Port Arthur, TX

       Rockport to Port Arthur Texas is about 300 miles. I white knuckled it through Houston,, traffic wasn''t terrible but you have to make sure your in the correct lane for the next time you have to catch the correct road. Lola the GPS is a liar. I had her set for the best fuel economy, but have since changed her to the fastest route. I think they should have a setting for the way Jay would want to go.
     Spent the night at Sea Rim State park. No connections so I boondocked along the shore. Sea Rim is about 20 miles south of Port Arthur on Hwy 87. There no other entrance since Hurricane Ike washed out the road to Galveston. The park also saw heavy damage in the storm, wiped out all above ground structures. Managers house, Asst mgr. house, all the walkways from the parking facilities to the beach. They just reopened last year with very limited resources.
      I have friends here that work camp for camping place with hook-ups. Jim and Sharon have been doing this since last year for the winters. Jim does maintenance around the park, including building fences and washing vehicles or anything else Manager Terry mentions. We had a nice visit last evening right after the sunset. Sharon walks the beach about everyday and picks up trash that washes in to the shore.
   Sea Rim park is pretty desolate with limited visitors, because of its location. Much needs to be done to bring it back as it was before the hurricane. One thing I know they offered before the hurricane was Air boat rides.
     Highway 87 from Port Arthur goes right through the oil refinery I was told this will be the largest oil refinery in the world when it is completed. It is very large now, and I wouldn't have believed I was on the correct road if Jim had not advised me it goes through the refinery. Just beyond the refinery is the Inter coastal waterway with big ships and barges bringing oil to the plant. There were also Shrimp boats and other industries along the inter coastal.
     Just for your information Port Arthur STINKS, I mean literally stinks, it bothered my breathing I don't know how the locals get along. Maybe they just get used to the chemicals in the air.

Ship on Inter coastal waterway Hwy 87 Texas

Cattle along Hwy 73 East of Houston, TX

Twilight at Sea Rim Park with hurricane damaged walkway.

Sunset at Sea Rim the black band is smoke from a brush fire.