RIDING THE DUCKS IS A GREAT WAY TO SEE THE SIGHTS

By Harold Merton

Scope photos by Harold Merton

A familiar sight in a number of major tourist cities these days is a
remnant of the Second World War.

Amphibious landing craft provided a very important service by getting the soldiers onto the beaches in the early 1940s but the vehicles' lives did not end there.

A number of the antique vehicles have been restored and converted into tour buses and now take passengers on both a land and on the water.

Commonly called the "Ducks" a nickname given them during the war because it was similar to their official army designation, these vehicles attract a lot of attention in tourist cities and make idea vehicles to see the sights because of their height and their ability to drive right into the water.

 

When we visited Galveston there they were sitting on the beach by the
curb. They offered a tour of the city and the adjacent waters so we decided to Ride The Ducks again. We had previously had tours in these vehicles in Hot Springs, Arkansas and Branson, Missouri and looked forward to revisiting them.

Our friends the Terraults from Montreal were with us an it was the last
day before they had to head home for a family gathering so we all climbed on board for the trip through town.

The vehicles are quite tall so you need a staircase to climb up into the
vehicle. Marcelle clowned it up a bit as she headed up the stairs so that
Elizabeth could make a picture.

We enjoyed the trip down the road by the beach and into the traffic of the city. In a few minutes the vehicle headed to a boat launch area and gracefully slipped into the waters of the bayou. It puttered about for nearly a half-hour while the guide pointed out local landmarks including the three pyramids that make up Moody Gardens, a rainforest, aquarium and an exploration museum.

In a few minutes we noticed that it was heading right past the RV park where we were both camped. Near our park another boat ramp allowed the vehicle to climb back up on the road and continue on our way.

The sun was setting during our water trip and the shadows were very strong but being squinty or not we were able to see the sights in a very
interesting way.

If you are in Galveston or any other area that has these vehicle try them
out! It is a very interesting ride.