On Things Along the Way 12

For Photos: http://willemcoetzee.blogspot.com/2014/03/fotos-16_14.html

Our setting up camp in Beaumont, Texas, was the result of two considerations. First, it would already be a long drive with no significant alternative stopover after leaving New Orleans. Second, Willem had an erroneous recollection of an experience in southern Texas, 41 years ago, placing it in Beaumont and thought it would be nice to revisit the site. However, the knowledgeable attendants of the Texas welcoming center at the state line straightened him out and we simply proceeded to our reserved site at Hidden Lake RV Resort, http://hiddenlakervresort.com/.  This is a very friendly, neat and well-run establishment. 

 We were to stay for two nights, which meant one full day for sightseeing. And we quickly filled the Saturday with activities, starting with exploring Beaumont proper, including the site where Walt Disney decided to place the world’s largest fire hydrant to promote his movie ‘101 Dalmatians’ http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/7358  and an oil museum on the campus of Lamar University http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spindletop-Gladys_City_Boomtown_Museum. This was a most informative experience for folks not well versed on the matter of oil exploration. It turned out that at the turn of the previous century and following the advent of the automobile, as discussed in our narrative on Henry Ford and Thomas Edison (On Things Along the Way 10 ) interest in oil escalated sharply. There appeared to be indications of oil in Texas, which resulted in exploration with limited success. But on January 10, 1901 the first ‘gusher’ in history was unleashed, when oil was struck at Spindletop, close to Beaumont and it spewed 100 feet high for 9 days before it was capped. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spindletop ). This spectacle launched an oil rush with derricks packed tightly and fortunes were made and lost overnight. But it set America on a path of generating prosperity on a scale unique in the world to this day. And it benefitted the world ever since.

Our attention was also attracted by villages to the south and one in particular resonated with our ancestral origins: Nederland! So, there we went. However, there was really no semblance, although a charming Dutch windmill museum justified the pilgrimage,  http://www.nederlandtx.com/dmuseum.php. We spent about an hour on the site, where a decendant of Dutch settlers that immigrated to the area around 1897 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nederland,_Texas  was the host.  Contrary to the hardship experiences of many immigrants, these folks seemed to have made a smooth transition and led constructive lives. But they didn’t establish a Dutch ‘colony’ and assimilated with the considerable influx of people from all over, following the oil finds, virtually on their doorstep.

Equally interesting to us was a little museum right next door, of Acadian French folks who settled in the same area and were likewise assimilated http://www.nederlandtx.com/acadienne.php . So, had it not been for this monument, the record would probably be forgotten. These folks were from ‘neighboring’ New Orleans of stock whose ancestors we learned about in New Brunswick (On Things Along the Way 2).

Further on to Port Arthur, which had a rather rundown appearance.  Until we reached the Museum of the Gulf Coast http://www.museumofthegulfcoast.org/ This was one of the most outstanding surprises of our tour to date. A culture/historic museum in a lovely building and very attractively appointed. It portrays a learning experience for old and young – particularly for the latter, who could and should spend hours repeatedly in the place. We were there until closing time and it was necessary for the attendant to go find Willem after the others have already left! This museum prompted him to send an e-mail of appreciation and complementing the Director for their good work.

Our next stop was at the Texas State Park on Galveston Island for two days.

Galveston remains of historic significance http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galveston_Island for two reasons in particular. It provided a port for oil export, following the discoveries, above, until the second claim to fame struck Galveston on September 8, 1900 in the form of a hurricane that completely overran the city, resulting in at least 8,000 deaths. To this date it remains the greatest natural disaster to have hit the USA in terms of lives lost. We knew about this tragedy and wanted to visit the place.

We had a slow start on account of the relatively short trip, which went really well. The area is abuzz with activities related to the oil industry and various oil refineries present themselves. At some point, cranes associated with sea ports showed up in the distance, without water or ocean in sight. Upon closer observation evidence of sizable ships on water not quite commensurate with what one would expect for their size, were discernible. A map clarified the matter, showing a shipping channel reaching back to Galveston. This is really the port of Houston, which expanded greatly after the hurricane tragedy. In a way that was a second blow to Galveston and for almost the next century hampered the comeback of the island, not to mention its proneness to later hurricanes, e.g. Katrina and Ike.

However, as one approaches Galveston, there is enormous evidence of recreational marine activity, including marinas with literally hundreds of sail boat masts, having taken the place of erstwhile oil derricks and sizable motor boats; clearly the playground, or better stated, the playwaters of Houston fun lovers. And with it comes an air of affluence. By the time we’ve made the turn southward at the beach and were headed for the campground some 10 miles further west, an interesting picture was unfolding. Galveston was clearly well on its way to resemble the resort-lined beaches of Florida. It has a long way to go; perhaps not so long, if one allows for the fact that in Texas everything is bigger, including the stretched out development activities; there remains a great deal of seafront space that can be filled in. 

And the same sensation met us at the State Campground. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/galveston-island#fac and  http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&ll=29.190804,-94.958943&spn=0.004824,0.010568&t=h&z=17.  It is a very long stretched-out affair with expansion and fill-in potential for decades to come. Our campsite was sizable and comfortable and well suited to our needs. We crossed the dune to the beach and were impressed with the vast expanse of the Gulf. However, it was the last opportunity to take it in because the next morning the fog was so thick, one could cut it with a knife. This was the only day we would be there and decided to go sightseeing. Susan opted out, so she could work on her Petro van der Walt writing.

Poor visibility limited our options to close-up attractions. So, we went downtown. A number of buildings survived the hurricane tragedy of 1900. And they are of course well preserved in the old city, which is a mixed bag not exactly suggestive of great affluence. However, a number of interesting sights are on display at the ocean front. Galveston is a port of call for some ocean cruise liners  http://www.portofgalveston.com/index.aspx?NID=9   and next to their docks is the tall ship, Elissa, http://www.galvestonhistory.org/1877_tall_ship_elissa.asp, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elissa_%28ship%29  which one can tour, as well as a deep sea oils rig, which was brought there as a  museum after it was decommissioned, http://www.oceanstaroec.com/index.htm. 

We noticed that 3 hours of free parking could be had, if one patronized the Fisherman’s Wharf Restaurant right in the middle of these venues. And that is what we decided to take advantage of, with Fickie buying a ticket for Elissa, while Willem and Stella were more interested in the Oil Museum.

Fickie was very pleased with his visit and had a field day with his camera.  For Willem and Stella, whose oil exploration education had started barely two days before, the rig was a jaw-dropper. It contains a very good exhibit of a broad range of technology related to getting oil out from deep underneath the ocean. We felt our time was far too short but we had to meet Fickie in time for a snack at the Wharf. Willem was particularly interested because in about 1967 he responded to an ad for a career in oil exploration, which would be preceded by graduate study in oil exploration physics at a university in Houston, Texas. Exploration was just about to start off the coast of South Africa.  At that time he was working on a PhD but the opportunity to switch to an area of applied physics appeared appealing. However, during the interview the carrot of studying abroad was not only smaller, but also dangled a lot further out. Ever since, he wondered about what if …? And now, decades later, he got the opportunity to become somewhat informed. In hindsight, it might have been great to get involved with such an important industry right there in the oil capital of the world, which a South African friend did, less than a decade later.

After we had our snack, we did more drive-by sightseeing, which included appreciating some notable mansions and spotting ‘tree sculptures’ scattered over the center part of the city. https://www.google.com/search?q=galveston+sculptures&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=k9MhU-3VOcemqQGj2IDQDQ&ved=0CEMQ7Ak&biw=1303&bih=606

This is someone’s web comment on those:
 ‘Like the Phoenix rising from the ashes, Galveston is coming back from Hurricanes Katherine and Ike and these trees, remnants from the destruction, are symbols of the new life coming to the city. They represent more than the creativity and skill of the sculpture, they express the beauty and fortitude of a community and culture, well worth a morning or afternoon. Bring your camera.’

Back in camp, we prepared for takeoff the next morning and had a reservation at South Main RV Park http://southmainrv.com/ , where we enjoyed a full hookup arrangement. This is a rather strategically located venue, which is exploited by folks with an interest in Houston’s many medical facilities. The park offers excellent services and a shuttle to hospitals, which is used by patients and care givers alike.

Our interest in Houston was unrelated to such, although Willem once had a sabbatical scheduled for working at the MD Anderson Hospital and Cancer Institute, but shortly before going there with his family in 1983, changed course with his career, which in 1984 resulted in immigrating to Pennsylvania. On this occasion Willem and Susan were looking forward to meeting with Marietjie van Vuuren for lunch the next day. She and Peet were student-friends from South Africa, dating back to 1961. They settled in the States some 40 years ago, after a brief return to South Africa, following doctoral studies at Cornell, in the mid 60’s. They both pursued active careers – Marietjie in consulting and Peet made a tie with the oil industry, working for Exxon in chemical engineering. Although retired, they are still running on all eight and Marietjie had returned from Asia a week or so before, while Peet was still in Paris, taking care of business. While Willem and Susan were enjoying the afternoon with Marietjie, Fickie and Stella were patiently exploring the Galleria, a vast shopping complex. Later on we were a foursome again and made it back to camp for dinner.

The next morning was rainy and chilly, so only Fickie and Willem set out to the Houston Space Center http://spacecenter.org/. This place has changed a great deal since Willem and Susan visited it in 1973 and is quite a tribute to America’s golden age of space travel. It remains an international training facility for the Space Station as well as an active mission command center in general. Today it has a huge education emphasis, which is very attractively presented and appealing to all age groups. In addition to the various IMAX and other presentations, which we took advantage of, we braved the elements and got onto the outside tram tour of the campus with its numerous buildings and spectacular exhibits. 

Over past decades we were gripped by the daring missions from going to the moon to the Space Shuttle Program and were often riveted to live TV coverage of many of these. And to be inside of the mission control center that was at the heart of such historic events through triumph and tragedy, was really something. One could recognize the work stations of the numerous specialists under Director, Gene Kranz, who virtually felt like a family member to many who followed this monumental era,  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Kranz .

At the very moment we were standing there, the Center was actively engaged with the Space Station, although the original command center where we were, is no longer in use. The newer center was one floor directly below us. And although it wasn’t open for viewing to tourists, a large TV screen in front of us, in the old center was hooked to a live cam downstairs and the place was fully manned and functioning with all of the ongoings we’ve seen before. One cannot but marvel at the breathtaking exhibits, be it of the gigantic 300 meter Saturn Rocket assembly with payload on its side in a hangar, to the indoors displays and programs inside the Space Center. One would have thought that with the Smithsonian Museums in Washington under our belt, there was little justification for the Houston affair. Mistake! It was a day well spent.

The next morning real early RV detailers that Willem had hired were at the door and started a manual cleaning job on the exterior. These guys were really thorough and after about 90 minutes we were ready to hook up and hit the road for Potters Creek Park, https://www.google.com/maps/place/Potter+Creek+Park/@29.9050781,-98.265702,16z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0x889135b161acceff?hl=en , 6 hours away.