Day 63 - Please Take A Seat

It was a struggle to get up this morning, Jackie forced me out into of bed at 9.30am, just so we could get a MaccyD breakfast.

Shortly after 10am we were on the road, heading east on Texas 21 towards Bastrop, we found a McDonald’s 15 minutes before the breakfast deadline. We had our usual, then followed 21 through Bastrop, Paige, Lincoln, Caldwell, Bryan & the Texas 30 to Huntsville.

About 1.30pm we arrived at our intended destination, the Texas Prison Museum. We paid our $7 admission, then entered the museum. The highlight was ‘Old Sparky’, the actual electric chair that has terminated the life of 361 prisoners between 1924 & 1964. Texas still has the death penalty, but now they use lethal injection. Incidentally, prior to 1924, they hung their prisoners.

Today, Death Row for Texas prisoners sentenced to death are currently held held at the TDCJ Polunsky Unit in Livingston, Texas. On the eve of their execution, the condemned prisoners are transferred to ‘The Wall’ at The Texas State Penitentiary in Huntsville, where they have their ‘Last Meal’ before being executed.

The Texas Prison system has had numerous famous & infamous prisoners including John Wesley Hardin, a notorious gunfighter; Huddie Ledbetter, better known as musician Leadbelly, Juanita Phillips aka Candy Barr, an infamous Showgirl & Clyde Chestnut Barrow, one half of the notorious Bonnie & Clyde.

Clyde had been incarcerated in Eastham State Farm, but hated it so much that he returned with Bonnie & attacked the Prison to release some of his acquaintances. In this escape attempt, a warden was killed. This effectively signed Bonnie & Clyde death warrant, because the Texas Prison System General Manager hired former Texas Ranger Frank Hamer & a crack team of Lawmen to find & dispose of Bonnie & Clyde. They did on the 23rd March 1934 during an ambush near Gibsland, Louisiana in a hail of bullets. Memorabilia, including a gun owned by Bonnie Parker, were on display.

It was a fascinating & interesting museum, with lots of other information, particularly about the lives & woes of those who were executed at the Prison. The Texas State Penitentiary also used to host it’s own Rodeo. A video showed some film footage, which revealed it to be more like a chaotic bullfight with prisoners trying to grab bags of money from between the bulls horns.

As we left the museum, the sky blackened. We drove in to Huntsville & to the ‘The Wall’ Penitentiary to witness exactly where Texas prisoners were executed. As we pulled up the heavens opened, was this a sign? We discreetly took a couple of photos despite signs warning against it.

We were planning on staying at Huntsville for the night, but the motels just weren’t doing it for us, Instead we made the executive decision to drive to Galveston on the Gulf of Mexico, which was less than 2 hours away.

After driving in & out of Houston on it’s ring road, we arrived in Galveston around 6.00pm. Jackie had identified a potential motel, the Beachcomber Inn. We drove into the car park & decided that it was acceptable & good value!! We booked it on Booking.com,

We decided to have a cruise along the Seawall Boulevard, as always with our hood down. It was pleasant until some tw*t of a boy-racer sped past us & shouted “Go back to California”. Singlehandly, he made our mind up for us, we wouldn’t be staying more than a night here in Galveston. Anyway, the beach was not our cup of tea, it is too big, too brown, full of squawking seagulls & pelicans & full of Americans. Jackie also thinks she got shat on by a seagull!

We cruised back to our motel, checked-in, then went out. We strolled to the end of Galveston’s 61st Street Fishing Pier where we bought a beer & sat & looked back to the shore. We could have been in Blackpool, except the temperature was still in the high 90s even at 8.00pm.

After we visited Tortuga Mexican Kitchen for a decent dinner & a couple of beers, before calling it a day.

Song of the Day - ‘97 Bonnie & Clyde by Eminem.

Bonus Song of the Day :-

Death Penalty by Domestic Dominion
Sit Down by JamesRead more