After bidding farewell to San Antonio we set off for Galveston. Of course this was not done before we found a couple of breakfast Burritos and a Starbucks. Now having fueled us and the Santa Fe we went east on I-10 toward Houston. As soon as we left the Chevron station we ran into typical Oregon January weather, and it rained on and off most of the way. Arriving in Houston we found a larger version of Olympia to Seattle. Going through midday Friday we found another major American city with it's freeways under renovation. Of course that meant slow traffic going through a city of over 2 million people, so we got to flashback to our previous lives heading down I-5 during our working days.
First couple of stops were for food and room. We ate at a marvelous restaurant called Gaidos on Seawall Blvd. Some of the best seafood we have ever had.
Galveston is an island south and slightly east of Houston that separates Galveston Bay from the Gulf of Mexico. It has had a storied past in it's various occupations. One of those is by the famous pirate Jean Lafitte. Even though he and his men helped the army of Andrew Jackson sway the Battle of New Orleans in favor of the US he was still vilified later for his plundering of Spanish ships and his part in the slave trade. His men would plunder Spanish slave ships and take the slaves to New Orleans to sell them in the markets. Since he commanded a force of several hundred men and as many as 11 ships he could not always control what ships were attacked. Occasionally ships under his flag would attack American merchant ships and that is what caused him to be evicted from Galveston Island.
After his departure men of commerce saw the potential of the island as a seaport and the American migration to Galveston was begun. It became the leading Texas seaport and a quite a wealthy and cosmopolitan city. The presentation we saw last night showed slides of the old Victorian buildings that made up the town. Unfortunately in 1900 the "Great Storm" struck. With 100+ mile per hour winds and 15+ foot tidal surges the main part of the city was wiped out and 6000 people lost their lives. Amazingly the city recovered, raised a seawall around it and filled in the land to elevate the city as many as 17' higher than it was. It has not been spared damage from later hurricanes, but it still stands. The latest belt was from Rita in 2005.
Galveston is an island south and slightly east of Houston that separates Galveston Bay from the Gulf of Mexico. It has had a storied past in it's various occupations. One of those is by the famous pirate Jean Lafitte. Even though he and his men helped the army of Andrew Jackson sway the Battle of New Orleans in favor of the US he was still vilified later for his plundering of Spanish ships and his part in the slave trade. His men would plunder Spanish slave ships and take the slaves to New Orleans to sell them in the markets. Since he commanded a force of several hundred men and as many as 11 ships he could not always control what ships were attacked. Occasionally ships under his flag would attack American merchant ships and that is what caused him to be evicted from Galveston Island.
After his departure men of commerce saw the potential of the island as a seaport and the American migration to Galveston was begun. It became the leading Texas seaport and a quite a wealthy and cosmopolitan city. The presentation we saw last night showed slides of the old Victorian buildings that made up the town. Unfortunately in 1900 the "Great Storm" struck. With 100+ mile per hour winds and 15+ foot tidal surges the main part of the city was wiped out and 6000 people lost their lives. Amazingly the city recovered, raised a seawall around it and filled in the land to elevate the city as many as 17' higher than it was. It has not been spared damage from later hurricanes, but it still stands. The latest belt was from Rita in 2005.
We are staying in the Baymont Hotel, a place that has rebuilt and is offering reduced rates to try and attract business back.
It apparently worked because we got one of the last two rooms left yesterday, and that for only one night. There is a National cheerleading competition and town and our hotel is full of giggling teenage girls. After being semi-empty nesters it sounded kind of nice to have kids sround again. We knew we were officially in the south when we asked when of them a question and she replied, "yes sir" in a beautiful southern drawl.
We have found this little island another place to return to when we have more time. Need to get ready to hit the road again to head for Louisiana and visit Connie's aunt and uncle, a retired A/G minister. Pictures coming later.
It apparently worked because we got one of the last two rooms left yesterday, and that for only one night. There is a National cheerleading competition and town and our hotel is full of giggling teenage girls. After being semi-empty nesters it sounded kind of nice to have kids sround again. We knew we were officially in the south when we asked when of them a question and she replied, "yes sir" in a beautiful southern drawl.We have found this little island another place to return to when we have more time. Need to get ready to hit the road again to head for Louisiana and visit Connie's aunt and uncle, a retired A/G minister. Pictures coming later.
1 comment:
Oh man I really miss you guys!
Fast ends tomorrow...but I am really not that excited for food.
I am glad you are having a great time on the road. Looking forward to reading more and seeing more fun pics. It is almost like a walk down memory lane for me with some of your stops for the year where I went across country in a bus.
Stay safe.
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