October 22-30, 1988: A Week in Florida
	May 7 - 21, 1988: Two Weeks of Classes in Belgium
	Return to the Index for 1988

On Friday, September 2, I had a one-day seminar to do in Houston, and so Grant and I decided to make a weekend trip out of it. We flew down to Houston on Thursday night, rented a car, and stayed at the Westin Oak Grove (which was very nice), and then I did the seminar on Friday while Grant wandered around the Galleria and the area. On Saturday morning, we checked out of the Westin and drove first to Clear Lake, Texas.

The drive down to Clear Lake was a short one, and we turned off I-45 on NASA Parkway. We drove east past the Johnson Space Center, but Grant wasn't really interested in stopping in for a tour.

NASA Parkway becomes the road that goes around the north side of Clear Lake, and soon we were passing one marina after another.

The whole area was reminiscent of Lake Ray Hubbard, although being much closer to the Gulf Coast there was a lot more nautical stuff than around the reservoir near Dallas.

You can see on the aerial view of all of Clear Lake at right that the lake is surrounded by homes in some areas and yachting and boating concerns in others. Many of the larger marinas are around the northeast side of the lake near Texas Highway 146 that leads down to Galveston.

Grant has absolutely no problem just parking at one of the marinas and going right out onto the docks to look at the sailboats. Even if the dock is gated, he can usually chat up someone coming or going and get access that way.

Grant can look at marinas and boats endlessly, although after a while one boat looks much like another to me. Grant thought that the Clear Lake area was particularly nice, but then I have never been with him when we were near boats and water when he didn't think it was very nice. I know he would like to live on the water, and maybe one day we will, but for now I am settled in Dallas and really don't want to be uprooted. Travel is very convenient from Dallas, but it would be much less so if we lived here (or many of the places we have been that are on the water).

Grant at a Marina on Clear Lake Grant's process of getting out onto the docks (even when they are secured) is actually pretty amazing to watch.

Me on a Marina Dock at Clear Lake On the east side of the lake there were a number of hotels, including this one (a Ramada, I think), and there was this marina right next door.

We continued on down towards Galveston, and along the highway stopped at yet another marina and small harbor. I took a picture of the harbor breakwater and an island beyond. We eventually made it down to Galveston, where we stayed at a Holiday Inn on the beach. We did some walking around Galveston, and of course Grant found another marina to visit.

Near that marina were some working boats and military craft, and you can see one of them at left.

We went down to Galveston Beach and did some walking along the shore; there is a concrete embankment along most of the beach to protect the structures that are right along the shore.

We also found a pretty nice seafood restaurant (since we were here at the Gulf) where we had supper before going out later to the only bar we could find. Grant wandered around and I played some pool.

On Sunday, before we headed back to Dallas, we visited one more marina and there Grant found a Pearson that he just fell in love with. There was a broker right there at the marina, and when we stopped in so Grant could chat he found out about it and the broker gave us dock access so we could go out and see it.

When we got out onto the dock to look at the boat, it was, of course, very nice. It was a 35-foot Pearson- a make that Grant thought was equivalent to an S-2. I didn't think the inside was that remarkable, but Grant liked it. It was laid out different that the S-2, but it was also about six feet longer, and that can make a difference.

There was more room to stretch out than in Grant's boat. Grant kept asking me how I liked it and, although I thought it was a nice boat, I couldn't see getting it for the money it would cost. Sooner or later, you get such a big boat that the expenses can eat you alive. Grant wanted to know who owned the boat, so he could call the owner without the broker being involved, but then brokers are smart enough to keep that information to themselves.

Anyway, we were sitting in the cabin and I dropped my lens cap; when I knelt down to pick it up, I noticed the registration taped under the chart table. For a while I had some fun with Grant and pretended that I had had a "vision" of who the owner was and that he was very close to us, but then I pointed out the registration to him. In one of those odd coincidences, the owner lived about three miles North of us on Inwood. We got his phone number and everything and, even though we didn't buy the boat, Grant was able to call him and talk with him about it. Boat owners love to be complimented on how they keep their boats.

We spent Saturday afternoon and most of Sunday in Galveston, just relaxing, and then flew home Sunday night so Grant could be at Gabbert's for the Labor Day Sale on Monday.

You can use the links below to continue to another photo album page.

	October 22-30, 1988: A Week in Florida
	May 7 - 21, 1988: Two Weeks of Classes in Belgium
	Return to the Index for 1988