We have one last stop to make before boarding the Bolivar Ferry and reaching our ultimate destination of Fort Travis Seashore Park. So we head to PattyCakes Bakery for cookies and maybe bread. We’ll see.

Planning a Picnic

When the forecast is for two perfect days of weather this week, there is only one thing to do—plan a picnic! And so, I do. Our picnic tote is packed with all manner of tastes and textures, compliments of Prasek’s and Kroger. And — I didn’t cook a thing!

Michael stays in the car while I make a quick dash into PattyCakes. I want raisin bread for a yin yang sweet and savory element for our picnic; however, I learn that it won’t be available until tomorrow. So, I start staring at the cookies. It’s a good thing I only have a ten-dollar bill in my fist to help limit my purchases. Because of my meager funds, I cannot have one of everything, even though that is what I want. My dilemma of which cookies to choose becomes a very hard decision.

Patty Cakes Bakery, 704 14th Street, Galveston

Back in the car, I inform Michael, “I bought your favorite cookies! Chocolate Crinkles.” And because I know he can’t eat just one, I purchased three and one giant butter cookie studded with tiny chips of toffee for me.

The Bolivar Ferry

The ferry crossing is cool and breezy, and after snapping a few photos, I retreat to the car to stay warm.

Fort Travis Seashore Park

Arriving at our destination, Michael drives around the perimeter of Fort Travis Seashore Park to get the lay of the land. I know there are picnic tables here—we just have to find them. It shouldn’t be difficult; this is one of the starkest parks I have ever seen. It is bare and exposed; shade trees are non-existent; only a few palm trees reaching for the sun grace the grounds.

Deciding on one of the scattered picnic tables on the east side of the park, we try to determine where in the world to leave the car. Happening upon an unpaved cul de sac between two large grass-covered batteries, we park the car, hoping we are not doing anything illegal. The sign doesn’t say “Parking” but warns of vehicles not going beyond the simple barrier. Since that is not our intention, we feel somewhat within the bounds of what is allowed.

Battery 236

Michael grabs the tote out of the trunk while I look for his jacket. The day is gorgeous, but I don’t trust the wind. We walk across a wide expanse of green. A covered picnic table at the water’s edge is our goal, but then I see a long bench that calls to me.

So, I ask Michael how he would feel about having a picnic sitting on a comfortable bench rather than at a picnic table with no back. Our picnic is nothing but finger food. He nods agreement.

A Smorgasbord of a Picnic

Reaching the bench, Michael sits while I unpack the odd assortment of things we love, hoping they will all work together. South Texas sausage with English cheddar cheese. Fresh radishes. Pickled baby beets from Prasek’s. Castelvetrano olives from Italy. Greek-inspired marinated Gigante beans.

Salt and vinegar potato chips — a US addiction — are the outlier and questionable addition to our feast. Michael also asked that I include his leftover coleslaw along with a beverage of his choice, not a coke, but in a Coca-Cola bottle. Lunch should not be boring.

A lone Ibis watches as I load my salad plate with a sample of everything. Apparently, he sent out a secret message to his friends nearby because all at once, a dozen birds hop over the retaining wall and join him. Little do they know that the first sign we saw when we drove in said, PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE WILDLIFE! A seagull already gave up and flew away.

With the ship channel at our feet and the sun warming us from above, the day is absolutely perfect—it sparkles and bubbles like a glass of champagne.

Fort Travis Seashore Park

History in a Nutshell

Battery – a fortified structure on which artillery is mounted.

In 1898 ninety-seven acres of land on the southern portion of Bolivar Point were purchased by the Federal Government for defense purposes. From 1898 to 1943, four military batteries were constructed. The first two were built into the embankment of Bolivar Point; the structures were reinforced concrete built initially on wooden pilings in the sand.

The last two batteries were built a tiny bit inland and disguised beneath a mound of earth. The third one was built at the beginning of the end of WWI in 1917 and completed in 1922. The last battery of the four was designed during WWII to defend the approaches to Galveston Harbor from mine layers and submarines. It was obsolete by the time it was finished in 1943 because, by that time, mine laying was accomplished using aircraft. I am reminded of the saying, “A day late and a dollar short.”

Fort Travis was occupied by soldiers in both World Wars, and served as an internment camp for several German prisoners of war during World War II. The Fort consisted of 27 buildings, including barracks and a mess hall. After the 1900 storm, a 17-foot wall was constructed on the south side to protect the fort from storm surge. In 1949 the fort was declared war surplus and sold to M and M Building Corp. After a change of ownership several times, with the aid of a Moody Foundation grant for $200,000, Galveston County Court purchased the site in 1976 for a public park.

Information if You Plan to Visit