Stories from the Coast

That morning the Accidental Tourist had a co-pilot

“I’ll pick you up at 5:30,” he said. To be clear, that was 5:30 in the morning! This crazy photographer had a craving for sunrise photography. When the alarm sounded at 4:45am, the “accidental tourist” looked at the clock like it was made by satan himself. Still though, he got up, ran through the shower (I think it was on) and jumped in the car. It took nearly 30 minutes to get out of suburbia on I-10 East, but it was a peaceful drive towards Houston. He swung through the northern Heights via 610 around 5:25, a new area for him. She was one of the “cool kids” in the Heights. Smart, funny, and plain good people. After calling to say I was out front, she slumped into the passenger seat like it was an old friend, wearing trendy jeans with holes in both knees, a jacket, and of course armed with coffee. The girl drinks coffee, lots of coffee. Me, I’d found an old iPod with several playlists from life a decade ago. We said very little as we rolled down I-45 South towards Galveston. Sting, Elton John, Stevie Wonder and Steely Dan did most of the talking. We were passed by a lot of people also heading east. Nearby oil refineries and chemical plants were 24/7 operations and these people were driving to work, with a purpose. In the distance though, the sky was getting brighter with lots of clouds. Not sure if the sun will peek through. Still, we closed in on Galveston’s Pleasure Pier, with a few moments to spare. The sun waits for no one.

Along the Seawall

Getting out of the car, we both grabbed our cameras (her iPhone) and headed to the water like moths drawn to an open flame. The seawall was quiet, with very few people about. Joggers, walkers, fishermen and the one guy with the metal detector. I set up my manfrotto tripod, mounted my Nikon Z6, remote trigger and took a series of photos, adjusting my settings along the way. She took off along the jetty and did her own thing. Every photographer can look at the same scene and see unlimited things. While shooting a series of bracketing shots, I pulled out my Nikon D750 with a Sigma Art 14mm and did some wide angle stuff. It was time to move, and we then followed the surf, walking closer to the pier people watching along the way. I looked back and she was doing some panoramic shots. She takes lots of photos. Me? Not so much. The sun was slowly bursting from behind the clouds, it was magical. I was ready for it. This happens every day all around the world, and is never the same. By the number of us here on the beach, most still take this magic for granted. Still, I spotted a couple of fishermen on a jetty. The day was perfect for them as the tide was right to catch dinner. Me,  I wanted to get them in a shot, hopefully making a great moment. I snapped several photos of them, as they had no idea I was there. As the sun rose higher the “golden hour” was fading, and it was time to leave the beach and find coffee. We navigated the always unstable sand, back to the car and off to Starbucks. The photo shoot was good.

Note: Everyone’s a photographer as long as the camera does all the work, he thought.

Starbucks was near the cruise ship terminal in Galveston. If you’ve sailed out of this port, you know where it is in the city’s historic “Strand.” After getting coffee (black, no sugar, straight from the pump for her) and some kind of egg thing (for her), we settled into our chairs, sipping our joe while people watching. We engaged the locals crawling out of their beds to start their Sunday. The previous day, a festival with alcohol had happened. Clearly this event spread to local watering holes long after the festival ended. I’ve always found Galveston as an odd place. Once upon a time, this was the “Houston” of the coast. A deadly hurricane a century ago changed the landscape here, and this town never really recovered.

Fine Print: she likes to eat too, even at .004% body fat. She brought a pre-dawn goodie bag (stuffed in her purse) from Whole Foods or HEB, even though I think she’s a regular at the local “Foodarama.”  A Charming, yet expensive quick stop for all things “Heights.”

South by Southwest

We got in the car, deciding to drive down the coast instead of back to the city. The conversation began to perk up a bit, talking about life, boys and girls, mainly how they affect our emotional trajectory. We drove south down San Luis Pass road changing to Blue Water Highway. At the same time, the clouds began to roll in and these clouds were fierce. Changes were on the way/ Timing had been on our side though. A few hours early and that magnificent sunrise would have only been a dream. We passed the playhomes of people who live elsewhere during the week, and local cows who graze nearby daily. We made two stops: One at Kelly Harnby Nature Trail and Surfside Beach inlet where the legendary fishing boat is grounded. More photos and more great conversation. Remember boys, body english can easily dictate the mojo. Animated arms, good. Folded arms, not so much. Oh, did I tell you we had to stop to find a bathroom every 37 minutes (exaggerating, but HEY NOW).

We turned north and began to wrap up this trip. Lake Jackson, Angleton, Iowa Colony, Pearland and the Stephen F. Austin Monument (in the middle of nowhere) would be a blur as the music of Pat Metheny began taking over again. Back in the Heights, I dropped her off and headed home as she had a lunch date with a boy coming up. It was only 10am and I needed a nap! The lesson here, you can never have enough friends, especially the genuine type. Also, I’ll never go to Galveston to play on the beach, but for a beautiful sunrise? Yes, count me in.

Don’t forget to tell someone you love them, it might make their day. Love to my Mom who never gets enough credit for being an awesome & caring wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

Glenn ~The Accidental Tourist

Oh yeah, what did I learn from this girl? We are all quirky in our own way, each of us. Don’t look at people as being odd without looking in the mirror first. Life struggles are real, as we all have them.