As always, planning our departure is weather dependent. This time we also had to plan around Barb’s return from Burlington on Mar 31st, and Lori’s weekend virtual mediation retreat, Mar 31-Apr. 2nd. And, the weather for Sunday looked way less windy than Monday. Lori decided to skip the Sunday morning meditation session so that we could head out early on the 2nd. We thought we had everything well organized until late the night before when we walked Winston and a neighbour told us that the IRONMAN 70.3 Texas had the bike portion of the race on Sunday morning, along the one and only route from our RV park off Galveston Island. It starts early at 6.45am and the bikes have the right of way.
Hhm. We had already booked our campgrounds for the next several nights and had plans to take the ferry off the island versus travelling the treacherous stretch of highway 10 around Houston again. We knew we needed to get to the ferry early as there were no reservations and we wanted to guarantee ourselves a spot onboard. So decision made, we were leaving early knowing it would be a slow drive from our southwestern RV park location to the island’s northeastern ferry departure. While only 12 miles (roughly 20km) it would be a slow and precarious drive.
What a drive! It was really hard just turning left out of Jamaica Beach RV Park. Streams of cars, fans and bikers along the roadside. Once we made the turn, Barb had to drive super slow as the bikers are given priority on the road and the vehicles, including large RVs, must drive on the shoulder. We have been practicing for a year now how not to drive on the shoulder and now we are doing it purposely. Well never mind that; knowing there was a constant barrage of bikers up against the left side of the RV was totally nerve wracking. One slight move right: we were rolling down to the beach. And to the left: a slight bump and a domino effect of IRONMAN bikers going down. The drive from the RV park, on the west end of Galveston, to the ferry on the complete east side was only about 12 miles, however it felt like it took forever and we both needed showers when arriving at the ferry. Where are the pictures you ask? Well none were taken. Barb’s hands were stuck on the wheel and Lori was busy checking inches of room on the shoulder and coaching Barb to stay straight.