Greetings from Galveston! Each morning I rose just before dawn and headed for the beach to catch the stellar event unfolding on the horizon. I was not disappointed. Most mornings Buddha stayed in bed, but this glorious morning he accompanied me out to the beach.
Moments before SunriseFirst the tide rushes in…The Rising SunThe Sun Also Rises
Today I wanted to ride around Galveston to look at some of the buildings. Galveston is home to some interesting old historic buildings and to some newer more modern ones.
American National Insurance Building, One Moody PlazaUnited States National Bank
This building is being converted into condos.
Rosenberg Library
The Rosenberg Library is the oldest continuously operating library in Texas. I visited this beautiful library with the hopes of finding a clean well lighted place to study in. But, alas, it wasn’t meant to be. Due to covid the study rooms were closed. I was free to roam the stacks but not to study. I did come away with a book however, so all was not lost.
Hutchings Building in the Strand
The Strand Historic District, also known as the Strand District, in downtown Galveston, Texas, is a National Historic Landmark District of mainly Victorian era buildings that now house restaurants, antique stores, and curio shops.
Gaido’s Seaside Inn
Later in the day we headed back to the motel for a dip in the pool. We were staying at Gaido’s Seaside Inn, which according to their own testimony boasts of having the best pool on the island. Who am I to argue?
No DivingPool SideHaving a chatProof of Life – The Buddha
We ended the evening at a Mexican Restaurant. Buddha’s friends hadn’t heard from him in a while so I posted this picure to prove he was still alive.
Stay tuned for day 7 of the exciting adventures of Ghost Dog and the Buddha.
Thirteen homeless individuals had taken up living in Camp Hope. This camp was cleared out Monday as part of Greg Mayor Fisher’s new revitalization program. The team is comprised of 67 business and community leaders. Their main topics pf concern are litter, safety, graffiti, and homelessness.
The hotel and tourist industry has been in freefall since the pandemic struck. About two thirds of the city’s 65,000 hospitality workers are out of a job, much of which was concentrated in downtown Louisville.
The city has committed to increasing police presence and adding $1,000,000 to the effort to dealing with homelessness.
Ghost Dog and Buddha went on a road trip to Galveston, Texas from October 1, 2020 – October 8, 2020. This is their story.
Early morning runOn the RocksA Fisherman of menThe Old man and the SeaThe Sand PiperThe Rising SunGazing at the GulfOn the Ferry to Bolivar PeninsulaMeanwhile back at the pool for drinksBishop’s PalaceSealy Mansion Sacred Heart
Rumor has it that this statue point the way to the best gay bar in Galveston
The 1940 Sears Building
Thanks for watching! Meanwhile, stay tuned for further adventures of Ghost Dog and the Buddha.
A New Day Dawns All is Emptiness Under the MoonBreakfast at the Gumbo DinerThe Shrimp and Grits were delicious! Eat the RichDowntown GalvestonInteresting Architectural FeaturesAll my Truffles seemed so far away…Galveston SquareI promise to learn from my mistakesCome blow your horn…Macao Spice Co.
Every morning upon arising I would walk across the street from where we were staying and catch a sunrise.
Voted Best Pool on the Island
We stayed at Gaido’s Seaside Inn. Pretty decent place with easy access to restaurants, pool, poolside bar, and the beach. Served a full sized breakfast every morning which came with the room. Friendly staff. Everybody was masked up and socially distant due to covid-19. As we got there on the weekend it was pretty crowded.
Where the Crawdads SingPoolsideWhere the Girls AreOn the BeachSand TrapPleasure PierMy step daughter Kim and her husband Tony
My step daughter Kim and her husband Tony came down from Houston to visit. We had dinner in a seafood restaurant and then we went for a walk along the seawall.
RUN FORREST RUNYou only go around once in life….
We stayed in Galveston a total of five days then headed back on the sixth.
Stay tuned for day four of our excellent adventure.
My favorite trail in the Jefferson Memorial Forest is the Coral Ridge Trail. It’s a little more challenging, a little longer, and a little rougher than some of the other trails. I only try it when I’m feeling my oats, and today I was feeling my oats.
View from the top of the ridge. In the winter you can see for miles.It’s kind of hard to see the trail in some places but in other places like this one, there is a light dusting of snow on the trail that creates a bright white line through the woods you can follow.I had to crawl through this mess to get to the other side to the trail.A tree falls in the forest. Does it make a sound?Snow accumulating on the fungus on a fallen log.
Here the trail opened up. The walking was much easier. The temperature went from 15 degrees to a glorious 25 degrees. I was trying out a new article of clothing that my daughter gave me for Christmas. it was a shirt that wicks the moisture away from your skin. Worked like a charm
I drove to Owensboro (117 miles) and arrived at Buddha’s in the early afternoon. We watched TV until about 5:30 pm when his daughter arrived to fetch a key. After she left, we went out to get a bite to eat at Owensboro’s one and only Sushi place. I knew it was going to be a problem when I noticed the chefs behind the sushi bar were Mexican. I had the Hibachi Chicken. It was terrible.
We went back to Buddha’s place for drinks and more TV. Lucked into a Harold Pinter play on YouTube I’ve been wanting to see: “The Birthday Party”, starring Harold Pinter himself and Joan Plowright, in a BBC production. It was pretty good, but you have to be into Pinter to enjoy it. Buddha wasn’t so he went to bed to read while I watched the rest of the play.
Friday October 2
Cracker Barrel – The Breakfast of Champions
Owensboro. Woke to the news that Donald Trump and Melania Trump both have contracted the corona virus. Is that karma or what?
Got packed and loaded the car. Had to make a pit stop in Evansville so Buddha could see his psychiatrist and check up on his meds. Apparently, I am traveling with a madman. That’s OK. We’re all as mad as hatters here. All the best people are.
We finally got on the road and headed west. I figured to push as far into Arkansas as I possibly could before stopping for the night. We made it to Hope.
We checked in to the Best Western Motel. The maskless clerk kept asking us if we wanted one bed or two.
“Two beds, dammit!” Buddha muttered shaking his shaggy head.
“Do we get a discount?” I asked. “AAA? AARP?”
“Yeah, I’ll give you a discount alright,” the clerk snapped.
“Well, what’s the rate?”
“$75.00 including tax. Do you want one bed or two?”
“Two beds, dammit!”
“OK! Can I see your credit card?”
“Any restaurants in the area?”
“You can Google them and they will deliver.”
“OK. What room?”
“105. Right around the corner.”
Buddha was already heading out the door on his way to the room on foot. I drove around. We unlocked the door and unloaded the car, then took a moment to get settled. Buddha went to get ice.
I Googled the restaurants in the area and found a Pizza Hut and a Dominos. I called both but got put on hold at both places. Well, what could you expect in a little town called Hope, deep in the Arkansas interior? Bill Clinton territory as it were. The town sucked just like Monica Lewinski. Finally, Dominos answered.
“I’ll have a medium Supreme delivered to room 105 at the Best Western Motel, please. When will you deliver it? One hour? Wow! Well go ahead. We will just have to wait.”
While waiting for the pizza to arrive we made the drinks. We had picked up some liquor a few exits back. We got separate liquors because Buddha always buys cheap booze and I can’t stand the whiskey he usually gets, so I get something a little better. Turns out he got Ezra Brooks and I got Jack Daniels.
“Well, hell, if I’d a known you were getting Ezra Brooks, I would have drunk your booze. Ezra Brooks aint bad!”
“No, you wouldn’t! You’re not drinking my booze! You just drink your Jack Daniels!”
“What the hell Buddha? You don’t think I would have replaced your whiskey? You mean to tell me you wouldn’t have shared?”
“I don’t want to have this conversation right now!”
“Why not?”
“Just don’t.”
“OK.”
We drove the rest of the way in silence.
Meanwhile, back in the motel room, we decided to watch a little TV while waiting for the pizza. It was 9pm EST and 8pm Central. Buddha grabbed the remote and engaged the “on” button. TV said, “No Signal.”
“Call the front desk and tell them the TV doesn’t work,” I said.
Buddha grabbed the phone, listened intently, punched the dial hooks repeatedly, looked up wild eyed.
“No dial-tone! Motherfucker don’t work!”
“Call him on your cell phone.”
Buddha stared at the black desk set and started stabbing the numbers into his cell phone.
“Hello? Yeah, this is Buddha in room 105. The phone don’t work…. I’m calling you on my cell phone….OK…OK…Ok. That’s not why I’m calling you. The TV don’t work either…OK….OK…Ok.”
He hung up.
“What’d he say?”
“He said he would come down and try to reboot it himself.”
“Well OK then.”
So, we waited a few minutes, freshened our drinks and munched on some smoked almonds. Pretty soon there was a knock at the front door.
Buddha let in the night clerk, who again was maskless, but he was at least pretty friendly. He took the remote and began trying to reboot the TV.
About that time, we got another knock at the door. It was Dominos. Buddha answered the door. He paid for the pizza, $20.00 including tip.
The smell of the pizza filled the room.
“Wow, if you are getting pizza, I’m getting hungry.” This from the maskless night clerk.
“You want a slice?” I asked.
“No. No.”
The clerk didn’t have any luck getting the TV to work either.
“Let’s see, the TV don’t work, and the phone don’t work. Don’t you think we should get another discount?” I asked.
“Yeah, I’ll give you another discount. I’ll give it to you right now.”
And with that he left.
Buddha and I just looked at each other and shrugged. Then we devoured the pizza.
A little later on that night the night clerk showed up with our receipt which included our discounts. All in all, an $85.00 room ended up costing us $65.00. Not bad.
We got up early the next morning and hit the road again right after breakfast. It was around Texarkana when the drugs started kicking in.
New Harmony, Indiana is a great place for a weekend getaway. It is an easy two-hour drive from my home base of Louisville, Kentucky (135 miles).
Maureen and I set out about eleven am figuring to get there in time for lunch. Only made one wrong turn but, discovered my mistake quickly enough that it didn’t really result in any loss of time. Yes, I have GPS but I usually only consult it as a last resort. I like the challenge of finding places on my own after an initial consultation with the map. I seldom get lost but sometimes I am surprised by my destination. And Maureen was no help as she would be the first to admit she has no sense of direction and seemed to be proud of it.
Sara’s Harmony Way
So, there I was on my own with no navigator. Well, I always say, Id’ rather have a navigator than an alligator. But lucky for me, Maureen was neither of these things. She was a fine traveling companion and lover as well. I had prepared a mix tape to listen to on our drive and we sang up every song we both knew and were in New Harmony before we knew it.
New Harmony is a small town, a village really, with a population of 850, situated on a stretch of the Wabash River. It was originally settled by a communal German religious group known as the Harmonists in 1814 wo attempted to create a Utopia. This worked for a while and then their leader, George Rapp, took them back to Pennsylvania, where they originated, in 1824. They sold the land to a socialist visionary named Robert Owen who believed in workers’ rights, an eight-hour work day, and communal living. Owen believed in a secular utopian socialism. He rechristened the community New Harmony in 1825. The Owenite community failed in the late 1820s.
The third utopia can be attributed to Jane Blaffer Owen (1915-2010). During her time in New Harmony she brought modern architecture to the town, such as the Roofless Church, the Atheneum and many public art pieces. She created serenity with Tillich Park, Church Park and the Cathedral Labyrinth and has left behind a legacy all her own.
While this is not a true Utopia, New Harmony truly is a unique experience. The village is very aware of its history and has done a good job in retaining its historical character and charm, and maintaining a state of genuine peace and tranquility. It features, public art and architecture, gardens, shopping, fine dining, a wonderful inn, live music, museums, a brewery, coffee shops, nature places, and an abundance of history.
AC Thomas House
So, like I said, we arrived right at noon, with the time change, just in time for lunch. I parked my car in front of the Bread and Breakfast where we were staying (The AC Thomas House) and we walked into to town. The first place we went was jammed packed so we made our way across the street to Sara’s Place. It is a coffee shop on one side and a pub on the other. We got into the long line to place our food order to the overworked barista and finally made our order. I had a panni and Maureen had a grilled cheese sandwich which is her “go to” choice in such situations. We carried our food out of doors to the patio, that’s when I noticed the pub. Say, I said, would you like something to drink? Sure, I’ll have a Hendrick’s gin and tonic, she said. So, I marched back inside to place our drink orders only to discover they didn’t serve hard liquor, only beer and wine. So, I, ordered a Stella and beat feet out to Maureen to see if she wanted a wine. She declined. We had a pleasant lunch out there on the patio under the warmth of a golden sun. A few minutes later her friend shows up with his daughter in tow and we make our acquaintances and exchange pleasantries. We are going to meet up with him and his partner later on that evening at the Red Geranium for dinner. Until then we were on our own.
Maureen
We walked around the town a bit and visited a couple of the unique shops along the way. Maureen bought something to wear for later on that night at dinner. We moseyed on back to the AC Thomas house to unload the car and get unpacked. Her friend was going to pick us up on his golf cart a little later and take us back to his house for drinks before dinner.
One of the many cute little shops in New Harmony. Visitors were masked and anonymous
Dan and John own an art gallery in town with many pieces of lovey art. We would visit their store tomorrow. Meanwhile it was drinks at their stately mansion on Main. Then we all piled onto their golf cart for the short ride to the Red Geranium for dinner.
Time seemed to stand still in New Harmony
The Red Geranium is known for its fine dining and congenial atmosphere. We ate out on the terrace. Food was delicious and the company was solid. We had a lot of laughs as Maureen caught up with her friends. David and John were from Louisville and thy had just moved to New Harmony a few year ago to open their art gallery and to lead a more tranquil life with their daughter. They had started coming to the village as a weekend getaway and fell in love with the place and decided to move there permanently.
Maureen on the steps of the Bed and Breakfast where we stayed
After dinner we walked around the town a bit more. It was surprising how different everything looked after dark. Things took on a more sinister aspect and even the religious art had a pagan look to it. When we got back to the B&B we were exhausted. We quickly disrobed and climbed between the sheets and fell to sleep listening to the strains the mixtape I had prepared which I was able to play on my cell phone. The last thing I remember was Toni Braxton singing Unbreak My Heart before drifting off to La La Land holding Maureen tightly in my arms.
Art gallery owned by Maureen’s friends
Next morning, we were up bright and early as our hostess prepared our breakfast of coffee and quiche. It wasn’t bad but not as good as expected. Today we would explore the village a little more before heading back to Louisville. We walked out to the labyrinth and wandered around there for a while then we came back to town to visit John in the art gallery. Of course, I took copious amounts of pictures which I will now share with you, dear gentle reader.
Dinner at the Red Geranium
What’ll you have?Maureen in her new outfitMysterious FountainBaal, Goddess of Darkness
As seen in the daylight….Guardians of the GalaxyWicker ManPeace, Tranquility, and Balance in New HarmonyAtheneum – Visitor’s CenterWabash RiverCathedral LabyrinthThe Orpheus Fountainthe Lyre of OrpheusGo with the FlowMaureen at the Fountain of OrpheusSweet Little AngelAngel HeartOn the Way to the LabyrinthAtheneum – Visitor CenterHarmonist LabyrinthWalking the LabyrinthAt the Center of the LabyrinthWait! Don’t go in there!Beautiful LandscapingNew Harmony Bank BuildingRibeyre School Gymnasium – Main StreetJohn on his golf cartWelcome to IndianaNew Harmony
Natural Bridge State Resort Park is in Kentucky along the Middle Fork of the Red River, next to the Red River Gorge in the middle of the Daniel Boone National Forest. The Natural bridge is the centerpiece of the park.
I had occasion recently to hike the original trail from the Hemlock Lodge to the summit of the bridge. I made two ascents. One on the afternoon I arrived and one early the next morning. What a difference a day makes.
Here are some of the pictures I took:
Hemlock LodgeSuspension BridgeTrail HeadView of the bridge from belowRocky TrailMy Walking StickCarved in StoneBetween a rock and a hard placeView from my BalconyTwo men and a dog at the pizza place that night for dinnerSlade Church of GodHemlock LodgeIn the forestOverlooking the GorgeCotton ballsA View from the BridgeReflecting PoolNarrow passageA Light in the ForestOn Top of the BridgeEarly MorningThe fog is on the mountainChairlift up the mountainA view of the bridge from afarNatural Bridge from Below
Ghost Dog 