Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Back to Reality


We pulled into Chandra's yesterday evening, around seven.

I got here about dark-thirty, and glad to be home. Of course, it took me a long time to get to sleep, thanks to the gallons of coffee I drank while screaming down 290 like a bat out of hell.

This trip has reminded me of a couple of things about the beach:

a) Sand sticks to everything,

b) Especially sunscreen.

It's just over 200 miles from Austin to Galveston. I don't know why I don't go more often. As long as I can go through Houston at some time other than rush hour, I'm fine with the drive.

Galveston is still Galveston, in spite of the scars.

Seawolf Park was open, but the park building that housed gift shop, concessions and rest rooms is a huge mess, and the Stewart and Cavalla are closed until FEMA releases them (I wish there was something on their website about that). The state park at the other end of the island was closed, too. As you can see from the picture, there are landmarks that will probably never be the same.

It was sad to see people's household possessions still lying in heaps alongside the road...a ceiling fan here, a motorbike there...but Galveston always survives. The restaurants along Seawall Blvd were doing a booming business on the weekend, and a good time was being had by all.

Especially us.

4 comments:

  1. Out from lurking to say:

    I'm glad to hear the town is still there. There was 27 hr a day coverage during the storm...but afterward......nothing.
    It makes me wonder...

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  2. Looks like Bosnia in the 90's.

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  3. Parts of it look pretty bad, but there are ranks of new condos going up everywhere. I will write more later. I did not take many pictures of anything but Aidan, because he's what the trip was about, but I have some of the building at Seawolf Park.

    I'll write some more about it after work.

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  4. Awww, my parent's stayed at the Flagship on the night of their wedding.

    How sad.

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