A bust

Momma and Dad had made a reservation for an Historical Tour of Galveston.  There were two tour companies to choose from but one was 'closed for the season'.  It was called 'The Train' but it was really a cart towed by a jeep.  The second was promoted as an electric cart that looked like a large, multi-seat golf cart.  

I kept wondering why Momma never shared any pictures with me of the tour.  I finally found out why.  It seems that there are great tours, average tours and then...the tour that never should have been.  The tour vehicle turned out to be a multi-seat van.  The only positive things were the air conditioning worked and the speaker/mic system was used.  Now see if you can picture sardines, stuffed in a can and the lid slammed shut.  Now substitute 14 people for the sardines stuffed in a van with short seats (knees into the back of the seat in front of you) and sitting cheek to cheek so that the door will close.  Then look to your left and find a wide wall ....try to lean forward or back to see out one of the windows.  Then look to your right across the other passengers and you can see curb high because being stopped at the side of the road, the road slopes so the van slants.  Don't even think about trying to take a picture...of what?...the van wall or the other people blocking your view?  Thankfully, the 'tour' only lasted 50 minutes before the door opened and everyone exploded, similar to opening a can of Pillsbury biscuits,  out into the parking lot like where we took turns standing on everyone's legs to get them unfolded and straightened out once again.  

And wouldn't you know, Momma used a Groupon coupon.  Groupon wanted to know what she thought of the tour.  Do you think there was any way she was giving it any stars?  She decided to give an honest review...as a word of warning to other potential tourists looking for a fun activity.  The tour guide was knowledgeable but every time he said " you'll see on your left or on your right".  Nope, missed seeing that POI.  Too busy playing sardine....well, not in those exact words but......it wasn't a positive review.

Now Dad knew that Momma felt let down and that she loves all the Victorian architecture so he drove around the area so Momma could oooh and aaahhh and snap a few shots.

Then he took her down by the beach passing by O street, O 1/2 street; P Street, P 1/2 street.  Who thought up this street labeling system?  According to a nice gentleman who they chatted with, the lot sizing was changed after the original street labeling took place...thus the 1/2 street names were added.  Well, it is systematic.

With the morning fiasco behind them, they decided to pursue one of Dad's interests and headed for the Flight Museum out by the airport.  Okay, so this honestly rated better than the morning tour, but with the way the roped off path was laid, it was a do not touch...don't even get too close museum.  Dad was rather disappointed when he compared it to other flight museums we have visited.

Did you notice the pilot's name on the nose art?  'Waddy' Walter Young.  Momma's maiden name was Young.  Could it be possible?  Relation?  No, not according to the family tree.

There was also a jeep that had been in the flood when the ocean waters came ashore due to a hurricane and then refurbished for display once again.  The sign by it said that although it is not confirmed, there is a possibility that the name jeep came from the slurring of GP which stands for Government Purposes or General Purposes.  Now isn't that an interesting tidbit?

The grand winning experience of the day was securing a serpentine belt for the truck.  Dad got looking at the odometer and calculating how many more miles we might get out of our current belt and he decided that 'if you can locate the part, repairs can occur'.  So knowing that we are headed into Alaska and knowing that even the local part stores had to secure the part as it was not on their shelf, he decided to have a 'belt in the hand'  so to speak.  I guess it goes along with that boy scout motto, "Be Prepared".  

Hickory
....on the road again