Stewart Beach

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Stewart Beach is Galveston’s premier family beach park. It is located where historic Broadway Avenue meets The Seawall.

Stewart Beach, like most places in Galveston, has a rich history that is wroth noting.

In the late 1930s, Galveston’s Mayor Brantley Harris was traveling along the Atlantic coast and saw large public beaches (like Jones Beach in New York). He became convinced that a similar destination could be created in Galveston. He envisioned the city attracting tourists and becoming the “Rivera of the Gulf.”

When he returned home, Mayor Harris persuaded the Galveston City Council to donate its portion of East Beach to the city. The city commission called an election for the authorization of the issuance of $175,000 in revenue bonds, and Robert Cummins, a Houston engineer and architect drew the plans. Donald Boyce, who had been the assistant manager of Jones Beach, was brought in to supervise the construction and to manage the park. The labor used to build Stewart Beach Park came from the President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Works Progress Administration (WPA).

Stewart Beach was named for Maco Stewart, Sr., a Galveston resident and founder in 1893 of Stewart Title Company and whose family became one of the largest independent oil operators in Texas. His son, Maco Stewart, Jr., along with other community leaders (George Sealy and M.L. Moody III) were significant supporters of the Stewart Beach project.

Stewart Beach officially opened on July 18, 1941. It was dedicated by Mayor Harris,, and it was christened by his daughter, Margaret, who broke a bottle of water over the prow of the SS Stewart Beach. The attraction was built with a boardwalk, a building with a concession stand and restrooms and with cement slabs on either end of the boardwalk - one for dancing and one for roller skating. Additionally, there was a beach service office for renting umbrellas and chairs to the bathers.whose family became one of the largest

Today, Stewart Beach still offers plenty of amenities for visitors to enjoy a day at the beach, as well as regular supervision by highly trained lifeguards. Inside the park, there is a pavilion, restrooms and showers, and chair and umbrella rentals. Beach volleyball courts and a children’s playground are also there to enjoy.

Important to know, alcohol and glass containers are not permitted on Stewart Beach. Pets are welcome, but they must be kept on a leash.

For more information about Stewart Beach, visit www.galveston.com/.

The Original

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My son, Matt, was in Galveston recently to help me with a few minor projects around The Bungalow and to join me in seeking out places not yet seen, including restaurants.

I had long heard about the Original Mexican Cafe and, after telling Matt a bit about it, he too was eager to go there for lunch and check it out.

The Original was founded in 1916 by Raymond Guzman in his two-story home in the East End. Quickly, Guzman earned an enviable reputation for serving up the best beef and chicken enchiladas. Today’s owner, John Bannon, Jr. still serves up great enchiladas, but he also offers up tasty grilled pork tacos, fajitas and spinach quesadillas.

The Original has the distinction of being the longest continually operating restaurant on Galveston Island. It is situated on its original site at 1401 Market Street.

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Matt and I arrived at the restaurant in the middle of the lunch hour. Though there was a nice size crowd there, we waited only a few minutes to be taken to a table in the first-floor dining room. And, minutes later, the waiter was at our side, ready to take our orders.

We started by ordering two of The Original’s prize-winning margaritas. My was frozen; Matt’s was on the rocks. Both were probably larger than we needed, but both were very good!

The menu at The Original is extensive (lots of unique and interesting combos), but we both opted to try The Original’s classic cheese enchiladas with rice, beans, etc. Again, we both enjoyed our meals and commented that we’d definitely come back!

Murdochs

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Murdochs, located at 2215 Seawall Blvd., is the largest and most popular souvenir shop in Galveston. It is open seven days a week, from 9:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.

It was built in the sand of the Gulf, on piers, in the 1800s, before the construction of The Seawall. Originally, it was a bathhouse, where island visitors could rent bathing suits and take showers.

Murdochs, with no protection from an angry sea, was destroyed by The Great Storm of 1900. It was rebuilt in 1901, but reconstruction has been required again and again - following additional violent storms in 1909, 1915 and 2008.

Today, Murdochs’ customers climb up one of two staircases to enter one of two entrances leading into one of two large showrooms, both filled with all things “beach.” There are souvenir shirts and hats, sunglasses and sandals, coffee mugs, shells of every shape and size, and hundreds of other coastal trinkets and decor items, The showroom on the west side features a bar-like, refreshment stand offering a variety of child- and adult-friendly beverages and snacks.

Connecting the two showrooms is a long covered porch, complete with dozens of big white Adirondeck chairs Often, I go there to watch waves roll onto the shore below or seagulls soaring high above. Always, there is an endless breeze that cools my skin and warms my soul.

Hanging out on the beach below Murdochs is a treat too. On any given day, you will see families or groups of friends gathering there to enjoy the sand and surf - and shade!

Bryan Museum

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Today, I took the advice of many and made my first visit to the Bryan Museum. As described, it is a very special place, and spending a couple of hours there - going through the galleries and walking around the grounds - was truly a treat.

The Bryan Museum, I discovered, presents the history of Texas and the American West in an incredibly beautiful setting and in a most comprehensive and inspirational way. All is by design, and history buffs like me love it. I found myself quickly wanting to learn all I could about the museum and those who created it. At the same time, I wanted to be more than just a tourist; I wanted to become an avid supporter of the great work being done here.

J.P. and Mary Jon Bryan purchased the old Galveston Orphans Home in June 2013. After a careful restoration of the historic structure, the couple opened the Bryan Museum in June 2015. With 20,000 square feet of exhibit space and lush, manicured grounds, it immediately become an island treasure and a must-see Texas destination.

The Bryan Collection is one of the world's largest collections of historical artifacts, documents and artwork relating to Texas and the American west.  The collection spans more than 12,000 years, with pieces ranging from ancient Native American cultural artifacts to modern 21st century objects.

With approximately 70,000 items in total, the collection includes 20,000 rare books; more than 30,000 documents in Spanish, German, French and English; three dozen saddles and over 250 antique firearms, several hundred spurs, a large collection of art (religious art, folk art and portraits), exceedingly rare maps and artifacts, such as "cowboy" chaps; Native American stone tools and arrowheads; and a Spanish mission bell.

In addition to its permanent galleries, the museum also includes space for rotating special exhibits, a library, conference room and an archive. Outside the museum, on the beautifully landscaped grounds, there is a sculpture garden, fountain and gazebo, as well as the Conservatory. All are lovely venues for the many public and private events held at the museum throughout the year.

About the Structure
The original Gothic revival building, located at 1315 21st Street, was constructed from 1894-1895 with funding from Henry Rosenberg, a Galveston businessman and philanthropist. Sadly, the building was destroyed by the Great Storm of 1900. But, fortunately, newspaper publisher William Randolph Heart hosted a charity bazaar at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York City to raise funds for a rebuild, which was completed in 1902. The building was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on March 21, 1979.

Firemen on Call

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All four of these good-looking Galveston firemen showed up at The Bungalow this afternoon.

Admittedly, it was a bit unsettling to see their bright red truck stop in front of The Bungalow and, then, to see the firemen exit the truck and move toward my front door. Little did I realize, all was a-okay. They were simply stopping by to install a couple of complimentary, welcome-to-the-island smoke detectors and to do so with their special brand of small-town customer service.

Of course, I invited them all in and, because they seemed curious about the place, encouraged them to look around if they were so inclined. They did, and like me, liked the brightly colored decor!

When the firemen completed the task at hand, I followed them outside. A second surprise was waiting; all my new neighbors were in their yards, watching from a safe distance. No doubt, they wondered why the truck was parked on their street and what the heck was going on!

I think they were very happy to find out that “new lady down the street” had done no harm!

About GFD
In 1885, the first paid fire department in the Texas was established in Galveston. Ever since then, the Galveston Fire Department has worked hard to protect its citizens from all kinds of hazards, including hurricanes and medical emergencies.