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In Pictures: Ferry ride, songbirds and gumbo brighten drive along Texas coast
By Tom Adkinson
May 3, 2024
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GALVESTON, Texas – You have two choices heading east out of Galveston: An uninspiring, do-it-anywhere drive on limited-access highways or a veritable adventure that includes the novelty of a car ferry, some serious birdwatching and a roadside restaurant with a Mexican-Cajun menu. The interstate highway trip to the next city, Beaumont, is about 125 miles. The coastal route is shorter – about 75 miles – but budget more time. It will take longer because you might have to wait a few minutes for a ferry, you’ll enjoy the beach views along the Bolivar Peninsula, you should visit the High Island bird sanctuaries (thank you, Houston Audubon) and you should reward yourself with a memorable meal at Tia Juanita’s in the town of Winnie. The free ferry ride (thank you, Texas Department of Transportation) operates all day every day. The ferry ride lasts less than 20 minutes, but you can exit your vehicle on the “voyage,” smell the salt air and create a travel memory different from zooming along I-10.
70 vehicles at a time
The ferry Robert C. Lanier, one of six in the Texas Department of Transportation fleet, eases out for an afternoon crossing of the mouth of Galveston Bay. Each of the ferries can carry approximately 70 vehicles per trip – cars, RVs, big-rig trucks and school buses. The crossing takes less than 20 minutes. Image courtesy of Texas Department of Transportation
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A view from up top
Ferry passengers who get out of their vehicles can climb one flight of stairs to the observation deck of the Esperanza “Hope” Andrade, which is the newest ferry for the Galveston-Bolivar Peninsula trip. It began operation in 2023. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Watch freighters glide by
The portion of Galveston Bay that the ferries cross is active, so it is not unusual for cargo ships of various sizes to pass right in front of you. This trio of passengers is inspecting a ship whose home port is Copenhagen. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Galveston in the rearview mirror
The few tall buildings on Galveston Island grow smaller as the ferry travels approximately 2.7 miles to the Bolivar Peninsula. Texas Highway 87 leads out from the ferry dock for a drive up the Gulf of Mexico coast. When you eventually turn inland, I-10 is there to take you to Beaumont, Lake Charles and all the way to Jacksonville if you want. Image by Tom Adkinson
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Get out your bird book
The upper Gulf of Mexico coastline is popular with migrating and residential birds and therefore is a mecca for birders. High Island, with a complex of bird sanctuaries maintained by Houston Audubon, is just a few miles east of the ferry dock. This colorful bird is a purple gallinule. Image courtesy of Beaumont CVB
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Get a fill-up at Tia Juanita’s
Fish, shrimp, gumbo and boudin – what more could you want as you drive east on the Texas coast? Tia Juanita’s Fish Camp in Winnie is a local landmark. Its extensive menu is a tangy combination of Mexican and Cajun dishes. Fried boudin balls are an appetizer that easily could be an entrée. Image by Tom Adkinson
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A different ‘sunset cruise’
A blazing sunset over Galveston Bay provides a golden backdrop for the Robert C. Lanier. When your timing is right, you can get a free “sunset cruise” on your trip between the Bolivar Peninsula and Galveston Island. Image courtesy Visit Galveston
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Trip-planning resources: VisitGalveston.com, HoustonTranStar.org, HoustonAudubon.org, and BeaumontCVB.com
(Travel writer Tom Adkinson’s book, 100 Things To Do in Nashville Before You Die, is available on Amazon.com. |
