Yippee!! The much anticipated day has arrived. We are off to the beach for six glorious days (seven if you count travel days) and I think we have taken all needs into consideration. We'll soon find out. Naturally, Mister is trying to do something with the overgrown basil before we leave. The laundry room will smell amazing while we are gone. Hahahaha. It is almost 8, the car is loaded, and we are out the door.
Let the adventure begin. We have never been to the beach with just the two of us - there has always been a group so this will be all new.
We left town without coffee or anything so signs entice me to stop at Cooper Farms in Fairfield, TX. They are all decorated for fall and have pumpkins everywhere.
Inside, delicious baked goods abound and I even find some candies to use in November's retreat event. Score one for me. With an apple turnover and coffee in hand, it's back on the road for us.
Mister asked if there were any quilt shops along the way that I wanted to see and I responded that I hadn't been to the one in Huntsville, so a slight detour is made. The shop is right downtown on the square, allowing us to check out the courthouse too. Are you ready to be educated against your will? Hey, you're on my blog post and should expect it, right? At any rate, here ya go: "The Five Courthouses of Walker County. The first Walker County courthouse was available for county commissioners court meetings in July 1848; the building was finally completed in the center of the Huntsville public square in 1850. Because of a defective foundation, a second courthouse had replaced it by 1853. Repairs made in 1856 did not hold long. The design for the third county courthouse featured a Grand Jury house in the southwest corner of the grounds rather than inside the courthouse itself. Dubbed 'The Little Courthouse,' the Grand Jury house was completed and in use by 1861. Construction on the main courthouse was interrupted by the Civil War; it was finished in 1869 but major repairs were necessary within a couple of years. On the first day of 1888 the Grand Jury house was again called into service after the main courthouse burned. The commissioners court selected Eugene T. Heiner of Houston to design a new building. The construction contract was awarded to D. N. Darling of Palestine. Darling set to work in late spring and erected Heiner's vision, replete with Victorian Gothic, Renaissance Revival, and Italianate details. That structure, the fourth Walker County courthouse, gradually welcomed back the social and religious groups of the county. Other uses included the Walker County fair in 1912 and a lecture series sponsored by Texas A&M University in 1914. The interior of the building burned in 1968. At that time, it was one of the 25 oldest courthouses in the state of Texas. The fifth Walker County courthouse, a modern brick and steel structure was completed in 1970.' WOW --- I'm not 100 per cent sure a courthouse is meant to be here.
Learning is great, so a bit more for ya. "The earliest known inhabitants of this area were the Cenis and Bidai (Bedias) Indians. Spanish explorers began to arrive in 1542, followed by the French in 1687. The area was thinly populated by Spanish and Mexican settlers until the early 1830s when colonists came from the United States. Brothers Pleasant and Ephraim Gray established a trading post near the site of today's courthouse about 1835 or 1836, naming it for their home in Huntsville, Alabama. The region was included in neighboring counties until Walker County was created by the first legislature of the State of Texas in 1846; it was named for U.S. Senator Robert J. Walker, who introduced legislation for Texas' Annexation. The State Penitentiary was established at Huntsville in 1849. Agricultural products, primarily cotton, were shipped out by steamboat from the late 1840s. When the Civil War began, R.J. Walker declined to support the Confederacy. The Texas legislature renamed the county in 1863 for Texas Ranger Samuel H. Walker. Martial law was declared in the county for 60 days in 1871 because of reconstruction-era racial violence. With the arrival of the railroads in the 1872s, depot towns flourished. Huntsville narrowly avoided the fate of other towns bypassed by the railroads when residents hurriedly raised funds to build a spur. Cotton never regained its pre-Civil War stature, and lumber and livestock became important businesses in the 20th century. The heritage of the Walker County, from Native Americans to frontier settlers and U.S. citizens, is one of independent spirit and determination.
This Memorial Gazebo is built near the site of the original bandstand (1908-1948) and is dedicated to Walker County's 150th birthday.
Crossing the street, I come to Fabric Carousel and my first quilt stop on the trip. Here is the
Shop #1 LINK to follow along with my fun if you desire and to the right are the treasures going home with me.
On the road again and the next stop I have in mind is in Conroe, which I've never visited. With noon approaching, we are also on the lookout for a place to eat some lunch.
When we arrive at Quilter's Quarter, I head in and Mister works with Google to find our next stop. Once again, here is the
Shop #2 LINK to share in my eye candy. My treats are a pattern and a fat quarter and I'm back to the car to see what Mister has discovered.
It turns out that Conroe has several breweries and they are rather near to us. The first one is B52 Brewing. The locations is on the edge of the city limits and they have a ton of land to use. As we enter the parking area, people are unloading plants and carting them in wagons to the brewery. It looks like an event is going to take place.
There is both an indoor tap room and a patio area. Into the main room I go - with Mister a bit behind as he checks out the activity in the outer area. Apparently, a pet adoption site is here today too. It's really large inside and they have JUST opened, so no lines.
As for those plants, well it is a plant exchange. What a great idea. Plants are expensive and this way the variety can be gained by sharing clippings and babies. Love it. Mister does too. Now, for a beer. I've chosen the Breakfast Stout - makes sense, right?
Walking around the tap room, I'm interested in the fact that they are using glass and you can take your drinks outside as well. LOVE it. I truly detest drinking beer from a plastic cup. There is a return station AND a breath test. Fantastic idea. Why I haven't seen this in other places is an unknown.
Now to check out the exterior area. The front -
The patio taps -
The side area ---
By the time we are finished exploring, our drinks are empty and it's time to move on. We are one and done. The place is wonderful, the grounds are amazing, the beer is okay.
A second stop is at Copperhead Brewery - still in Conroe. This time, the place is small and reminds me of an old dive bar. Honest. There is a patio with a food vendor and a sign that asks not to take the food inside. The menu is small and I'm challenged right off the bat to find one I'd like to try. Overhearing someone else making a comment about a Hefeweizen, my ears perk up as I didn't see that listed.
Well, my observational skills were lacking as there was an entire sign right in front of me with special/rotating brews. It turns out the the one requested is a Blakken Weizen or a dark hefeweizen. Well, alrighty, I'm game for that and, by golly, it is so good.
Okay, we've still got a bit of a ways to go on this drive and time is passing us by. Houston is ahead and we would like to be through it before traffic gets really bad. It's always a crap shoot and we do manage to hit some traffic, but all in all, not too shabby. On the other side of Houston is Angleton. This is where the Stephen F. Austin statue resides and although I've driven by it many times, I've never really stopped and looked around.
We notice that there is a reenactment of some type going on and after several failures, they are finally able to fire the cannon.
We are now ready for the last little leg of our trip and here is the route we have taken. The bridge is just ahead ---- I'm so ready for that first look.
And there she is ----- YES! We have a blue gulf today.
Our little house takes us a bit to get into as there is a problem with the code lock. We have to resort to an emergency key but all goes well and in we go. My hip has been bothering me since retreat so Mister is going to have to do the hauling and we are on the top floor without a ramp. Poor guy and it is WARM. Meanwhile, I'll take some pics of the house and then unpack as he delivers the bags. Here is our little home away from home for the next week.
Everything is in and unpacked, allowing us to get the first real moment of beach life. Ahhhh, just look at how pretty it is today. Loving life already. It's 5 o'clock and we are happy.
Within the first hour, entertainment is provided as well. Stuck, stuck, stuck in the sand and lots of people just wondering what to do. Cracks me up every single time.
My sweetie has changed and is ready for his vacation to really begin. Me too. The sun is going down and Mister is making the internals switch to relaxation. LOVE this picture.
A quick walk out to the highway to get the full effect of the sunset reminds me of why we stay away from the grass. A couple of mosquito bites and I'm quickly returning to the house - where they do not hang out. I did get a few nice pics first though.
Back at the house and we are loving our view.
The side view from our deck.
Soon, the moon makes her appearance and Jupiter is hanging with her this evening.
Best I can do with a phone -
Loving each moment. Ahhhhh First pic is looking to the right --- second is my sweet man on the left looking out towards the ships lined up to enter. That's it for today - see ya tomorrow.
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