Windy Days on the Road

We’ve dealt with windy days while traveling before, but I can’t remember experiencing this many consecutive days of strong winds.

It has certainly made this trip memorable.

The first two days of our journey were dominated by high winds and rain. Fortunately, our driving days were only about 350 miles each, because towing in those conditions requires your full attention.

The trailer handled the conditions well, and at no point did we feel like we were losing control. Still, the constant quartering winds meant there was no opportunity to relax behind the wheel. Every gust required a steering correction, and by the end of the day we were mentally tired as much as physically tired.

We spent a wonderful day in Waco visiting Magnolia Market at the Silos.

Ironically, the wind was fairly calm while we were sightseeing. It wasn’t until we returned to the campground that evening that it picked up again. Our campsite was somewhat sheltered, but the trailer rocked and buffeted throughout the night.

The following morning we headed out on the final leg of our trip to Galveston.

Once again, the wind greeted us, along with occasional rain showers. It became another day of staying focused and taking things one mile at a time.

Fortunately, as we got closer to Galveston, the winds began to ease, allowing us to arrive, get set up, and finally relax at the Galveston KOA Holiday.

Or so we thought.

Around 8:00 that evening, the campground sent a text message recommending that everyone retract their awnings and secure anything left outside because severe weather was expected overnight.

That proved to be very good advice.

Around 11:00 p.m., the wind really arrived.

For most of the night, sustained winds exceeded 20 mph, with much stronger gusts that had the trailer rocking enough to wake us several times. At one point, a line of storms passed through, bringing heavy rain and pea-sized hail before the wind settled back into its relentless rhythm.

Spring weather can be unpredictable, and we understand that’s part of traveling this time of year. Still, we’ve never experienced so many days of persistent wind on a single trip.

The good news is that we’ve reached our destination.

Now we have a full week to relax, explore Galveston, and hopefully enjoy a little calmer weather before beginning the trip back home.

After several days of keeping both hands firmly on the steering wheel, a little sunshine and lighter winds will be a welcome change.