Galveston - 2023

It has been a very nice stay in Galveston.  We spent some time by the pool and did some exporing of Galveston.  Bill turned 60 while we were here!  

 The many, many fisherpeople standing in the water just past our complex a few feet out from the shore fascinated us.  It seemed like whenever we looked out - day OR night - there were at least 4 or 5 or as many as 20 there.  We never saw them moving thier arms as if they were pulling in a fish.  At times they were clearly tossing a net out but we had no idea why.  Were they collecting more bait?  Pulling in clams or shrimp?  It was very odd.  Especially because they seem to be there for hours and hours.  At night we could see flashnights so we knew they were still there.  We started calling them the water people.  There wasn't a day during our stay that we didn't see at least one - no matter the weater - out fishing.  We heard they were trying for redfish.  

We traveled to Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge.  It is supposed to be prime birding season but we only saw them in one area.   There were quite a few spoonbills which was fun and gators.   

We spent an afternoon exploring the craved trees in Galveston - that was fun to see.  Then on to Woody's Beach Bar for a big pretzel and some beach watching.   The Tall Ships are coming in this weekend so we got to see one approaching.  

We took the ferry over to Bolivar Peninsula.  It was fun to watch the birds and count all the dolphins. 

We decided to walk around the Hotel Galvez right on the waterfront.  It is a beautiful place and when it was built in 1911 for over $1 million it must have been mindblowing.  It is called the Queen of the Gulf and features speakeasy type rooms and bars.  The place was lovely but more interesting to us are the ghost stories.   

The first story is that the hotel is built over St. Mary's Orphan Aslym which was destroyed in the 1900 Hurricane.  At the time of the storm, the 10 nuns tied the 93 orphans together and to themselves with cords trying to save them.  Sadly only 3 survived.  The children's ghosts are sometimes heard at night running and laughing in the hallways and the beaches with the nuns following shusshing them.  Also on quiet nights at the nearby Walmart children's voices are heard laughing in the toy section.   

The second is a story of a bride to be.  In the 1950s Audra stayed in a room on the 5th floor of the hotel waiting for her fiancee who sailed out of the Port of Galveston.  While he was out at sea, a storm broke out and she was told the ship sank with no survivors.  In despair, she threw herself off the hotel's turret.  The story was not true and the man appeared at the hotel after her passing.  It is said the sad bride-to-be haunts the hotel and shows her unhappiness by blowing out candles whenever she finds them lit.  The hotel actually planned a reception for the public to celebrate their famous ghost. 

April 2023