Carl Henning

Engineers like to visit museums that show how things are done. The Ocean Star Museum is one. How is oil drilling in the ocean done? How are oil wells connected? What does a drill rig look like? These questions and…

Glenn Campbell sang “Galveston, oh Galveston, I still hear your sea winds blowin'”

So we drove down to hear the sea winds, aka gentle ocean breezes, hoping for cooler temperatures than Houston. And to see the sights. It had been a long time since we had visited. Turns out there’s a lot to see. And lots of history.

On the Florida Gulf coast are some great beaches, like Siesta Key. In fact, the welcome sign says it’s “The Number One Beach.” We saw the sunset from Nokomis Beach.

The Nimitz displays are interesting but the real worthy exhibits are in the 30,000-square foot George H. W. Bush Gallery. The history of World War II in the Pacific is traced chronologically. It actually has a brief prolog revealing the events that set the stage for the war. Events at the war’s end were surprising.

In my quest to visit the frontier forts of Texas, I visited Fort McKavett. The sprawling grounds encompass ruins and original buildings. Like all the forts visited, this one has no palisade (unlike Western movie forts). Other forts visited include Fort Davis, Fort Lancaster, and Fort Stockton. Many more to go.

The retired USS Orleck is at sea!

Ok, it’s being towed by tug to its new home in Jacksonville, Florida. It will feature a unique look at the Navy during the Cold War and Vietnam. It’s journey was required when the Lake Charles museum non-profit owners lost their lease of the dock. Fortunately Jacksonville was looking for a ship to make into a museum in downtown.

Sarasota, Florida has a man-made hill “towering” 75 feet above the former celery fields below. A short, moderate hike to the top provides a panoramic view and some birding opportunities.

In Florida, every body of water larger than a puddle has at least one alligator in it. This is especially true of Myakka Lake. It also has plenty of birds and wild pigs.

In Florida we took a sightseeing trips to the Siesta Key Rum. The tour was perfect for engineer and non-engineer alike. The tour and tasting were free; escaping without a couple bottles of rum was not possible.

Doing an Internet search for the Houston Aquarium I accidentally discovered the Interactive Aquarium. I was really looking for the big aquarium in downtown Houston, but discovered this one just a couple miles from home. It really provides opportunities to interact with the animals.