La Jaiba Downs Crab Race Track

On Wednesday nights at 7:00, the Isla Grand Hotel on South Padre Island holds a local event in the Quarterdeck Lounge. It’s free to attend – you only need to have a drink of some kind in your hand! And if you happen to win the jackpot, you receive Isla Grand dollars to help reduce your bar bill!

On hand for the event are the Crab Trainer, the Crab Assistant, the Announcer and Crab race fans from around the globe. A huge round table (probably 8 feet in diameter) sits on the middle of the dance floor and it's covered with a yellowy-orange table cloth. There are four Tupperware containers sitting nearby on the stage - once for each of the four races. Each container holds eight hermit crabs. Each hermit crab has a number on its back - the numbers run from 1 to 8 incl. Each crab also has a name but you need to be a regular to recognize them by name!

The Announcer picks up one of the Tupperware containers, removes the lid and sprinkles (what he says is) a few ounces of Tequila over the occupants. He then carefully retrieves one crab at a time from the container, shows the contender to the crowd and announces the name and number. Some are small and some much larger. The announcer then places each individual crab on the table to assess its’ immediate interest in racing to the edge. Race fans then get a chance to bet by recording which crab will win the race on a piece of paper. All the bets are collected and set aside until after the race.

After presentation to the crowd, the announcer places each crab under an upside-down silver serving plate centred on the table – this is where they await the start of the race. Once all 8 crabs have been presented, the odds picked and the bets collected, the silver plate is lifted high and the race is on! Here’s a pic of this particular moment:


The winner is determined when the first crab meets the edge of the table. As each heads off in different directions, the crowd screams wildly for one crab over another. When the winning crab meets the edge of the table, the announcer scoops it up in his hand and tenderly returns them to their particular Tupperware container. This madness goes on for four races. The crabs are eventually placed back into the aquarium at the entrance to the bar.

Here are a few basic rules for race fans as noted on the distributed pre-race info:

- no wandering, meandering or philandering near the crabs;
- no bribing the crabs;
- any attempts to take the races too seriously will result in immediate dismissal from the track; and
- (I love this one) the rules are subject to change depending on the announcer and the general disposition of the crabs.

I mentioned that each crab has a name as well as their number. Here are the names of a few of the racers – I randomly selected two names from each of the four races so you can get a sense of the depth an importance of the event: Crab Cake, Murphy’s Claw, Herman’s Hermit, Bull Crab, Taxi Crab, Tomorrow’s Dinner, Hard Hat and, John’s favourite, Holy Crab!

And just to make sure their liability is covered, there is a message on the handout identifying the Gamblers Anonymous Hotline number!

Too much, eh? A lot of fun though! Not exactly NASCAR or the Kentucky Derby but certainly more laughs!

Today is US Thanxgiving and it just so happens we are going back to Isla Grand to their restaurant for turkey and all the fixins. We’ll catch up with you in about 2 weeks. We are headed for a wee vaca to the Virgin Islands to see Jimmy and Amanda, John’s son and daughter-in-law. Have fun until then... m.

Red Tide

Anybody know what this is? A few of you might. I assure you I had no idea until we arrived in South Padre in late October. I have learned it is not unique to Texas. Apparently, this phenomena surfaces on many coastlines. And the name is not unique to being Red - it can be also be Golden or Brown. Any photos I’ve seen have been taken from the air. What I can do is pull together my best description based on what I’ve heard and read over the past month.

First of all, it’s a natural organism – not something created by humans. Individually, it’s called Karenia brevis, a microscopic algae, a bacteria. And, when the algae cluster in denser concentrations, it is called "Red Tide". The algae produces a toxin that paralyses fish and affects their central nervous system - essentially, they stop breathing. So, where there are large concentrations of the algae along the coastline, dead fish are similarly strewn along the beach. If you could get into an airplane and fly along that coastline, you would be able to see the concentration from the air.

The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) monitors the bacteria levels each day from Galveston (near Houston) south to the tip of South Padre where we are located – about 500 miles of coastline. They post the test results on the web and report on where the patches are isolated. There is certainly an impact on the oyster industry since the harvesting of oysters peaks at this time of year through to Christmas. Needless to say, the extent of our oyster dining (so far this season) has been non-existent and will stay that way until we get the OK from TPWD. They also warn you to keep your vehicles off the beach so the fish spines don’t puncture your tires!

Just to give you a visual sense of what I’ve been trying to describe, here’s a picture taken by TPWD photographer Chase Fountain on October 28/09. This is actually the south end of South Padre Island. The photo was taken from over the Gulf and, in the distance, you can see the Causeway over to Port Isabel and the mainland. You should be able to see the discolouration in the water as it parallels the beach:


Imagine me about 10 days ago walking onto the beach (near those twin towers you see in that photo). Between me and the surf were fish (about 8-10 inches long) strewn every 4-5 feet in a path all the way to the water. When I looked up and down the beach, I saw fish strewn in this manner for as far as I could see. And, standing beside each fish was a seagull poking on occasion at their particular specimen wondering why it didn’t taste good. The seagulls were not eating the fish – they just stood there squawking to each other about what the problem could possibly be!

Based on what I had read, I realized the Red Tide was ‘in” and retreated directly to the street. I knew that, within seconds, I would be feeling major irritation in my throat and, to a lesser degree, in my eyes. That’s how the Red Tide impacts humans - it makes you cough relentlessly and makes your eyes water. What made it really bad that day and the few days that followed was the surf. We experienced the remnants of Hurricane Ida and, combined with a full moon, the surf was very rough. When this happens, the algae become airborne in the salt spray.

Once the wind changed and the tide calmed down, so did the irritation. The City workers have since cleaned the beaches and the hotels (big and small) have cleared the beach frontages. The reports today said there is only ‘some’ evidence of Red Tide in the areas around the Brownsville Channel and the man-made jetties. The University of Texas has a Coastal Studies Lab in the County Park next to us. They say the marine environment always recovers from Red Tide.

I’m thrilled about this news – ‘cause there is nothing better than walking the beach in the early morning and watching that sun come up for the day!

Halloween in South Padre Island (SPI)

One always experiences new things when one travels and here are 7 things that were new to us this year for Halloween 2009:

1. Timing – this year, we were in SPI. Last year, we did not even arrive here until December 1st. And it was certainly different to be outside in 80 degree weather for Halloween!

2. Costumes - we dressed up and, we haven’t done that for many, many years. I brought a box of ‘holiday stuff’ with us and, after scourging through the options, we decided to go as pirates. We draped our pirate flags over our shoulders like capes, donned our pirate scarves and hats, practised our best “Aargh” and “Aye Billie!” and away we went. By the way, Johnnie also wore his battery-operated flashing teeth! So, how do we look?


3. Location – it was the first time we have ever gone to a bar. We’ve been to house parties over the years but to a bar? This was the first time. And it was the bar at the end of our pier so we sure did not have to go far and then we walked home! And the live band played out on the pier - outside!

4. Friends – we planned to meet some people from the KOA at the bar. One couple also went as pirates and another as hippies!

5. Late night – we were up till after midnight! Imagine!

6. President of the United States of America -





Now, we’ve never been that close to a President and to be soooooo close to Obama was inspiring.











7. Security – naturally, the President brings with him a lot of police presence and we found the security top-heavy!


Anyway, trust your Halloween had a few surprises as well… now let’s see what November brings… m.

Indiana thru to South Padre Island, Texas

Once we left Nappanee, IN, we headed south to Indianapolis. Ever been through there? Well, the Speedway is just one of the sights you see on the by-pass and, I might add, at 75 mph! We had been warned about how crazy the routes and ongoing construction in Indianapolis and they were right! We followed the voice of our Garmin exactly and, in no time, we were on the west side heading towards Terre Haute which is at the state line with Illinois. Just a word about the by-pass – we moved from the north to the west side of the city. Good thing we didn’t have to go east on the by-pass – the traffic reports on the radio pointed out the ‘explosion earlier that morning’ would close the by-pass for probably several months! Were we glad we were going west? Absolutely!

We went slightly southwest to the Terre Haute KOA. They welcomed us, offering us great cable, good internet, an oak leaf forested area for camping and a continental breakfast. And it started to rain – and it rained and rained and rained. We were glad we took an upgraded site – gave us the chance to step out onto a paved brick patio instead of a 3 inch puddle of mud! On arrival we noticed that the turn signal lights were not operating. “Oh great…”, we said. We had been struck by Murphy’s Law. Mind you, we didn’t exactly know how long the blinkers hadn’t been working but we thanked the Lord we had made it through Indianapolis without blinkers without incident!

So, now what? Before, during and after our continental breakfast ($1 more for an Egg McMuffin), we worked on where the closest RV dealer was located. The dealer recommended we go direct to Freightliner who built our chassis in the first place. His recommendation included their location and their direct number. The next thing we knew, we were headed further west to Troy, IL to the Freightliner service centre. Now the only thing separating Troy, IL from St. Louis, Missouri is the Missisippi River so you can imagine the traffic there! We got back onto the freeway and stayed put in the same lane for the entire ride – no turn signals? No turning! We were lucky and arrived on the east side of St. Louis (in Troy) in the massive Freightliner compound. We parked our RV amongst 25+ other rigs awaiting service. St. Louis is not called the “Gateway to the West” for nothing!

Freightliner treated us just fine. We were concerned the truck drivers would be given priority but, it was “first come, first served”. The service bays were drive-in but not pull-through so we dumped the Jeep and pulled into the bay. In no time, thanx to newer electronics, the mechanic had located the problem and the fuses were replaced. Now I want to tell you that we have a schematic for the chassis – but think about finding a ½ inch fuse on a 42’ long bus – a needle in a haystack, for sure! As Johnnie worked with the mechanic, I went up to the truckers waiting room, watched an old action-packed movie ("Die Hard") in a dark green, leather lazy-boy (one of 11 in a circle and all chairs were filled) and ate popcorn from a bag – all supplied by Freightliner!

Did we worry about the bill? You bet! We had no idea what to expect! But $136 and 90 minutes later, John backed the RV out of the service bay, we re-connected the Jeep and we were on our way! Murphy had struck but the price was not high!

Our next stop was at the Flying J in Sikeston, MO – noisy as Hell – they had 70’s music blaring all night long at the gas pumps. FYI, the RV parking area is right beside the gas pumps. It is free though! Next overnight was in Texarkana, AR – another KOA and right off the interstate. The next morning, we moved into Texas and directly south to a small town north of Houston called Livingston where we got a camp site on Lake Livingston. We visited some friends there – Stu and Lori – and they quickly advised us to stay two nights ‘cause of the rain storm headed over the area.

And storm it was… you know how you hear the pitter-patter of rain dropping on the roof… well this was like a fire hose full-on for 10+ hours all through the night. The next day was gray and the rain sprinkled all day long. The news reported that many parts of Houston were flooded - the film clips proved this to be true. We decided it was best to follow Stu’s advice and stay another night. Stu was, after all, a firefighter captain before he retired so he had lots of credibility! PLUS, we got to have dinner with them at their place – a lovely ranch-style bungalow nestled on a small, private lake.

Now just a word about traveling south from the Arkansas/Texas border in the north at Texarkana to the Texas/Mexico border in the south at South Padre Island... it's like traveling from the Manitoba/Ontario border west of Thunder Bay to the Ontario/Quebec border east of Cornwall – it’s a long, long way. So, after we left Livingston, we motored on through Houston and ended up just slightly southwest of Corpus Christi. The campground is called the Hitching Post – now, you know you’re in Texas when the campground is called the Hitching Post! And our third and last day of travel through Texas, yet another 3 hours, took us over the causeway to South Padre Island (SPI).

And when we arrived on the Island, everyone was so welcoming – the staff at the KOA here was all ready for us, guided us to our site and offered assistance at every turn to help us get settled. We’ve been here a week tomorrow a a couple of our chums from last year arrived over the weekend. We’ve already been to a few of our old haunts - and, speaking of Halloween, check back to the blog in a day or two and I’ll share some of our ‘sightings’... see you soon… m.

Ontario to Indiana

We left Kingston on a Tuesday morning and made our way into Toronto after the morning rush hour and before any Torontonians got a chance to take their lunch break. We made a decision around Cobourg that we would take the Express rather than the Collector lanes. This would not have been an option in the old bus – we would have been in the Collector lanes – unable to travel quick enough to be in the Express Lanes.

John felt good about the way our new bus was operating and about our ability to keep up-to-speed with the Express lane traffic - meaning anywhere from 65-75 mph. Another benefit with the Express lanes is that there are fewer on and off ramps – hence, less vehicle-jockeying. So we picked the centre Express lane and stayed there the whole way from Scarborough to Mississauga.

From there, we went onto Sarnia where we crossed the Blue Water Bridge and arrived at Port Huron, Michigan on the US side of the border. No problem there and it was only a few miles more to the Port Huron KOA. We like staying at KOAs when we’re on the road. There’s a certain standard they maintain "so you know what you’re gonna get"! And, this time of year, they’re not as busy so you can feel pretty certain you can get a spot. When we’re on the move, we like the pull-thru sites – no need then to unhook the Jeep.

Our next day took us to Nappanee IN, home of Gulfstream Inc. This is where all Gulfstream products are born - coaches like ours as well as fifth wheels and trailers of all shapes and sizes. Gulfstream is a family-owned business so we learned quickly about their dedication and involvement in the quality of the product delivered. They have a tour every week-day at 1:00 pm and we arrived just in time to be shuttled about the warehouse in an extra-large golf cart. It was pretty neat to see the freightliner chassis and the assembly line workers installing everything from flooring to couches to faucets. It was also neat to learn the cabinet stain is either Maple or Milan!

With the down-turn in the economy, Gulfstream now only produces about 3 coaches a day – down from 15 a day five years ago. Not only does this keep the product alive but also the community. The company also offered RV accommodations and hook-ups for free so we stayed there overnight. Every hour or so, you could hear the clipitty-clop of horse hooves as horse and carriages made their way down past our site. Nappanee is also home to a very large Amish community. Kind of an odd mix, don’t you think? And, Nappanee had an interesting motto to support both lifestyles – “Embrace the pace”.

Here’s a pic I took from the bus as we passed one of the carriages.
Hope you’re enjoying the ride… more to come about the trip from Indiana to Texas… m.