Victorian flare, lazy sea breeze, pirate lore and remnants of cantankerous mother nature. This is our trip to historic Galveston, Texas.
We began our visit at the Bishop's Palace. The Bishop's Palace was not actually built by a bishop, but by Colonel Walter Gresham and his wife in 1892. Architectural historians list the Bishop's Palace as one of the most significant of Victorian history in the country. In the Great Storm of 1900, it is said that the Colonels's wife opened the doors to more than 200 people to live in for several weeks. After Colonel's Gresham's death, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Galveston purchased the stone house and it served as a home to a Bishop as well as several other priests and visiting dignitaries.
Viewing the palace from the street was intimidating and even the camera was unable capture the massive structure of 32 rooms, including a chapel and a solarium.
The banisters were hand carved and were low in comparison to banisters we see today. I asked the tour guide about this and she stated the style was for the banisters to be low and the people were not so much shorter than we are today.
Oscar, the lion protecting the gate to the palace, actually lost his brother Zeke in 2008 to a thief in the night. He was miraculously returned in December 2010 and now lives inside the palace. Unfortunately, we were unable to take photos inside the palace.
Across the street is the Sacred Heart Church and it is a wonderful example of the European influence in the beginnings of Galveston. The original church was built in 1884 and destroyed by the 1900 storm. In 1903, the building of the new church began and it was completed in 1904.
At the top of the dome of the church, there was a beautiful carving of Jesus holding a cross. The structure of Jesus is so detailed with the flowing robes and even the curls of his beard, and it made me wonder about the painstaking work that the artist poured into this piece.
Moving through the East End Historic District of Galveston, we came across the Durst house. This house to me was so awe inspiring with the magnificent but weathered appearance. Even the wrought iron fence surrounding the property showed signs of being pummeled by mother nature over the years.
Throughout Galveston, we saw homeowners made many customizations to their homes. The one I enjoyed the most was the tiled outdoor sidewalk. Seeing the fence and the tiles showing their age just adds all of the character that make Galveston special to us, and to the state's history.
I couldn't ignore the intricately carved-columns adorned the front porch of this home. It never ceases to amaze me how much detail and thought that went into these homes.
It was hard to tell if someone was living in the home, but to be safe, we did not dare enter. However, in the backyard of the home, there was a courtyard of stone and of course, a winged lion guarding a pond. I wondered about the meaning of the winged lion and learned that it is a symbol of valor, strength and royalty.
I found some flowers along a white fence, and the garden was so well kept I couldn't just pass it up. I loved the periwinkles of many colors flourishing in this exceptional drought and admired the much needed color.
No flower makes me as happy as yellow flowers. These flowers, found outside the Durst house, added warmth to the yard.
Pigeons have always been amusing. I don't know why they were sitting on the roof, but it was funny.
This fence reminded me of New Orleans with its simple yet intricate curls and flowers.
After Hurricane Ike, Galveston lost somewhere around 40,000 trees, which changed the entire landscape of the island. For some in the East End Historic District, the trees were too important to lose entirely.
This was one of the more adorable tree sculptures, a humorously-dressed great dane. The paws on the fence are not by accident. That was where the tree had grown around the fence. This dog really made me smile. The artist did a great job of creating an emotion in the face. The dog looked curious.
Snoopy had thought that his one would really make me happy and I was excited to see that the angel is cradling a rabbit. The owner dubbed this the "bunny sanctuary."
This is the memorial acts as somber gravestone remembrance to the destroyed trees. The island looked naked without their oak trees, which had been growing for over a hundred years.
A lighter tree sculpture was of this dog that made me think of Gunner.
This tree sculpture was fascinating because the sculpture is in remembrance of one of the Wizard of Oz directors, who was born in the home. I found it symbolic that the Tin Man was chosen since he was missing his heart. This might not have been the meaning, but it was my thought about anyway.
This owner had multiple tree sculptures in their yard, but this was the only one that I could capture. This sculpture of a squirrel holding his acorn is very symbolic because a live oak cannot produce an acorn until it reaches 100 years old.
Snoopy said that this tree sculpture would be near and dear to my heart, and he was right. I love toads although I am not sure why.
No trip to Galveston would be complete without at least a glimpse of the water and the feeling of toes in the sand. I was not the first one to touch this spot, the seagulls left their mark first.
No matter where I go, the wildlife catches my attention almost immediately. Watching their activity and patterns of movement is entertaining and intriguing. It is also interesting to observe the behavior based on their surroundings. This seagull seemed to have no worry about the wave heading his way.
This very small bird, also seemed to be carefree despite the wave headed his way. He was focused on his mission.
The sound of the waves and the breeze in my hair was very refreshing. The water felt so cool on my bare feet and the sand felt soft between my toes.
As we were leaving the beach, we were haggled by a gang of seagulls.
This picture came as a surprise, but while driving home, we found an old beat up ford pick up truck with three labradoodles in the bed. I couldn't stand it and had to get a shot. These pups were so happy and wagging their tails, taking in the trip with their tongues hanging from their open mouths and the wind blowing their hair and ears.
