Exploring Galveston . . .


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North America » United States » Texas » Galveston
October 22nd 2009
Published: October 23rd 2009
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For the most part, things are pretty much back to “normal”, or as normal as it gets on ships.

Our first cruise out of dry dock has come to an end. Today we’re in Galveston, our home port, disembarking and embarking guests. This morning we had our Coast Guard inspection, which can often be a very long and hot and frustrating drill. But it wasn’t too bad, we were done in half an hour. And then, I was able to get off the ship!

I only had a couple hours, so not much time to do anything too huge. But I hadn’t spent any time in Galveston yet, so I was happy to just wander around.

I don’t know a whole lot about Texas. Most of my images of Texas are based from the TV show Dallas that I watched with my mom growing up. The rest are from random glimpses on TV or from the few people I know from the state. I really know almost nothing about Galveston - all that I know is from the cruise ship travel guide that I own and the three pages it dedicates to the city. There was a lot
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I loved the architecture of this church!
about it that didn’t make sense to me. I seemed to be walking around a business area - lots of banks and office buildings and shops - but the streets were nearly empty. I kept double checking in my head that it is indeed a business day. Where was all the people? I love the architecture, all the old historic buildings. But the few homes I saw were puzzling to me - they looked like the big old homes I saw in New Orleans, something I hadn’t expected to find here. Then there were the palm trees, that well, I just didn’t associate with Texas. About the only thing that fit with what I was expecting to see were the high percentage of trucks and SUVs in the parking lots!

But my confusion aside, I really enjoyed Galveston. Again, the architecture is great. I love cities that have history and embrace it. There are historical signs and plaques all along the streets. There are lots of little galleries and antique shops. I found a small theatre. I explored a great used bookstore. There were lots of cute shops and great looking restaurants and bars. I found an old fashioned confectionary with a huge display of fancy chocolates and homemade ice cream. (That place will be trouble!) There’s an adorable diner like restaurant that is in an old drug store.

And then I passed by a café with crew members inside on their laptops - a sure sign of internet. So I got a fresh fruit smoothie and enjoyed a bit of time with some super fast internet access.

All in all, I’m a fan of Galveston.


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23rd October 2009

Used book stores and those fancy stools at the pharmacy sound great to me. Enjoy!
23rd October 2009

Great!
Thanks for he entertainment! I love the pics!

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