Texas Seaport Museum

On a gorgeous sunny warm morning we headed back into Galveston to check out the Texas Seaport Museum located on Pier 21 at the harbour front. Our first thought is parking which can be a problem. This must have been our lucky day... got one. Next we had to decide on all that we wanted to see without getting to overwhelmed. Oh, don't forget about food. Where are we going for lunch? Luckily, a wonderful person at the museum made it all so easy for us. We decided on the 3 fer ticket. You get to tour the Elissa, entrance into the museum which included a video on the Elissa, and a one hour boat tour of the harbour all for 20 bucks. But that's not all. The lady at the museum also gave us a coupon for a free appetizer or dessert at the Fisherman's Wharf Restaurant which is right beside the museum. Our day is planned. Let's get started.

After Hurricane Ike, millions and millions of dollars went into the harbour front to revitalize it.








We started with the video on the Elissa. Who and what is the Elissa. Built in 1877 in Aberdeen, Scotland, the Elissa is a three-masked iron-hulled sailing ship. She carries 19 sails that cover almost a quarter acre of surface area. Tall ships are classified by their configuration of sailing rig, the Elissa is a "barque". She measures 205 ft from stern to tip of her jibboom and is 99 ft 9 inches tall at the main mast. The amazing part is the Elissa is not a replica but a fully restored fully functioning vessel.

After touring the Elissa we decided on some lunch. Our boat tour was at 1 pm, didn't want to go out into the harbour on an empty stomach. With the appetizer coupon in hand, the Fisherman's Wharf it is. We picked a seat down by the water, the view was fantastic. Lots of boat coming and going.

 






Dolphins are very smart. They swim behind the shrimp boat because the boat stirs up the bottom making an easy meal for the dolphins. We got so caught up in watching the boats coming and going we forgot to order. Down to business. We decided on the crab and cheese queso appetizer and a crab cake sandwich. It was soooooo good.

While having lunch there was a couple of young ladies working on the Elissa's rigging. That would be a cool job.

Lunchtime is over, its boat tour time. I thought they said this was the tour boat.

Not this one either. It's suppose to be a one hour tour not three hours on the SS Minnow.

Back to reality. There were only 12 people on the tour including the Captain and his mate. Once the Captain gave us all the safety stuff we were off. Susan and I chose to go up top. We were the only ones up there for the whole tour.

Our boat

Our Captain and Susan just 
hanging out

As we travelled out the channel toward Galveston Bay, the Captain explained all the things we were seeing. These smaller shrimp boats stay in the channels.

The larger ones like the one we passed go out into the gulf to catch the large jumbo shrimp.

Opening in 1891, the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) is one of the economic backbones behind the rebuilding of Galveston. The schools focus is on medicine, nursing, health professionals, and graduate biomedical sciences. With a view of the harbour, I would have spent most of my time looking out the window during nurses training.

Next we passed Seawolf Park which is located on Pelican Island. The park was built on the site of one of United States' largest 19th and 20th century immigration stations. Between 1835 and 1935 more than 200,000 immigrants from all over the world entered the US via Galveston. Now it's home to two World War II vessels, the submarine USS Cavalla and the destroyer escort USS Stewart. Both can be toured inside and out.

As I was photographing Seawolf Park a Pilot boat went by. I have seen many of these boats in the past. Not knowing what they are, I placed that one in the back of my brain to ask when the tour ends.

As we moved out into the shipping channel the water got a little rougher but not bad at all. You can see the ships in the distance either waiting to come into the channel or anchored out there waiting for cargo.

Sitting in Galveston Bay is the SS Selma. Some say it's an eye sore others say it's part of Galveston history either way it's there.How did it get there? Well, first of all the SS Selma is a 7500 ton reinforced concrete tanker built in Mobile Alabama in 1919. Steel was in short supply during the war effort so studies showed that concrete could work. In 1920 she ran aground in Mexico, creating a large hole in her hull. She was towed to Galveston for repairs. Unable to repair the vessel, in 1922 she was scuttled just offshore of Pelican Island.

This was the furthest we dared to go out into the shipping channel. As we turned to head home, a monster ship was bearing down on us. OMG! Now remember that pilot boat I was talking about earlier. Well large vessels have to be piloted by a local Captain. So these pilot boats take a Captain out to the arriving vessel and the local Captain steers it into harbour.

This large ship is called a RoRo which means roll on/roll off. They transport large vehicles like cranes, bulldozers, etc. around the world. Cargo ships are not the only vessels that dock in Galveston, cruise vessels make frequent appearances. It just so happened that Disney was in town.

Back on land we decided to finish our day with the museum. It's not large so half hour later we were on our way home. There was a couple of interesting things. Cotton was the source of Galveston's wealth. By 1911, Galveston exported more cotton than any other American port.

Before the days of two-way radio, ships communicated with each other by way of a series of flags. Each flag has a specific name and meaning. When a ship needed a pilot they would raise the blue and yellow flag representing the letter G.

Our time here in Galveston is coming to an end. I have only touched on a few of the wonderful things to see and do. The boat tour is a must.