12/04/2015

I spent Thanksgiving visiting friends Nita and Phil in Little Rock, AR.  After staying a week, I made my way south to visit friends Consuelo & Lynda in Houston, TX.  It's been fun going around with them taking in the sights of the area.

In Kemah, TX we visited a water tower that is also a light house.  Very strange!




While on the road towards our next attraction, we came upon a bizarre little building that was a law office.  I had to stop and take a picture.  While doing so, the lawyer  came out and asked if we wanted to tour the inside.  He and a friend had turned the odd shaped building even odder with the changes they had made.  I didn't take any pictures inside out of respect for his and his clients' privacy.  It was two story with a tiny spiral staircase leading to the second floor.  All of us had to turn sideways as we went up and down them.  Here are some pics of the outside:





Our next stop was a tool store shaped like a tool box in LaPorte, TX



Also in LaPorte, TX we visited the restored Sylvan Train Depot.  Unfortunately, it was closed so once again, I only have pictures from the outside.





Yesterday, we toured the San Jacinto Monument & Museum.  While I remembered some of my Texas history from way back when, this is where Texas gained her independence and I had not realized its importance until my visit yesterday.  Until this battle, the Texans were losing badly.  Santa Anna had become overconfident and while he was encamped a mile from Sam Houston, he chose a bad location and then didn't even post sentries.  Sam Houston attacked in the afternoon with the sun at his back.  It was a rout.  Over 6 hundred Mexican soldiers were killed and another 7 hundred were captured.  The Texans had 2 battlefield deaths and several more died from their wounds several days later.  Santa Anna was among the captured and Texas won its independence.

This monument claims to be the highest.







Shortly before the battle, Sam Houston received two small cannon donated to the  cause by citizens of Cincinnati.  The proved to be very effective during the battle.


Also on the park grounds was the Battleship Texas.  It is the last remaining battleship from World War 1 and it also fought in World War 11 and was listed as the smallest battleship.