Muddying. Open waters
Not what you want to see next to you on morning commute. Quick roll up the window or risk mud in your eye. With all the road construction and rain, this might be tempting, but it’s a bit extreme for a daily driver, yet there they are.(Travelchannel.com)
How these get a pass is anyone’s guess. Obviously, the guys are not treading quietly or lightly. Boldly muddy the water, and everything else.
How the high and mighty stall when the highway patrol spots a commercial truck without functional mud flaps.
Yet the off road enthusiasts drive past ticket free.
Seriously. With tires sticking far outside the fenders, fenders miniaturized or totally gone, and with deep tread all the way to the edges of the tires slinging gunk everywhere?
Oh, It’s a sport. Totally excused.
Sorry. Couldn’t see that for all the mud flipped on the windshield.
On a clear day or in a clear pool, you can see quite a bit of Houston from the trendy pools.
Definition of open water?
There’s the glass bottomed sky pool at the Market Street Towers hanging over the edge of the 43rd floor like the sky bridge over the Grand Canyon. Look up to see a bit of the skyline, tan lines, with tug free swimsuits advisable.
Rather insist your afternoon water play is educational? Study your geography with water wings in the Marriott Marquis rooftop infinity pool and lazy river flowing in the shape of Texas.
Yes, there is a bridge or two over untroubled waters
River tubing is big in Texas.
Doesn’t have to be very warm for the locals to stow plastic bag luggage and head to the river.
Depending on the season’s weather, local rivers like New Braunfels‘ Comal offer as much thrills as those in Colorado.
Might want to avoid the Spring weekend crowds which tend to get a bit rowdy with more than a few inebriated participants. Cover the kiddies ears and their eyes occasionally. (Hey, they’ve seen worse on TV and in movies.)
So offering a Disney-ized version, the Marriott Marquis gets visitors flowing with local color – mud free!
Bound to be the choice of water marks who are attracted by the naiads and not deterred by cannonballs. (The splashy into the pool cannonballs – not the ammunition. I know it’s Texas, but really. Let it go.)
Unseen below, the stuck-in-the-mud commuters are just trying to get home.
Phil, the Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge
Look at that. Rudely sticking out it’s tongue. Arrogance in ebony. It needs to re-tire to be civil. (Pininterest)
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Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge 
the car looks a little a maneater ;o) I can only buy cars what smile … or maybe they laugh at me, because I’m such a crazy berd :o)
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Those cheery Fiats, Minis, and Smart cars always make me smile, but when I see them next to an 18 wheeler, I shiver. This area sees a great deal of transporting from the port. You know those tall windmills? They are giant size on long trucks on the road. Commuting here is not for the faint of heart – not only far too many cars, road construction, but flooding if it rains too hard too long – it’s flat. But everyone would be a lot safer if tires allowed on public road ways didn’t sling mud. Thanks for driving in to chat.
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I saw something somewhere about that glass-bottomed pool, but didn’t pursue it. Now, I understand. And no, I won’t be giving it a try. I got vertigo just looking at your post. I guess I’m just an old stick-in-the-mud. (Actually, I did manage that this spring, and gave some thanks for the guys who hauled me out. But they had a very civilized truck — not one of those monsters, which I really dislike.)
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Real working trucks have commonsense drivers.
Remember that kid in the neighborhood when you were growing up who took the fenders off his bike and then rode around splashing people and laughing? Bigger scale with the trucks.
Being on I45 the other day we started wondering why one truck got ticketed and another didn’t. Guess the fees are higher for one?
Thanks for sliding in with a comment
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I don’t see me swimming in Houston any time soon. Sea and a basic rectangular pool are just fine.
I have no issue with four bys, well, we do have three that are rarely used, but I think the highly modded ones are going down the road of car=penis syndrome. Look at me! So big, so strong. So yuk.
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In their quest for guests, the establishments are crafting exotic features. We’ve had celebrated pools here for a long time. My favorite fancy old hotel used to have water ski exhibitions in theirs – and big diving competitions with their towering platforms (I never managed the top two. Even their “low” platform was higher than local pools high boards)
Sturdy vehicles/trucks/SUVs/4xs make sense here with the port traffic and flooding/hurricanes. We always tell new arrivals, “You’ll need a truck or tall car.” And shortly they figure it out.
Real work vehicle drivers generally keep the fenders on in traffic. A whole bunch of these trucks belong to high school kids. (Daddy’s money and as you say “Whooo, look at me”.) If they want to off road, that’s great, but it would be more courteous if they would leave the easily removable fenders on in traffic and keep the off road tires in the mud. Mud flaps can be sexy, too, right?
Thanks for slinging a comment this way
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I thought tires like that minus flaps were illegal. Well maybe just in my state.
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State laws vary, but presently this one has mandated car inspections before you can get license plates renewed. Checks a certain number of safety items like brightness/alignment of lights, bakes, windshield wipers and pollution equipment function. I suspect the fenders and regular tires go back on for those. Unfortunately some are trying to convince the legislature that state inspection stickers are not necessary and only a money making thing. One reason? One guy said with a straight face “because cars are built so much safer now.” Right. And all those old cars, cars whose owners do no maintenance….we won’t even get into the NAFTA trucks from Mexico who are not held to US standards the rest of us are. Perhaps the police are too busy with serious crimes to write tickets for littering, too dark film on windows, cars with lights burned out, cracked wind shields – and stuff like they used to.
Always fun and games on the road. Thanks for mudding along
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I wouldn’t want to be driving behind one of those monster truck wheels in the best of times. Definitely wouldn’t want to be behind them on a muddy road! Love the Texas-shaped lazy river. 🙂
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It’s always worse on a Monday after a rainy weekend. Our neighbor has a towering Tundra with giant wheels, extra lights – it never gets anywhere near mud, but all his son’s friends and the neighborhood kids flock to it and beg to ride along to the grocery store – and maybe that’s Dad’s plan: keep the kids at his place where he came keep an eye on them. Do what you have to do? Thanks for floating a comment this way.
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I could live without the muddy trucks, but I love that swimming pool!
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Talk about elegance above and beyond. Thanks for adding a splashy comment
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That last vehicle looks like it has an underbite. The glass bottom pool would freak me out!
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You’re right…chrome car braces are probably an optional accessory (and an expensive one HAHA)
Glass bottom boats (mermaids or not) are less scary than glass bottom sky pool!
Thanks for splashing a comment this way (Hoppy Easter weekend!)
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It’s true about the boats. We live about an hour from The Lost Sea in Sweetwater, TN, and have ridden in the glass bottom boats in the cave lots of times.
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There used to be an early old fashioned amusement park call Aquarena Springs near San Marcos where they had glass bottom boats, and underwater shows with mermaids and Ralph the swimming pig. Mid 90’s is was purchased by a university – the springs and pool are critical habitat for a couple of species that are found no place else. They still have one of the old boats, but it’s an educational center/wetlands now. Do you think kids now would enjoy the tic tac toe playing chicken of the old place? They were really funny…and won an awful lot.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Meadows_Center_for_Water_and_the_Environment
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Yesterday a jacked-up truck pulled up beside me at the stoplight; I could have driven under his cab and he’d probably never know. They’re ugly and unnecessary on the highway, IMO.
As for the glass pool – NOPE!
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And it’s always fun to see one of the towering monster trucks gingerly sway as it turns a corner and note the ladder carried so the driver can get in and out. (I’ve seen girls trying to maneuver in evening gowns to get in the darn things…she didn’t look happy about it.) Extreme truck dreams for some….not really public road ready.
There’s a glass bottomed elevator up the side of one building downtown here – also a little unsettling.
Thanks for diving in with a comment.
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The glass bottom sky pool officially freaked me out if you are keeping score…
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I’m trying to convince my husband that we should go to the Grand Canyon either for our 23rd anniversary (May 26) or his 57th birthday (July 18). My ulterior motive is to get to the Sky Bridge. I’ll have to go on it by myself, though………….
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