November 30, 2012 - Historic Galveston, Part 2 (YRE)

More history from the Chamber of Commerce:

The Island was riding a tide of prosperity when a torrential hurricane hit on September 8, 1900. The swelling seas and high winds leveled many blocks and took over 6,000 lives. Despite the horrific loss, Islanders didn’t delay in rebuilding their Island and ensuring its protection from future storms.

Islanders approved a plan to build a 16-foot-high seawall along the beachfront. Behind the seawall, all structures including offices, homes and churches had to be raised to this new elevation. The structures were carefully raised and 25 million cubic yards of fill were pumped in.

The Seawall

Construction of the seawall and the grade raising were phenomenal feats of engineering and incredibly expensive even by today’s standards. The grade raising cost Galveston taxpayers and individual homeowners $8 million. The 10.4-mile seawall cost almost $14.5 million in 1904. The seawall is a symbol of the tenacity and spirit of Island residents.

In the beginning of the new century, Galveston’s premier status as the major seaport for the region diminished as Houston aggressively sought the rail and shipping businesses while Galveston still recovered from its tragedy.

The Strand took such a lashing that it did not recover for a number of years; however, nearly four decades ago, Galveston experienced a revival. The Strand National Historic Landmark District received national recognition for its restored Victorian architecture, and the district has set the standard for historical restoration in other communities. Millions of investment dollars have restored historical buildings for new uses and The Strand is once again a bustling center for retail, trade and visitor services.

While its port is still active, the Island’s economy has diversified by adding medical research, the insurance industry, education and tourism – giving the economy more stability and strength.
The tenacity of the Island residents, like their predecessors, has proven to be as strong today as it was in 1900. The Island was struck in September 2008 by Hurricane Ike and around 80 percent of the Island homes and buildings were affected by rising water and wind damage. Residents and business owners have rebuilt and are recovering.
Today, Galveston plays host to over seven million visitors a year. They are attracted to the same features that brought visitors 100 years ago – the Island’s natural beauty, first-class hotels and restaurants, the arts, cultural activities and recreational attractions. Major source: Bob’s Reader by Bob Nesbitt, Galveston historian

Our Visit

Arriving at Seawall Boulevard, we crossed over toward the beach and began walking along the seawall.  At one point we stopped to take pictures and I looked down at the sand and noticed a small watermelon growing between a small dune and the seawall.  After looking around a bit, I was able to spot a few more.  

Hotel Galvez

There was a nice souvenir shop on this stretch of the seawall.  We also walked past the historic Hotel Galvez.  This elegant Spanish Revival property was known as the "Queen of the Gulf" when it opened in 1911.

A few blocks later we turned onto 23rd Street for a long walk back across the island to the harbor side.  I found 23rd Street to be quite uninteresting and it had a lot of traffic.  I wonder if a more pleasant route could be found on 22nd or 24th Street.   

At 23rd and Broadway we arrived at the Galveston Island Visitors Center.  The Visitors Center was well-stocked with maps, brochures, self-guided tours, and historical information.  It would have been nice to find this at the beginning of our walk, rather than near the end.

Ashton Villa

Next to the Visitors Center is the Ashton Villa, a Victorian Italianate structure and one of the first brick buildings in Texas. Some say it is haunted.

General Granger

On June 19, 1865, Union General Gordon Granger and 2,000 federal troops arrived in Galveston to take possession of the state and enforce the emancipation of its slaves. While standing on the balcony of Ashton Villa, Granger read “General Order No. 3”, freeing all slaves. That day has since become known as Juneteenth and is now an official Texas holiday.

The Moody Mansion

Continuing down Broadway, we passed the Moody Mansion before heading back to 23rd Street (now called Tremont) to complete our walk in the downtown area. The Moody Mansion is a Richardsonian Romanesque structure now open to the public as a museum.  It is filled with the furnishings and personal effects of the Moody family.

Commercial building in Downtown Galveston

Walk Route: B

Walk Instructions: C+

We arrived and departed from Galveston via a bridge.  Next time I visit Galveston, I'd like to depart some other way.

November 30, 2012 - Historic Galveston, Part 1 (YRE)

On our way to Galveston "that song" started going through my head.  It took me three days to get rid of it.  (Did you know it's available as a ringtone for your cellphone?  You could do worse. . .) I guess I expected cowboys because of the song, so I was quite surprised to find a city that was once a leading  cultural, economic, and political center in Texas.

It is helpful to know a little about the rich history of Galveston in order to appreciate what there is to see there. The Galveston Chamber of Commerce does a better job than I could on the history of this interesting town, so I will borrow from their website:

A great part of Galveston’s appeal is its rich and exciting past. It gleams with the luster of antique silver rather than the gaudy chrome of some newer cities. First inhabited by Karankawa Indians in the 16th-century, the Island’s first noted visitor was Cabeza de Vaca, the Spanish explorer who landed here in 1528. French privateer Jean Lafitte made his home in Galveston in 1817 and made his living off of nearby Spanish merchant shipping. Rumors still are whispered of Lafitte’s treasure buried somewhere on the Island.

The first American colonists arrived in 1827. In 1836, the same year that Texas gained its independence from Mexico and became a republic, the City of Galveston was born. Canadian fur trader Michel B. Menard purchased seven square miles of land for $50,000. That land became the City of Galveston.

Over the years, the Island was battered by a number of tropical storms, yellow fever and the Civil War, but those adversities couldn’t slow Galveston’s growth. With its natural seaport leading to business opportunities in shipping, imports and rail, Galveston’s population boomed and the city thrived. In 1885, it was the largest and richest city in the state. In the late 1800s, The Strand was the banking, retail and shipping hub of the area, and was known throughout the country as the Wall Street of the Southwest.

Galveston also was the cultural center of the state. The Grand 1894 Opera House, now restored to the original vibrantly beautiful theatre of its opening year, hosted international stars Sarah Bernhardt, Paderewski and Anna Pavlova.

To illustrate its leadership role Texas's growth in the 19th-century, one need only look at Galveston’s list of firsts in Texas. Galvestonians can brag about having the first post office, naval base, hospital, grocery store, gaslights, telephone, opera house, medical college, golf course, public library, and the first chamber of commerce. It also is home to the state’s oldest daily newspaper, The Galveston County Daily News.

Our Visit

When we arrived in Galveston, there were "No Parking after 5 pm" signs everywhere downtown.   Little booths were being set up along the street to sell beer.  Restaurants and shops were setting out tubs of beer bottles on ice.  I wondered what big drunken fiesta would be taking place that night and was glad we would be missing it. When I found out that it was a going to be a family-oriented Dickens Festival, I realized I had misjudged Galveston.

 

Tree sculpture of Two Herons

Not long after leaving the downtown area, it became apparent that we would have the opportunity to see a number of tree sculptures along our route.  I had not taken a pamphlet about them from the start box because I really hadn't registered on my consciousness that this would be part of our walk and there were only a few pamphlets left.  However, the tree sculptures are mentioned in the walk instructions, so do read up on them before you start.  As luck would have it, near the start of our walk we passed by a house where a gentleman who was sitting on the front porch greeted us.  He seemed to be a one-man chamber of commerce and he ran inside his house and got a brochure about the tree sculptures and insisted that we take it.  The tree sculptures were created after Hurricane Ike (2008) devastated thousands of Galveston's trees.  Most of them are in the yards of homes.  Galveston residents worked to keep 100% of the "Iked" trees out of landfills. More than 100 tons of these trees were used in the restoration  of America's only remaining whaling ship.

We passed many charming Victorian houses, particularly in the Queen Anne style.  Most of these homes had historical plaques.  Some also had plaques showing the uncomfortably high high-water mark from Hurricane Ike. It is obvious that a great deal of love and pride has gone into the restoration and maintenance of these homes.

Close-up of plaque in photo above

The Trube Castle: "the strangest house in a city of strange houses"

"Old Red"

Upon reaching the campus of the University of Texas Medical Branch, we were treated to "Old Red," another one of those red stone Romanesque Revival buildings that seem to be so popular in Texas.

Sacred Heart

We continued past many more lovely houses to Broadway, where we stopped in our tracks by Sacred Heart Catholic Church.  This stunning white building has Moorish, Byzantine, Gothic and Romanesque elements.  I've never seen anything like it.

View from the back of Sacred Heart

Bishop's Palace

Across the street from the church is Bishop's Palace.  Now a museum, this French Gothic stone "chateau" is another Galveston treasure.

At this point we turned and headed across to the other side of the island and the Seawall.

To be continued . . .

November 29, 2012 - Historic Downtown Churches (YRE)

Starting at the Holiday Inn, we visited a number of churches and other historical sites in downtown San Antonio. Some of the churches were very nice, some did not seem particularly significant or old, some were ugly and uninteresting.

The Immaculate Heart of Mary

The first church was the Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church (Byzantine Romanesque, 1912). It is worth taking a look inside.

Couldn't help wondering about this place

Market Square

Next we went to Market Square. This is a historic area that is fun to visit. We were lured into the Mi Tierra Bakery for coffee and pastries. Yummm!

Mi Tierra - Outside

Mi Tierra - Inside

San Francesco Di Paola

Continuing on our way, we walked through a run-down area to see San Francesco Di Paola Catholic Church (1925), the historic home of the Italian Catholic community in San Antonio. It seemed like an unnecessary detour through a marginal part of downtown to see a church that was not very impressive. I would suggest eliminating this church from the route and finding something in a nicer part of town to substitute. If I had been walking alone, this section of the walk would have made me very uncomfortable. The streets were deserted except for homeless people.

 















Eventually we came to a striking "enchilada red" building. This fantastic "Mexican Modernist" structure turned out to be the San Antonio Central Library. Had I known that the centerpiece of the building was a two-story blown glass sculpture by Dale Chihuly, I would have gone inside to see it, but the walk instructions did not even mention the Library, and I did not find out about the sculpture until I consulted Wikipedia.

Part of the Municipal Auditorium

As we proceeded, we came to the Municipal Auditorium, which is going to be fabulous when the renovations are completed. Then we passed two war memorials which we had passed yesterday.







At this point, we reached a more central part of downtown where several historic churches were located close together. First, we passed St. Mark's Episcopal Church (Gothic Revival, completed 1875) where LBJ and Lady Bird were married. St. Mark's was designed by the nation's leading church architect, Richard Upjohn, in 1859. (By the way, none of this interesting information was provided in the walk instructions.)

First Presbyterian Church

Grace Lutheran

Next, we saw First Presbyterian Church (Gothic, completed 1910). Nearby was the First Church of Christ Scientist. It was a painfully ugly building, and I am not able to find any information as to why it ought to be considered historic.  Shortly thereafter we came to Grace Lutheran Church (completed 1929).

 

Scottish Rite Cathedral (photo by Leonard Pierce)

And then there was the Scottish Rite Cathedral. The Scottish Rite Cathedral, completed in 1924, is now a museum. This massive, monolithic structure looks more like a Federal Courthouse than a church. In fact, I'm not sure it should be considered a church.

 








 

Mission San Antonio de Valero (aka "The Alamo")

Next up, the Alamo. It counts as a church because it was, in fact, a mission.

 

St. Joseph's Catholic Church

Not far away, we arrived at St. Joseph's Catholic Church (1868). It was originally the German church. It's not much from the outside because it is surrounded by commercial development, but it's quite beautiful on the inside.

 
Continuing on, we came to the Convention Center and La Villita, both of which we saw on yesterday's walk. The Little Church of La Villita (1879) is now a popular site for weddings.


St. Mary's Catholic Church was founded in the 1850's for the English speaking population. The current Romanesque building was completed in 1924.

At Main Plaza we had a second chance to see a church we saw yesterday, the San Fernando Cathedral. The initial church was built between 1738 and 1750 by settlers from the Canary Islands. In 1868 the cathedral was substantially enlarged in the Gothic style. It claims the oldest cathedral sanctuary in the U.S.

A short walk along the River Walk finished our day's walk. We went back to Mi Tierra at the Market Square for a late lunch.

Walk Route: B-

Walk Instructions: C
Providing more historical information would have greatly improved our walking experience.

November 26, 2012 - Austin (YRE)

Starting at Extended Stay America in South Austin, we walked across the Congress Avenue Bridge. The views of the Austin skyline were wonderful. As we were crossing the bridge, I saw some turtles in the river. From March to November this bridge is the home of the largest urban bat colony in North America.

The Driskill

Upon reaching the other side of the river, we entered the historic Congress Avenue District. Almost every building had a historical plaque. The ones that didn't were either Art Deco classics or stunning modern skyscrapers. One of the most striking buildings was the Driskill Hotel, built in 1886. This opulent Romanesque edifice recalls the age of the Cattle Barons.

Almost since the beginning of the walk, the State Capitol building, located on a hilltop, was looming over us, and we finally approached it. First we stopped at the Capitol Visitor's Center in a building that was originally the General Land Office. We obtained printed guides to the Capitol Building and the Capitol Grounds and visited the gift shop.

The Capitol Building

Leaving the Visitor's Center, we headed toward the stately red granite Capitol. It was designed in the Italian Renaissance Revival style and its rotunda and dome resemble many other state capitol buildings. But the color of this building is unique and it is one of the more beautiful state capitols. If you look closely you will see six circles in the pediment. Each one represents one of the six flags that has flown over Texas.

The six flags: Spain, France, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederacy, the U.S.

Portraits of all the Governors of Texas hung inside the rotunda on four different levels. I was surprised to learn that the first woman Governor of Texas was Miriam "Ma" Ferguson from 1925 to 1927. Ma Ferguson married a lawyer, James Ferguson, when she was 24. James Ferguson, also known as "Pa" Ferguson served as Governor of Texas from 1915 to 1917. He was impeached, convicted, and removed from office. He was not allowed to hold state office in Texas again.

The Texas State History Museum

Ma Ferguson told voters she would follow the advice of her husband. During her first administration she averaged over 100 pardons a month, and accusations of both bribes and kickbacks overshadowed her term, resulting in unsuccessful attempts to impeach her. This led to her defeat in the primaries of both 1926 and 1930, but she was re-elected in 1932.

The nosebleed seats at UT Stadium

After the Capitol, our route passed the Texas State History Museum and the Blanton Museum of Art before reaching the campus of the University of Texas. Like much in Texas, UT Austin is super-sized, with over 50,000 students and 24,000 faculty and staff. We walked past a number of large academic buildings and then we passed the UT Stadium (capacity 100,119), Concert Hall and Performing Arts Center.

LBJ and me

The UT campus is also home to the LBJ Library and Museum. Unfortunately for us, the Library is in the middle of extensive renovations and most of the exhibits were closed. All we got to see was a replica of the Oval Office, the Presidential limousine, and two display cases containing Presidential gifts. I have it on good authority that there is a lot more to see at the LBJ Library, and I'm sorry I missed out.

The infamous Clock Tower

Our next destination was the UT Clock Tower, built by the WPA in 1937. Yes, it's THAT clock tower - the one where Charles Whitman barricaded himself in 1966 with rifles and a sawed-off shotgun and killed 14 people and wounded 32. Whitman terrorized the UT campus for nearly two hours until he was shot and killed by responding police officers.

After heading back toward the Capitol, we passed the Art Deco Federal Courthouse and arrived at the historic Bremond Block, a well-preserved Victorian neighborhood built between 1850 and 1898.

Next we were supposed to cross diagonally through Republic Square Park, but there were so many creepy homeless men there, we went around the park. We soon arrived in an area full of new high-rise residential buildings, restaurants and boutiques. The new City Hall is located here and has some terrific modern art pieces in the lobby. From here we returned to the start point via the South 1st Street Bridge.

Walk Route: A

Walk Instructions: B

November 28, 2012 - River Walk South (YRE)

We entered an amazing urban sanctuary across the street from the start point. I was immediately struck by how pleasant the River Walk was. There was a beautifully landscaped path on both sides of the river. There were flowers, green plants, and trees. There were benches all along the River Walk, many of them calling out, "Sit on me!" There were ducks and fish and even an egret. Each bridge was different and most of them had beautiful mosaics underneath. There were frequent access points to the River Walk - many of them leading straight from hotels. There were interpretive signs to explain the flood control project and various historical aspects of the River Walk. There were also a number of "Rio Taxi" stops.

On the River Walk near the start of the volkswalk

San Fernando Cathedral

When we reached the River Park, we took the steps up to the street level to visit the Main Plaza and the San Fernando Cathedral, which boasts the oldest cathedral sanctuary in the U.S. The original part of the church was built between 1738 and 1750. Jim Bowie was married there in 1831. Davy Crockett, William Travis, and Jim Bowie are buried there.

Bexar County Courthouse

Another noteworthy building in the Main Plaza area is the red sandstone Romanesque Revival Bexar County Courthouse (1892-1896).

Historic home in King William District

Back on the River Walk, we continued past the site of the San Antonio Arsenal to the Guenther Street Bridge. At this point we wandered into the King William Historic District, an elegant residential neighborhood created in the late 1800's.


Returning to the River Walk, we proceeded to River Bend. The River Bend is a horseshoe shaped loop of the river. This is the most developed section of the River Walk. At the curve of the bend we left the River Walk and entered La Villita, the oldest part of San Antonio. It is now home to art galleries and touristy shops.

Federal Courthouse

Our walk continued to HemisFair Park, a redeveloped area built to house the 1968 World's Fair. (When did they stop having World's Fairs?) At HemisFair Park you will find the Tower of the Americas (think Space Needle), the Institute of Texas Cultures, the Convention Center, historic buildings, and more. The unique round building that is occupied by the Federal Court House was originally the United States pavilion.

Back to the River Walk, past more hotels, and on to the River Center Mall. At the next bridge we exited the River Walk to the highlight of today's walk: the Alamo! I grew up watching The Davy Crockett Show on TV and watching Disney movies about Davy Crockett, so the Alamo was larger than life in my imagination. In reality, it's not that big. But it was still very cool.

Passing through the Hyatt lobby, we returned again to the River Walk and we came to the section with all the restaurants with seating on the edge of the water. When it gets chilly in the evening, some places provide provide blankets, others provide gas heaters. You can even get guacamole made tableside.

Our 11k walk ended after passing some war memorials and the Municipal Auditorium.

If you decide to do this walk, there are a few things you should know before you go. Fist, there is metered parking right near the start point at 25 cents an hour. Bring lots of quarters and park for at least 6 hours so you will have plenty of time to shop, eat and sightsee during your walk. Second, the part of the River Walk with all of the restaurants is after the Alamo. Don't give in and eat at the food court at the River Center Mall - hold out for a waterside table during the last part of the walk.

Walk Route: A+

Walk Instructions: B