Galveston

Yesterday we went to Galveston (it's an island) to sightsee. We first went to the harbor where there is a museum dedicated to off-shore oil drilling. Well, what can I say? They need to do some big-time PR because of the recent disaster of the oil rig explosion this past June. Dave felt that the museum really didn't do justice to what is going on - the equipment that you saw was very old, just painted, didn't show what the living quarters are like - just pictures, what they did show was well marked, just was catering to the oil business and how great they are. We got a much bigger wow factor by just watching the harbor activity, oils rigs in for service, pilot boats taken pilots to ships to guide them in,tugs, boats, ferry, ships in dry-dock, etc.

From the museum we headed over to the Gulf - they call it the seawall - and we walked along the beach for awhile. This picture - if you can see the guy in red hugging the seawall - we assumed he is homeless. Did see a number of folks like this. This seawall has sustained tremendous damage also. After walking the beach we headed to a Mexican restaurant we had eaten at many years ago. Was still just as good. We saw where Hurrican Ike had taken it's toll on Galveston - there were many buildings that were abandoned and were either in the process of being torn down or had been torn down and was now just vacant land. Everywhere we looked there were billboards saying that if you had "Ike" damage, time was running out (this by law firms, naturally). Even at the entrance to the campground we know that two buildings were torn down due to the damage from Ike. I want to talk with the office folk - they have lived here all their lives and I want to hear what it is like during a hurricane, do they leave? do they stay and how do they stay? how bad is insurance - if you can get it, etc. Just an overall picture. Still want to go back to Galveston one more time before we leave - there is a NOAA Sea Turtle rehab center there and we want to go to Clary's Restaurant.