Johnson Space Center and Galveston Island

We called an audible and decided to stop a bit short of Galveston Island based on warnings of flooding from high tides and thunderstorms on the coast. The plan was to come up to the Houston Space Center tomorrow anyway, so snagging the last spot at the Space Center RV Park (not affiliated) just as the rain got heavy and lightning flashes appeared in the sky seemed like a pretty good option. The heaviest thunderstorms are forecast for tonight through tomorrow morning, so we'll stay hitched tonight with stabilizers and jackstand up and cross our fingers for no hail! #letshopefaradaywasright #hailno #airstream #liveriveted #liveinfearofhail #myrivetedlife

"To strive endlessly to stir the venturesome spirit that moves you to follow a rainbow to its end..." Wally Byam or NASA? #airstream #liveriveted #myrivetedlife #johnsonspacecenter #houston #adventuremobile

We'd heard from a few people who had been to the Kennedy Space Center in FL that they were underwhelmed by the Johnson Space Center. Well that place must be (pun intended) out of this world, 'cause Johnson was pretty awesome. From a full size replica of a space shuttle mounted on an actual 747 used that was used as a transport (both of which you can go in) to a tour of the Space Vehicle Mockup Facility with full size simulators for the Soyouz, ISS labs from multiple countries plus the new Orion lander and several prototype surface exploration vehicles - all in active use for training and development - we thought it was really cool. With the trailer parked in the lot, we spent the whole day there, including a 2 hour nap in her own bed for Mae! #johnsonspacecenter #nasa #roadschool

Wynne strikes a pose in front of the Saturn V, the tallest and most powerful rocket ever built. From 1966 to 1973, it launched 13 times and sent 24 astronauts to the moon as part of the Apollo program. #roadschool #johnsonspacecenter #nasa #firecrackerinfrontofarocket

So ever since we first talked about going to Galveston, I've had this Tony Rice song called "The Galveston Flood" in my head (tap the pic to hear the chorus and click the link in my profile for some history). And of course, as we're actually heading to Galveston, we start hearing grave warnings of strong thunderstorms and high tides leading to flooding.
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Well last night, we decided to stop short of Galveston and stay near the Space Center, and sure enough, there was some pretty serious thunder and lightning through into the morning, enough to make us pull the girls out of a bath this morning. I dunno, but having them in a tub of water within a metal tube in an electrical storm just didn't seem like a good idea at the time.
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As we left the Space Center this afternoon, once again with plans to head down to Galveston, the lighting and thunder chased us through the parking lot and into the trailer. As we closed the door, we heard the loud pounding of a torrent of fat drops on the roof. We waded into the soggy Houston traffic for a few minutes before deciding it was too wet and we were too hungry just as the Cracker Barrel sign appeared.
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Over a dinner of chicken 'n dumplings, we messaged with @ourwanderingrhythm who we'd hoped to meet in Galveston and finally decided that a mad dash on a dark and stormy night to an exposed spit of land prone to flooding wasn't our move.
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Instead, I put out a feeler to an IG follower @ekibike who had noticed the Space Center pics and messaged saying he and his wife lived nearby. Twenty minutes (and one blind, wet, dark cul-de-sac backup job) later, we were parked in a suburban Houston driveway where we put the kids to bed right on schedule and went inside to talk to some great folks about travel locations, rigs and logistics. Go Internet!
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#airstream #airstreamwithkids #liveriveted #moochdocking #galveston

Well, by the time we made it to Galveston two days late, they'd cancelled our reservation (even tho we'd called), and the ranger said they weren't taking any more people because so many of the sites had standing water. Still, we managed to talk ourselves into one, and I don't think the girls really minded too much. #airstream #liveriveted #myrivetedlife #airstreamwithkids #puddlejumping #rainboots #childhoodunplugged

Looks like we're having pea soup for dinner tonight. Actually, it was @advodna_ann's chicken, garlic, ginger and whatever-green-vegetable-we-have-in-the-fridge (bok choy, kale, broccoli, spinach all work well) soup. And the sun even came out for a couple hours while Cody and Tricia from @ourwanderingrhythm came by. Great to finally meet them! #airstream #airstreaminfog #myrivetedlife #liveriveted #galveston #galvestonislandstatepark

Well, we're officially heading East after our Boston-to-Austin diagonal. In Feb, we covered 2,761 miles for an average of about 95 miles a day, about twice our regular pace. In Mar, we'll be slowing down to make our way along the Gulf Coast at more like 35 miles a day. For us, that means driving about 3 hours every 4 days. In Apr, we'll start up the Atlantic coast but, guessing we'll be ready for a break from the beach, will head inland from Charleston to visit relatives and explore towns like Augusta, Atlanta and Athens on the way to Asheville (or any other towns starting with "A" that we can find). We're also starting to plan late Apr/May which will include Merlefest, Great Smokey Mtn NP, the Blueridge Parkway, Floyd Virginia and Shenandoah NP on the way back up to Boston. And Nova Scotia's still on the calendar for late summer! See ya on the road! #airstream #liveriveted #myrivetedlife #travelwithkids #familytravel #lifeontheroad #roadtrip #fulltimefamilies #rvwithkids #rvlife

Uh, you can't get there from here... except on the ferry. #shortcut #airstream #liveriveted #myrivetedlife #airstreamonaboat #wereonaboat