Day 2 – Carthage to Lake Jackson – Texas Footprints in the Sand (381 miles)

Before heading out of Carthage, Texas, on Sunday morning, we stopped in at the Footprints in the Sand monument. It was break taking and a favorite of all of us.

We stopped at Jasper to meet my best friend from high school and college roommate, Darla Dear. She baked for us and presented us with a Texas-shaped pound cake to enjoy on the road. Delicious.

You can see the Jasper County Historical Museum. Didn’t get to experience it but the town square and museum were lovely.

Texas shaped pound cake from Darla Belt from a recipe by her mother, Edna. Nothing like homemade.

Unfortunately, Mission Dolores State Historic Site in San Augustine was closed. It is home to a Spanish mission built in 1721. Hope to see it next time I’m in the area.

We pushed through to Orange, the furthest southeast you can go and stopped by to see my friend, Tom Johnson, President of Lamar State College. He gave us a quick tour of the beautiful campus. They’re doing great things there to prepare students for their futures.

Debra, me, Dr. Tom Johnson, and Morgan in front of the Lamar State College sign.

While we didn’t have the time to experience it, one of my favorite places in Orange is Shangri La Botanical Gardens. It is a beautiful place to enjoy nature, bird watch, see gorgeous flowers, and maybe even see a gator or two. Thought I’d share a few images from past visits to give you an idea of what they have to offer.

Caught up with friends, Chris and Darragh Castillo in Port Arthur. Darragh and I have known each other for a few years. She works at the Port Arthur Convention and Visitors Bureau. She recommended lunch in her city and we loved her choice of Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp.

Other things to see and do in Port Arthur include the Museum of the Gulf Coast, Our Lady of Guadalupe Shrine, and Buu Mon Buddhist Temple.

Enjoyed a beautiful drive on the Bolivar Peninsula. Got to see the Bolivar Lighthouse at least from a distance. Beautiful!

Next stop on our trip was the Bolivar Ferry to Galveston Island.

Galveston, oh, Galveston, what a lovely community. We drove the seawall and enjoyed seeing the folks fishing and swimming in the Gulf of Mexico. Lots to see and do in this city. Visit their tourism website for more information.

We stopped in at the West End Marina for a quick break and to see more of the Gulf waters.

Our final destination for the evening was Lake Jackson. However, we paid final tribute the same way we started the day with a reminder of footprints in the sand.

Great message. See you tomorrow for our next adventure as we continue our quest around the perimeter of Texas!

Until next time from Texas … safe travels!

2 Comments Add yours

Leave a Reply