Mark Johnson [email protected] www.tjmjtravels.com 936-433-6021 GALVESTON, TX OVERVIEW Introduction Galveston, Texas, is a charming, slow-paced island city along the Gulf of Mexico. A popular Texas tourism destination, Galveston is home to lots of lovely beaches, restored 19th-century storefronts and fancy Victorian mansions. Galveston has approximately 1,500 landmarks listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The commercial buildings in Galveston's Strand National Historic Landmark District, now commonly called the Historic Downtown Shopping District, are among the finest collections of Victorian iron-front architecture in the U.S. This area houses boutiques, bars, restaurants and galleries. It's also the site of major entertainment festivals such as Mardi Gras (February or March) and Dickens on the Strand (December). The nearby revitalized Postoffice Street Arts and Entertainment District, considered part of Galveston's Historic Downtown Shopping District, is home to Gallery Row and its art galleries. For these reasons, Galveston attracts thousands of visitors who find that a stroll downtown can be just as pleasant as a walk on one of its beaches. Sights—Bishop's Palace, one of the country's most exquisite architectural landmarks; the downtown historic Strand district. Museums—Vintage aircraft at the Lone Star Flight Museum and the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame; the 1877 tall ship Elissa, located next to the Texas Seaport Museum. Memorable Meals—The Gulf snapper at Gaido's; juicy Texas bone-in rib eye from The Steakhouse at the San Luis Resort. Late Night—Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe, a funky Texas acoustic music bar. Walks—A romantic stroll along Galveston's 10-mi-/16-km-long Seawall. Especially for Kids—Moody Gardens with its huge aquarium, indoor rain forest and outer-space exhibits; a day at the beach, especially along Seawall Boulevard and Stewart Beach. The city of Galveston (about 50 mi/80 km southeast of Houston on Interstate 45) sits on the northeastern tip of a barrier island called Galveston Island and is separated from mainland Texas by Galveston Bay. The city's southern shore is lapped (and occasionally lashed) by the Gulf of Mexico. The city is connected to the mainland by a multilane causeway at the southern tip of I-45. Daily ferry service also connects the island's east end to the Bolivar Peninsula and Highway 87. Once visitors cross the causeway, I-45 turns into Broadway Avenue, one of the city's two main thoroughfares, which crosses the center of the island in an east-west direction. To the south is Seawall Boulevard, which follows the Seawall and the beach. Cruise passengers going to the island take the Harborside Drive Exit (the first exit after crossing the causeway) to get to the Port of Galveston. The history of Galveston has been largely shaped by its proximity to the Gulf of Mexico. Most of the evidence of Galveston's early inhabitants has been washed away by hurricanes. It is known, however, that the Akokisa hunted, fished and camped in the area and were there when Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca was shipwrecked in 1528. In the late 1600s, Galveston was claimed for France and named St. Louis by French explorer Robert Cavelier La Salle. The Spanish returned in the mid-18th century and built a presidio, which they named Galveztown for the Spanish governor of nearby Louisiana, Bernardo de Galvez. (The spelling later evolved into Galveston.) Spain's relations with France disintegrated, and the Spanish left the island to the French. When the French gave up their U.S. colonies, they turned Galveston over to Mexican revolutionaries, who stayed until pirate Jean Lafitte made the island the base of his operations beginning in 1817. After attacking an American ship in 1821, Lafitte was forced to abandon the island, but only after he threw a big party and burned his settlement. Some claim he left behind buried treasure, but it has never been found. In the late 1830s, the colony joined Texas in its revolution against Mexico. Once Texas won its independence in 1836, Galveston became a major port and was incorporated as a city in 1839. During the Civil War, Union troops captured the port, but the Confederates reclaimed it near the end of the war. By the late 1800s, Galveston was the third-largest port in the U.S. and a major international business and banking center. Strand Street, its main thoroughfare at the time, was known as the Wall Street of the South. Then disaster struck. On 8 September 1900, the city was lashed by a hurricane—still the most devastating natural disaster in U.S. history. The low- lying barrier island was swept by winds estimated at 140 mph/225 kph and a storm surge of nearly 16 ft/5 m. When the hurricane—known to locals as the 1900 Storm—was over, more than 6,000 people had died, the port had been wiped out and 3,600 buildings had been destroyed. To prevent such destruction in the future, a 4-mi-/6-km-long seawall was erected and, using sand dredged from surrounding waterways, much of the island's grade was raised from 6 ft/2 m to almost 18 ft/5 m above sea level. Another hurricane in 1915, almost as fierce, tested the seawall, and it held. Today, the seawall stretches 10 mi/16 km and is 16-20 ft/5-6 m high. The fear of another catastrophe and neighboring Houston's growing importance led to the dredging of a ship channel between Houston and Trinity Bay, helping to make the larger city the new economic hub of the state. Through the 1920s-50s, Galveston survived as a resort town, with dinner clubs and casinos drawing top-name entertainers and attracting people from around the world before the Texas Rangers shut down a number of illegal activities in 1957. The city's fortunes declined again until the late 1960s, when it was rediscovered as a beach retreat. Unlike many cities where progress resulted in the leveling of entire inner-city neighborhoods, Galveston's slow-moving economy allowed its lovely turn-of-the-century structures to be ignored, but not destroyed. When preservationists became interested in Galveston, they discovered some of the finest examples of Victorian architecture in the U.S. The subsequent restoration effort increased starting in 2000 and sparked an unheralded construction boom as more and more major investors recognized the island as a major tourist destination. In September 2008, Hurricane Ike caused massive destruction in Galveston and throughout southeast Texas. The 12-ft/4-m storm surge erased large swaths of beach on the island's west end, pulled homes from their pilings and flooded the first floors of elegant Victorian mansions, museums and stores in the historical downtown district. New hotels were built along the tourist district and others were completely refurbished, once again proving the Texas-sized strength and resilience of this pretty seaside town. Location Galveston is a destination port, with two cruise lines offering weekly departures for cruises to Mexico, and various points in the Caribbean and Florida. Cruise ships dock at Pier 25 and Pier 27, which are located along Harborside Drive between 22nd and 25th streets. You'll find a choice of two port-operated parking lots on Harborside Drive at 33rd Street (drop off your bags first, then park and let a shuttle take you to the terminal) or privately operated lots nearby (directions and reservations available by calling Lighthouse Parking, phone 409-750-0175). Shuttles are available to take you from the lots to the terminal. Rates start at US$10 a day. The Port of Galveston also allows cruise passengers to reserve a prepaid parking spot. Phone 409-766-6100. http://www.portofgalveston.com. Cruise passengers whose ships leave from Galveston may fly into one of Houston's two airports. (Galveston's local airport is not serviced by commercial passenger airlines.) The closest Houston airport is William P. Hobby Airport (HOU), about 45 mi/72 km north on I-45. The other large airport is George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH), about 65 mi/105 km from Galveston. Cruise ships often provide airport-to-port transportation; check with your travel agent. If you arrive early or are making your own arrangements, Galveston Limousine provides transportation between Houston's airports and Galveston's port and hotels. Expect to pay US$45 one way from Hobby and US$55 one way from Bush Intercontinental. Phone 409-744-5466. Toll-free 800-640- 4826. http://www.galvestonlimousineservice.com. Available shore excursions include, but are not limited to, snorkeling and scuba diving, kayaking, horseback riding, historical city tours, helicopter tours and ziplining. Potpourri Galveston is sometimes called Oleander City. It's a well-deserved nickname—the city boasts more than 60 varieties of the flowering shrub that were transplanted to the island from Jamaica in 1841. After the devastating 1900 Storm, original oleander plant cuttings survived and propagated when much of the island was completely replanted with vegetation. Galveston Island was second only to Ellis Island as a port of entry for immigrants. Most came from Europe, particularly Germany and what is now the Czech Republic. In the mid-19th century, Galveston was known as the Wall Street of the South, and its people loved their lavish lifestyles. In 1858 alone, residents purchased a total of 800 gallons of brandy, 3,600 gallons of French wine and 23 grand pianos. The Galveston County Daily News is the oldest continuously published newspaper in Texas, first published on 11 April 1842. Painted on the Seawall, the SEE-wall Mural is thought to be the longest mural in the world (14,760 ft/4,576 m).