Runaway to Galveston

Weekend before the last we slipped away without telling anyone to Galveston Island for Sunday and Monday. This is about a 2 hour trip for us so easily accessible for a weekend.
We went without our usual plans and reservations. We did call our favorite B & B, Grace Manor but she was filled up so we just went on in hopes of finding a nice place to stay.

This above is Grace Manor. The proprietor is Barb and she serves the best breakfast ever!!!
However as I said this time there was not a room available. So we went and walked on the
beach and had decided if there was nothing available we would simply drive back home.
Now if you know me, I am not that kind of traveler. I want to know where I will lie my head
at night and I love the whole B & B experience which is usually what we choose.

 When we arrived we checked out some local places and decided finally on a Condo where they also rent. Our accomodations there were just what I needed.  I had told James I needed to hear the ocean and especially in the early morning when I woke. This is exactly what we had. I was pretty stressed out and this escape was just what I had asked for. 

Later we drove around looking at the antique houses and what work had been done since our last visit to recover after Hurricane Ike. House below was just right for me to move into. I love old houses and have lived in 2 during my adult life. One in Jacksonville Fl. and another here in Huntsville in earlier years. Both were much like this type house and period. The first was even painted blue and white as this one below.

I could ride for hours around Galveston seeing and loving the architecture. James is pretty patient and stopped for me to take all the pictures. We did not revisit many we had seen earlier.
                                                               Here are a few of those I was able to take.

                                                    There are blocks and blocks of these old Victorian  houses. Many survived the first big hurricane in 1901.  Most survived the latest one Ike. There was lots of damage but most of that was from the backwater that went around into the Bay and flooded the area.

I will let you look at them before I comment further.  Some were back to normal and others still waiting for repair.
Most of their century old Live oak trees did not make it after Ike and had to be removed. This is what seemed so different about Galveston. Very few of the beautiful old trees reaching out across the streets. I missed them. People are replanting but the new ones are babies. Many of the yards looked bare.

Here you can see the street of old houses with the largest and only tall building on the island.


I have to say again how much I love these old Victorians.


Next we headed to my favorite antique store on the island:
Antiques Warehouse. It is located on Postoffice Street
in a 1913 Brothel. There are so many architectural antiques here that it is worth a trip to see this.  I always buy antique 1800's shutters here. I did so again this time. My customers cannot get enough of these.
We are regulars here with our yearly visits to the island. They recognize us now.

The next morning we had breakfast at IHOP and ran into the owner of the antiques shop who very kindly bought our breakfast. We did not know until we were ready to pay as he had been leaving when we ran into him. What a nice man!!!

Later we ran by Moody Gardens and it was basically still closed for the winter with not much going on but next trip we will go by again to see what IMAX shows they are playing.




Our next place was a visit to the Cemetery. This was wonderful to see all the old tombstones and statues and mausoleums there.

THE END.( a peaceful ending to a wonderful little escape to recover from too much stress)
Lois