Pleasure Pier

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The Galveston Island Historic Pleasure Pier, a dining and entertainment complex, is located where 25th Street meets The Seawall and the Gulf of Mexico. It features family-oriented attractions, including rides, midway games, a wide selection of food venues and concessions and retails shops.

Dining options here are always described as “fun food” in the Pier’s promotions. I’d say that’s about right. Currently, restaurant tenants include Big Top Bites, Brew Station, Bubba Gump’s, Carousel Court Sweets, Slices & More, and Scoops.

Stopping in at Bubba Gump’s is always a delicious choice. The shrimp here is always great, and so too is the restaurants’s award-winning, show-cooked ribs. I also love Bubba Gump's spacious dining room and patio; both have splendid views of the Gulf and The Seawall.

Tickets
To gain access to the pier, all visitors older than three years of age must purchase a Pier Pass ($4 each). The passes are sold at the entrance to the Pleasure Pier.

Parking
Parking is very limited in the area, but there are several options to choose from. There is a Premium Paid Parking Lot directly across from the Pier, next to Fish Tales restaurant, and there is parking along the seawall. To the east, just a few blocks away, is a city parking garage.

Carousel at Pleasure Pier in the 1940s

A Bit of History
The new Pleasure Pier opened in 2012, on the site where the original Pleasure Pier stood from 1943 to 1961 - until it was destroyed by Hurricane Carla. The original Pleasure Pier featured rides, an arcade, aquarium, concessions, a large ballroom and opportunities to fish at the end of the pier. (The photo directly above was taken of a popular carousel ride at Pleasure Per in the 1940s.)

The Pleasure Pier site was also home to the USS Flagship, an over-the water hotel that was built in 1965 and, sadly, devastated by Hurricane Ike in 2008.

Bolivar Ferry

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Taking a ride on the Bolivar Ferry is a great idea any time of the year!

I’ve taken the trip on SH 87 from Galveston to Bolivar Peninsula (and back) more times than I can count but, always, the excursions have been memorable and fun.

(Another time I might record trips taken when on a date, as a wife and mother or with my girlfriends! But, for now, I just want to encourage visitors to the island to put this activity at the top of their vacation must-do lists.)

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Important to note: The ferry is free! It provides a great opportunity to get out in the fresh air, view giant tankers and barges as they travel to and from the port. You can also watch for shrimp boats and look for dozens of dolphins as they follow the shrimp boats looking for a free dinner.

Onboard, there is an open-air upper observation area. Inside, there is an air-conditioned sitting area surrounded by windows, Needless to say, the view is amazing both inside and outside.

From Bolivar, the path gives you a great view of Fort Travis and the Bolivar Lighthouse, ships anchored or traveling into port or out to sea. Coming into the Galveston Landing, you’ll pass Seawolf Park on one side and the U.S. Coast Guard Station on the other. As the ferry turns into the Galveston dock in the distance, you’ll also see the Galveston Yacht Basin.

Bring a camera or your iPhone to take lots of selfies!

The ferry has been operated by the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) since 1934. Each trip covers about 2.7 miles and takes about 18 minutes. Each ferry can carry approximately 70 vehicles, 500 passengers and six crew members. You can drive your vehicle-on or walk-on depending on your plans.

One vessel is in operation 24 hours per day. A second vessel is placed in service at 6:30 a.m. After this departure, the two vessels operate based on traffic volume and space themselves to carry traffic as efficiently and safely as possible. A third vessel is placed in service during the afternoon period if necessary. Up to five vessels may be operated for summer and holiday traffic.

For additional information, you should call 409-795-2230.

Saengerfest Park

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Saengerfest Park might be the most visited park in Galveston; it’s located on the corner of 23rd Street and Strand in Galveston’s Historic Strand District. Literally, thousands of tourists to the island walk by while shopping or gather here when attending one of the city’s many festivals.

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Saengerfest Park is a charming spot, smack-dab in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the district. It features a large, playable chess set, a large compass which can be used as seating, wooden benches, an old-fashioned London-style phone booth and a stage used for movie and music nights throughout the year.

It also features a large “Greetings from Galveston” mural, perfect for standing in front of and posing for selfies or group photos.

The small square park was created in 1994 by George and Cynthia Mitchell. It takes its name from Saengerfest, a biennial singing contest sponsored by German immigrant choral societies around the State of Texas in the 19th century. The word, “Saengerfest,” literally means “singer festival” in German.

A choral group from Galveston, “The Salamanders,” took top honors in the 1879 competition in New Braunfels, Texas, thereby receiving the honor of hosting the next Saengerfest in April 1881. That year, a torch-lit parade was held to welcome 400 singers to Galveston and the competition.

Moody Mansion

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Moody Mansion, built in 1895 and located at 2618 Broadway Boulevard, is a 31-room Romanesque jewel. The home is named for William Lewis Moody, Jr., an American financier and entrepreneur in the cotton business who bought the home from Galveston socialite Narcissa Willis.

The architect for the home was William H. Tyndall, an Englishman, He used elements from different cultures and periods, leading to an eclectic appearance. The interiors were designed by Potter & Stymus, a famous New York firm of the time that also worked for such clients as Thomas Edison, William Rockefeller and President Ulysses S. Grant.

After the death of Willis in 1899, the house was offered for sale. But, after Great Storm of 1900 in September, few bidders stepped forward. However, shortly after the storm, the home was sold to William Lewis Moody, Jr. for the sum of $20,000 (vs. its $100,000 value). And, Moody and his family were all moved in time to celebrate Christmas the same year.

Many technological advances of the period iare present in the four-story mansion, including a one-passenger elevator, a dumbwaiter, speaking tubes in the pantry for communicating with the kitchen staff in the basement, heated drying racks in the laundry room, and lighting fixtures using both gas and electricity. The house also has its own rainwater cistern.

Members of the Moody family resided in the home until 1986. Since then, it was been turned into a historic museum commemorating the Moody family. And, on Many 13, 1994, Moody Mansion was added to the National Register of Historic Places

To find out about available tours, their dates and times, visit www.moodymansion.org/.

The Vintage Suitcase

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A few nights ago, I attended a White Elephant Party at the home of my friend, Marlee. It was another gathering of The Mermaids; this time to celebrate the holidays together in a fun and festive way.

As the party was winding down, Marlee brought out an old brown suitcase that had been in her family for years. She said she was getting rid of things she no longer needed.

Then, she commented, “Bev, before I sell or donate this suitcase, I wanted to ask if you might like to have it - to use it as a decoration in The Bungalow. I know you love antiques.”

I recognized it immediately as a vintage Samsonite bag. Manufactured in the 1950s, perhaps. The bag was in great shape - inside and out. So, without hesitation and with much appreciation, I claimed the suitcase as my own and carried it home.

One might think this is the end of a sweet little story, but it isn’t.

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The next morning, while drinking my first cup of coffee of the day, I walked past the refrigerator, and, for the first time, noticed the featured photo on the December page of my 2018 calendar.

Oh my…there on the page was a picture of an old brown suitcase. A Samsonite suitcase. Made in the 1950s, perhaps. Exactly like the one Marlee had given me just the night before!

Admittedly, I didn’t know what to think about this uncanny coincidence. It was a bit unsettling, at first. But, after awhile, it didn’t seem strange at all.

Instead, it reminded me, in a most serendipitous way, that I am exactly where I am supposed to be, at exactly the right time. And, apparently, I am acquiring special things I’m simply supposed to have.