It only took us 21 years to take a trip with just the two of us. Twenty-one years ago we took a trip to Natchitoches, LA for our 10th anniversary. That trip was cut short because one of the kids spiked a high fever so we returned home a day early to relieve my mom. We’ve talked about taking a trip with just the two of us on our 15-year, 20-year, 25, and 30-year. Life, kids, work, and obligations happen, so we kept saying “Maybe next year”. This year, we were determined to go SOMEWHERE!

We decided to stay closer to home and travel to Galveston. We have visited Galveston several times with our children when they were young and had completed several youth trips with our home congregation, but that had been over nine years ago. These trips always occurred in the summer with peak temps and humidity. Plus, when you were the chaperones on the trips, they were working trips - preparing food, cleaning up, making sure we stayed on schedule, helping with activities, making sure everyone applied enough sunscreen, etc. If you have chaperoned a youth trip, you know what I’m talking about! They are fun and you make wonderful memories, but they are a lot of work! This trip was so different…..Different weather, and full of rest and relaxation!!

Unlike before, we had cloudy, overcast skies during our entire stay making walking along the shoreline so pleasant! We also did a little shopping at The Strand and ate at some of our favorite places, discovering a few new ones too!

We couldn’t get completely away from real estate and were drawn to many of the beautiful homes in the East End Historical District. We enjoyed strolling through the neighborhood admiring all of the details and landscaping.

I can only imagine all the work, time and effort that goes into maintaining these beautiful homes! It was interesting to see all the whimsical tree sculptures nestled in the yards and gardens (middle photo above) with the backdrop of the bright and vivid colors completed by the lush landscaping.

You can spot the “Great Dane” (above) along the fence line that has been carved from the majestic oaks trees that once lined the streets before hurricane Ike.

We learned that the “Texas” symbol on the homes represented homes that survived the infamous 1900 Storm.

We took a tour of the Bishop’s Palace (pictured below)

It reminded me of a small Texas version of the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. (See our North Caroline Trip).

The attention to detail was amazing and we thoroughly enjoyed this self-guided tour!

Our last evening we booked a Historical Ghost tour per my sister-in-law’s recommendation. It was a fun way to learn Galveston history and folklore stories! My husband took several cell phone photos of the “supposedly haunted houses” throughout the tour. Now mind you, we are not believers in ghosts, so we were surprised to see a figure that looks like a little girl in the window upon closer inspection of the photos after getting home. Do you see her too? 👻 or is it just us? 🤷‍♀️

My husband’s cell phone photo taken at “Lucy’s House” cropped & enlarged.

Thanks for dropping by! Leave a comment to let me know you stopped by!

Galveston

Royal Village Way