It wasn't exactly Maui... Day 1

*Note* The next 9 blogs are from my previous site.

After much discussion and a reality check or two, Michael and I determined that we just could not afford a trip to Maui this October for his sister's wedding. With a quick "maybe next year" to appease ourselves, I immediately immersed myself into planning a mini-vacation for us. Kobey was set on going to the beach and having a picnic (not necessarily at the same time), so we planned around that. I checked around, did some research, spending hours on the web daydreaming about the perfect no-fuss vacation, I decided to stay close to home and visit Galveston Island. I figured since we knew how to get there and how to navigate the island, it would be easy. (no printing out several pages of driving directions only to find out, in the middle of a town where you have never been, that the mileage is 13 miles off! Don't ask...)
I made reservation for The Commodore on the seawall in Galveston, and we left before noon on Friday, February 29. Our first stop was Wal-Mart in Bridge City for sand toys, a kite, and batteries for the digital camera. Our first adventure came about upon exiting Wal-Mart. At this particular store, they have a corn dog stand outside. The aroma reminds you of a fair or carnival, and Kobey let us know quickly that he was hungry. There is a lone picnic table beside the stand, and it turned out to be the site of our first Wal-Mart picnic. Kobey was ecstatic! He shared his nachos with a flock of eerily brave grackle.
We finally set off on our way. Despite the lack of toys or other entertainment, Kobey managed to keep himself occupied with reading signs along the road. As we waited in line for the ferry at Bolivar Peninsula, we laughed at the seagulls and listened to Michael read from his Drizzt book. Once aboard the ferry, Kobey couldn't get out of his seat fast enough. We stood outside the car and watched the pelicans and seagulls.
We went to the hotel straight away to check in and unload the car. Then we walked across the street to the beach to play in the sand. I will tell you right now that despite the firm warning "Stay out of the water", we all ended up drenched. It is impossible to walk along the water's edge and not get soaked to at least your knees. Kobey's pants were holding so much water that he couldn't keep them up and flashed all the passersby with his spiderman underwear. I took some photos of the surfers, Michael and Kobey, the water and the beach. I sat where I felt was a safe distance from the water to show Kobey how to build a sandcastle.
First of all... I suck at making sandcastles. Somewhere deep in the back of my mind, I had myself believing that I was a true architect of sand. I packed the bucket with not-too-wet sand and patted it firmly down, then flipped it over and onto the beach. I tapped the bottom of the bucket to release the sand and lifted it away slowly, expecting perfection. I watched in disappointment as the sides of my castle began to crumble. Luckily, Kobey was too busy splashing along with Michael in the water to notice my failure. I patted the sides of my sand hill and watched them play in the water. I might mention that my shoes were beside me, with my camera inside one, a safe 12 - 15 feet from the incoming waves. The next thing I know, my shoes are floating away from me and my butt is soaked because a rogue wave came crashing all the way up to where I was sitting. Kobey ran up to me screaming and complaining that his sandcastle was getting wet as I scrambled to grab my shoes and check my camera. Luckily, they survived. We walked along the beach a little more, then made our way back to the hotel where we cleaned up and changed clothes.
We decided to go to The Rainforest Cafe for dinner. I have to say that after having experienced Disney World, this place just didn't appeal to me as much as it used to. Kobey liked it though (and who doesn't love glasses with flashing LED lights in the bottom?) We ordered a Volcano for dessert, which is accompanied by waitstaff and patrons alike yelling "VOLCANO" as they bring it to your table. For those of you that don't know, the Volcano is their signature dessert. Vanilla ice cream surrounded by rich chocolate brownies, hot fudge, and caramel; and is topped with whipped cream and a sparkler. The three of us split one and left a bit overly full. (though Michael's wallet was $95 lighter-ouch!)
Outside the entrance to the cafe is a store with touristy stuff, and now, a build-a-bear workshop. Kobey is a fanatic about stuffed animals, or as he calls them, friends. We were in the spirit of vacationing, so promised him something. He was hovering over a basket of toy alligators when he spied the furry friends out of the corner of his eye. We were led over to the build-a-bear area, where he pored over the selection of friends for several minutes before choosing a giraffe. We complimented him on his choice only to be informed that he needed one more. I looked at Michael and he nodded, so we waited while Kobey picked out a leopard also. He got in line, picked out hearts for each friend, made wishes, and had them stuffed. When they were filled to his liking, they were sewed up and we went to "groom" them. Thankfully, Kobey decided to bypass the clothing/accessories. But as we got up to the cashier, he told us that they needed babies. And, as luck would have it, they just happened to have miniatures for sale. So we ended up with four friends when we walked out of the store.
We went back to the hotel and took showers/baths, then called it a night. (after all, shopping is exhausting if you do it right!)
Stay tuned for Day 2!!