It is approximately 9 hours and 22 minutes from Winfield, KS to Galveston, TX. Traveling by the most direct route - I-35 to I-42 - you pierce the heart of two of the largest cities in the United States, Dallas and Houston.
We decided, after driving this route for a few hours, that there are two types of travelers who are defined by the routes they choose to "get there." We spent today wearing the shoes of the type of traveler that we are not, and find it uncomfortable.The Interstate traveler is no-doubt seeking efficiency - a concept we appreciate during the work week but find disturbing while on vacation. Packed between lanes of cars, you point the car and drive. The views to each side of the road are lined with billboards, advertisements and stretches of grass populated by the occasional wildflower. Hours of the same. Miles of repetition.
We stopped for lunch in Corsicana, TX at The Cotton Patch - a restaurant chain begun in 1989 by Larry Marshall and Mike Patranella in Nacogdoches, TX. Their website describes a culture of giving which made me feel good about eating there.
We finally arrived at our destination. We have rented a house on the shore of Galveston Beach acquired through VRBO.com - our favorite traveling tool on vacation. The house, named Toes in the Sand, is owned by Walt Burger who has been great to work with. We arrived around 6:30 p.m., tired and ready to eat. We visited the local seafood restaurant called The West End where we met a great waiter who discussed the Final Four with us and shared his opinions about mixed marriages between KU and KSU fans versus the lack of marriages between OSU and A&M fans. After stocking up on food supplies at the local grocery store, it was back to the house to sleep.
Fun fact about houses built on stilts: They move.
