Austin, TX to New Orleans...need a good midway stop...

kenjr

kenjr

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KenJr
Hey Folks,

Looking on the map and trying to figure out a good midway stopping point between Austin, TX (specifically KGTU) and New Orleans Lakefront. It looks the Beaumont area is the halfway point but never been over there so don't know much about the area. Ideally, would like to stop and grab a lunch bite without having to grab a car and drive around...but doesn't look like Jack Brooks Regional (KBPT) has anything on the field.

One option is to stop at Lone Star in Conroe as they have a nice place to eat there. Problem is, it's 1 hour to there and then 2.5 hours over the NoLA. Not a big deal for me...but I'll have two ladies with very small bladders in the back...so trying to split it up as even as possible. :D

Thanks in advance.
 
The fuel planner at airnav.com suggests ORG, T12, BPT, JAS, BMT, AND 5R8 as midway stops for KGTU -> KNEW.

I don't think any of them have on-field restaurants. I'd probably stop at Jack Brooks.

Google indicates that uber operates in Beaumont. I'd call the FBO to verify that Uber is in fact available at the airport.

Uber rules for this kind of quick lunch time ride.
 
The new Galaxy FBO at Lone Star is great with the Black Walnut Café. But as you said, not the best for a halfway point.

Beaumont is "okay" Old terminal, but had nice folks there who gave me a crew car to go into town for food last year.

Lake Charles? Not sure about the FBO's there.
 
Film your landing at lakefront. That is an awesome runway right to the edge of the water.
 
Pick a convenient airport and pack a picnic lunch.
 
Thanks guys...

I looked at Lake Charles but it's the reverse of landing in Conroe. 2.5 hours for the first leg and then an hour to NoLA. I don't think either one of them is going to make it 2.5 hours and they will absolutely not be doing their business in the pee bags I put in the plane. My boys on the other hand love them. The youngest asks every time he flies now how long until he gets to pee in the bag. :D

That's a good idea on the picnic...the food isn't as big of a deal as just getting out to stretch and use the facilities. If they have a car available, that's an option. Lookin' like Beaumont is going to be the primary option here.
 
I was at Jack Brooks a few weeks ago. Really nice folks. There is some construction going on the field.
 
The beauty of flying to NOLA is the flight along the coast. Flying direct line from Austin almost completely eliminates the best part of the flight.

Make a bee-line for the Gulf, and turn left. Stop for lunch at Galveston. Take them to Moody Gardens Hotel. Order their heavenly lobster bisque. You will thank me.

Then fly the rest of the way to NOLA.

It's all about the journey. :)
 
How is Galveston these days? When I was regularly in that area in the late 90s it was one of the strangest places I'd ever been. The entire east end of the island was a slum. On the west end there were cattle grazing on the beach. Weird and not a nice place. But, then again, that descriptor is apt for most of the Houston area.

Has the island been revitalized since?
 
Clark1961 said:
Are you asking if it was rebuilt after Ike hit in '08?
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Well, not really since I forgot about that. Maybe Ike got rid of all those slums so the local govts didn't have to? Revitalization by Hurricane...that's a novel concept. :yes:

I was basically asking how the island is to visit these days. Back in the late 90s you wouldn't catch me on it after sunset...no way..it was really nasty.
 
timwinters said:
Well, not really since I forgot about that. Maybe Ike got rid of all those slums so the local govts didn't have to? Revitalization by Hurricane...that's a novel concept. :yes:

I was basically asking how the island is to visit these days. Back in the late 90s you wouldn't catch me on it after sunset...no way..it was really nasty.
Click to expand...

Mother nature has been conducting slum renewal for many years: tornados and trailer parks, earthquakes and California, tsunami's and various point in Asia...

Anyway, I haven't been further south than EFD in many years. The last time I went to Galveston was to see the offshore drilling museum in '98.
 
Got a chance to take my sister and nephew up for a flight to Galveston this past Saturday with a touch and go at KGLS, right by Moody Gardens. It was a great day to fly and from the air Galveston doesn't look bad at all. Of course we never got out or cracked a window so we didn't have to smell it either :)

Also, I did flight following on the way there and back to Sugar Land. Thanks to the posts on this forum, I did not hesitate to 'Say again please for NXXXX' a couple of times when I did not quite understand the ATC instructions. Also on the way back I was asked to "maintain VFR at or below 3000" and advise when I had weather at my destination. I asked them to repeat the altitude restriction and they said again "at or below 3000". I got the weather for my destination and called back confirming I had it, and stated "My current heading takes me through Class Bravo. Please confirm I'm cleared into Bravo at or below 3000". Finally I got the magic words from the controller, and he did not seem too annoyed.
 
timwinters said:
How is Galveston these days? When I was regularly in that area in the late 90s it was one of the strangest places I'd ever been. The entire east end of the island was a slum. On the west end there were cattle grazing on the beach. Weird and not a nice place. But, then again, that descriptor is apt for most of the Houston area.

Has the island been revitalized since?
Click to expand...

They did a lot of rebuilding after Ike, but they also built new/rebuilt old slums at the demand of HUD or risk losing $500MM or so in post-Ike funding. In other words... there are still slums and there is still a lot of decrepit areas.

Not that Galveston is a bad place, just different. The BOI (Born on Island) culture is weird, but you shouldn't have to deal with too many of them if you're just passing through.

The airport is decent and it's right next door to Moody Gardens and the Lone Star Flight Museum. Lots of big helicopter traffic on the field. You'd probably need a car to go anywhere else.

Also, if you're on foot, then Offatts Bayou (along Moody Gardens) is probably the only water you'll see unless you really like walking.
 
At Galveston (GLS) you can park at the Lone Star Museum's back door. Cut through the museum to walk over to the Moody Gardens Hotel. Stop at the museum's front desk to explain what you are doing, lest they think you are trying to sneak into the museum without paying.

Stroll past the water park to the hotel restaurant. It's a bit of a hike, but not bad. Note that much of the parking lot you are walking across has military tie-downs embedded in the 60 year old concrete. Yep, this used to be part of the airport.

Go into the restaurant. Order a bowl of the lobster bisque. The recipe starts with a stick of butter, and goes downhill from there.

It is worth every calorie.

After lunch, pay the museum admission and enjoy the aircraft. They are about 90% recovered from Ike.

As for the rest of Galveston, we've only been through the old, devastated by Ike waterfront area once, about 2 years ago. It was trying to come back. It had a ways to go, but things looked promising.

It reminded me a bit of New Orleans.
 
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Jay has the best idea yet...really not much between eastside of Houston and NOLA worth stopping for...Flight follow out of Galveston and they should give you a code to get you to Lakefront expect them to clear you through the Bravo over MSY from that direction...makes for a cool ending...
 
Warlock said:
Jay has the best idea yet...really not much between eastside of Houston and NOLA worth stopping for...Flight follow out of Galveston and they should give you a code to get you to Lakefront expect them to clear you through the Bravo over MSY from that direction...makes for a cool ending...
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Great PIREP! I will do that next time I'm in the area.
 
kenjr said:
Thanks guys...

I looked at Lake Charles but it's the reverse of landing in Conroe. 2.5 hours for the first leg and then an hour to NoLA. I don't think either one of them is going to make it 2.5 hours and they will absolutely not be doing their business in the pee bags I put in the plane. My boys on the other hand love them. The youngest asks every time he flies now how long until he gets to pee in the bag. :D

That's a good idea on the picnic...the food isn't as big of a deal as just getting out to stretch and use the facilities. If they have a car available, that's an option. Lookin' like Beaumont is going to be the primary option here.
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If you decide on Lake Charles look into MillionAir at CWF. Nice folks and nice crew cars (Jags & BMWs). Plenty of fast food places in town.
 
Jay Honeck said:
At Galveston (GLS) you can park at the Lone Star Museum's back door. Cut through the museum to walk over to the Moody Gardens Hotel. Stop at the museum's front desk to explain what you are doing, lest they think you are trying to sneak into the museum without paying.
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Last time I did this we just parked at the FBO. Adds like 1/4mi to the hike, but the FBO didn't charge me anything. The business cards for a CFI/Tour pilot (or capitan, as the card read) I found on the desk were rather amusing as well. He should have had somebody proof read them :)
 
thanks folks - I'd love to the Galveston route and hug the coast but my lady backseat passengers aren't exactly super fans when it comes to flying and my goal is to just get us there as quickly as possible...with a short stop somewhere in the middle to stretch out, maybe grab a quick bite and use the facilities. They'll both be taking something (probably some kind of motion sickness medicine that makes them drowsy) so they'll probably be sleeping anyway. :)
 
That reminds me that when I flew from Houston to lakeshore in October the controllers led me through bravo in nola but I never did receive the magic words.
 
This is a great question since I too would like to take the wife to New Orleans Lakefront sometime, flying exactly the same path. Though with her flight attention span and bladder capacity, I think I would have to break it down to 3 legs so we would probably make a stop in Conroe at the Galaxy FBO and then maybe in Lafayette, not sure.

Let us know what route you end up taking, Ken.
 
BigBadLou said:
Let us know what route you end up taking, Ken.
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Will do. We've got hotels booked (with the option to cancel within 24 hours, of course...) for the weekend of March 7th. So, we're a ways out...hopefully the weather hangs on for us. It's my bro-in-law's 40th b-day so we're taking the wives (who have never been to NOLA) there for a nice getaway weekend. I've been to NOLA several times...all on work trips so not much time to enjoy the sights and sounds (and FOOD!) and of course have never flown in via GA.

Lakefront looks cool though - watched a couple youtube videos of some folks on final...the approach over the lake is pretty cool.
 
Just an FYI posted cab rate is $22.00 for anywhere Downtown/FQ from Lakefront...FBO driver charged me $25....either way no big deal.
 
Also another FYI when landing at Lakefront. If you're calling for a ride make sure you ask for a cab. Flying into Lakefront once they called me a limo which was nice but the price wasn't so nice. It's not like I flew in on a jet :dunno::lol: so not sure why they did that. After that experience I always ask for a REGULAR CAB. For you Uber lovers, no Uber in New Orleans.
 
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