Aransas, where we are staying, which is on Padre Island.   While waiting, you get to watch big tankers coming into and going out of port.  It's fun, because in front of each tanker going out, dolphins precede the ship, jumping and playing.  It almost seems like they're escorting the ships to the ocean!

Dolphins in front of tanker

On Tuesday, Nancy and I went back on the mainland to go to the Fulton Mansion in, surprisingly enough, Fulton, Texas!

The Fulton Mansion

George and Harriet Fulton built it in 1877 and, unlike most historical places, we were actually allowed to take pictures inside.  The state of Texas has done an amazing job of restoring the mansion.  When they bought it, they found something like 50 boxes of documentation, receipts, etc, so they were able to either buy back original furniture or purchase similar items.  And the way the rooms were staged allowed you to really feel like someone was still living in the home.

Nancy on the "veranda"

Office

Parlor

Dining Room

Upstairs parlor

Master bedroom

Another thing interesting was the installation of gas lighting, central heat and flush toilets in 1877!

We finished up the day by going to a movie on the spur of the moment.  We saw "The Descendants" with George Clooney.  I'm not sure what Nancy thought, but I thought is was kind of a depressing movie, but when you have George to look at, what more do you need?

Wednesday dawned, as all days have so far, dreary and gray, but the forecast was for sun and warm temps, so Sid, Bob, Nancy and I decided to spend the day at Mustang Island.  The Gulf has much bigger waves than I expected and you can drive all along the public beaches.  We set up and the guys started fishing.

Sid fishing

Bob fishing

Bob caught two, but Sid got skunked.  I even held a pole for a bit!

Cyndi fishing? Not really

I spent the entire day walking barefoot up and down the beach, soaking in the sun (it did finally come out!) and taking pictures of beach-y things. I enjoyed a great day! I love the sound of the ocean.

Washed up jellyfish

A sandpiper

Not sure what this is, but icky!

Another jellyfish

The waves

Some kind of bird

A crane of some kind

We had some lunch, then Sid tried fishing with a net.  He didn't get anything that way either.  I think he needs a bit more practice.

Sid getting ready to throw the net

Throwing the net

It started to get really foggy, so we packed up and headed home.  After a little rest and a shower, we went to Kody's, a local restaurant, for an all-you-can-eat fried shrimp dinner.  And they weren't shrimpy shrimp either - they were BIG ones! 

Eating at Kody's

The place is basically a bar and grill with a bunch of tables.  There's no line but a lot of people waiting and the seating is what Nancy calls "combat tables" - you spot a table that's almost finished eating and you hover over it until the people get up, then you claim the table.  THEN you go order and pay for your dinner.  After your original order, a girl comes around with a fresh bowl of fried shrimp and dishes it out.  We PIGGED OUT!

Another little glimpse of island life is this sand village that's been built in front of one of the restaurants here.  Apparently, there are companies who do this for money!

Sand village

And that was the end of a wonderful day at the coast.

Till next time.....