Texas: We're Here

As we left the banks of the Mississippi River the sun was shining and the day was getting warm. It's going to be a nice drive, no major highways for the first few hours. Sometimes it's not about how fast you get there its enjoying how you get there. With a quick one night stop over in Beaumont we were off the next morning to Galveston, TX.

There are so many wonderful things to see and do in the Galveston area that our month long stay here will not be boring. A few days after arriving we started hearing weather reports about nasty weather coming our way. Our first Texas Gulf Coast storm has hit. Tornadoes reported near Houston with heavy rains and very damaging winds. I'm use to heavy rain, damaging winds, lightening, and the occasional tornado but what I'm not use to is the Gulf water looking to come across the highway toward the campground. We are about 1000 ft from the Gulf water and behind us is the intercoastal waterway. And yes we are only 1 foot, that's 12 inches, or one little ruler above sea level. After it was over all I could say was we survived so I can write another blog. Were we afraid, not really just concerned. I didn't like the idea of our new rig floating over to Florida via way of the Gulf.

The city of Galveston is situated on Galveston Island, a barrier island along the Texas Gulf Coast known to be constantly influenced by weather and water. It sits approximately 45 miles from downtown Houston.

The first Europeans landed on Galveston Island as far back as 1528 a place where the Akokisa and Karankawa Indians called home. During the charting of the Gulf of Mexico, Spanish explorer Jose de Evia named the island Galveztown after Bernardo do Galvez a Spanish colonial governor. In 1817 the pirate Jean Lafitte established a colony on Galveston Island of over 1,000 people naming it Campeche. He was eventually forced from the island burning all he left behind.

By 1839 the incorporated town of Galveston had grown quickly. The sophisticated town opened the first state post office, the first hospital, the first golf course, and so on. Between 1865 and 1924 the Port of Galveston opened it's doors to more than 200,000 immigrants from Germany, Italy, and Greece. However, on the fateful day of September 8, 1900 a devastating hurricane hit Galveston causing massive destruction. With over 6,000 lives lost it is considered to be the most deadliest natural disaster in US history. The towns people that survived were determined to prevent a similar fate if another hurricane hit. Therefore, they raised the entire town by eight feet and created a 17 foot high seawall slanting the land so it would drain into the bay.

A 10 ft bronze statue stand atop the Seawall. It was dedicated in memory of the people who lost their lives during the hurricane of  September 8, 1900. The statue portrays a family: father, mother, and child clinging together. During the dedication ceremony names of victims were placed in a vault under the sculpture.

Imagine streets lined with live oaks creating a canopy that light could barely sneak through. That was the East End of Galveston prior to Hurricane Ike. On September 13, 2008 Galveston took a direct hit causing a tidal surge that covered most of the island. In it's wake the street lined tree canopies were gone. But where there was destruction, a group of homeowners saw a chance for rejuvenation. Tree sculptures have replaced the majestic oaks that once lined the streets and shaded homes.

We found the Tin Man and Toto on the front lawn of this beautiful home. As the story goes one of the directors from the movie "The Wizard Of Oz" was born in the front downstairs bedroom of this house. 

The homeowners of this home own a beautiful gentle grey Great Dane named Hunter. The oak tree had grown around the fence at the spot where the paws grip the fence.

The area hardest hit by Hurricane Ike was the East End Historical District. Many of the beautiful homes survived the destruction. This area reminded us of Charleston, SC and Savannah, GA.

As we drove around and walked from one sculputure to the next we could not imagine how destructive the hurricane was. Then we come across a house that has not been touched.

The sculptures only represent a small portion of the trees that were destroyed. After the storm Galveston ensured that 100% of the destroyed trees did not go into the land fill rather be used in recycling projects. More than 100 tons of Galveston trees went to restore America's only remaining whaling ship. Another 200 tons went to Malaga, Spain for the restoration of the Brig "Galveztown". So, not all was wasted.