Jen’s Journal – December 20, 2019

Day 174: Galveston Island State Park, TX

Looks like rain.

We had fun walking the streets of Galveston’s East End Historic District. We both had read a story many years ago about the raising of Galveston back in the early 1900s. It was an engineering story. After the hurricane of 1900, what was left of the city was raised onto stilts and a sand slurry was pumped under the buildings. It was a messy endeavor, but the next time a hurricane came through in 1915, Galveston fared a thousand times better.

So the EEHD consists of many “1900 Survivors” and many homes built since.

The most recent challenge was Hurricane Ike in 2008. Ike may have been worse than 1900 (The Great Storm) because many buildings have marking plaques showing the level the waters reached with Ike.

Galveston has many beautifully cared-for homes and many fixer-uppers. I think you might do well with a fixer-upper here, because this city has a marvelous resiliency and survival spirit. There is lots of building and rebuilding going on.

We went to see a movie about The Great Storm and get a bite to eat at the west side of the island, where the port is.

We met two women who work for Disney cruise lines. The work is very seasonal and they seemed to enjoy it as a retirement job. They handle passenger boarding. Both from Dallas, they had lots of tips for more to see in Texas. Very nice ladies.

The commercial and industrial buildings have a lot of character. Galveston is rich with character and history.

We have driven miles and miles in east Texas and the land is as flat and level as you’ve ever seen, with an elevation of 3. Except for the land at the Galveston seawall, which sits at around 20 now!