Seeing San Leon

An Accidental Tourist Afternoon Drive

As my Texas tour winds down, I’m trying to see all of those little places I’ve driven by dozens of times, but never took the time to explore. Recently on Instagram, several photographers were posting pictures of incredible sunrises. On this day, I was looking for a location to return for a morning shoot.  This was Plan B for this day as I originally planned to drive to the Hill Country to explore the Willow City Loop. The forecast said clouds near Fredericksburg, so I headed south instead of west.

I turned left off route 146 (a few miles south of Kemahs amusement park) when I saw the sign for San Leon. This older community is roughly 5 miles off the main road. Upon arrival, what I noticed most were elderly people in golf carts and people in cars waving. Clearly this is a friendly community. Most of the homes are on the water, so there’s not much access (legally) to the old and worn piers, which help make great sunrise photography sizzle. The streets have names like Avenue or Broadway. I didn’t see much of a Broadway type of atmosphere here. I suspect 20-30 years ago, this was the quite the fun place for families to escape Houston or Galveston to relax and enjoy the water.  One thing I noticed was a huge sign, saying Future home of a Wife Training School. It sat boldy on one of their main streets and you can’t help but take notice. I actually stopped and turned around because I could not believe what I was seeing!

The other thing I found was several bars and one bingo hall.  Clearly, alcohol rules when not enjoying the water. At one location, several men stood patiently at a door, waiting for the establishment to open. Trying not to form an opinion, I drove on. I found a fishing pier, which looked like did a day after Hurricane Ike hit. The owner was charging 6 dollars to use the pier for fishing. I could only think of falling through to my death as this thing looked like it needed a condemned sign hung out it. Alive, I drove on. A huge sign saying Bubbas guided me to a place where I could park and walk out towards the water. To my right was a restaurant/bar (Bubbas). Looking out, I noticed two men and a dog relaxing in chairs looking out towards the Gulf. I asked permission to walk down towards the beach. The older of the two (with shoes on) said yes of course, unless you’re planning to spend the night on the beach. Clearly, illegal camping is a problem. I walked out along a jetty in front of me to take photos. This place was a broken ankle waiting to happen. All of the materials (broken concrete) used to build this jetty was lose and moved when you walked on it. Yet, I watched one little boy run along this path like he was at his school playground. It’s what I call an old man moment. I somberly walked out to the end of the jetty. I captured a few shots and then stumbled back to the beach. While walking, that same little boy had his fishing rod/reel with bait. The gentleman I spoke with earlier was this boys’ grandfather. He spoke to me as he passed, a young angler in the making. It reminded me of a little boy and his grandmother 45 years ago.  I so missed those days.

I got a few more shots, including the dog named Blue.  She was curious about me, trying to bark but also trying to play with me.  The younger man, (without shoes) commented about my camera and asked about my travels. I told him about my upcoming trip to Havana. Without skipping a beat, he says my buddy here is heading to the Azores on Sunday. The older gent said, yeah heading to the Azores, London Paris and Milan. Wow! I want to do that when I grow up (if I grow up).

From on Accidental Tourist to another, preparations for a trip of a lifetime.  Cuba: The Undiscovered Country.

See ya.
Glenn