Mardi Gras Galveston Style...etc...

Here is my final blog post about wonderful Galveston, Texas. Before sharing the festivities of Mardi Gras I wanted to feature the wonderful Hotel Galvez...a landmark on the island and a fabulous treasure trove of history......

Here is the view of the pool and the ocean just steps beyond....

Hotel Galvez has survived over a hundred years of hurricanes and economic ups and downs....the hotel is currently owned by the Mitchell Family who owns many properties on the island...



A little know fact is that the Miss Universe pageant began on the beaches of Galveston....




Mr. Bobby is part of the living history of the hotel. As a young man he actually served coffee to President Eisenhower when he visited the hotel . He graciously gave us a historic tour of the hotel...and he had many stories...

I loved this original mailbox in the lobby of the hotel...to think what this fixture has seen (and survived) throughout the years...so magnificent too!

Most of the island looks like this...the roads very close to the water...you can see how easily in a storm the island would flood...



I had to make a stop at the famous Murdoch's....

and this is the little treasure I brought home...I am admitting my shell addiction right here and now!

 George Mitchell, venerable king of the island's Mardi Gras, opted for a Western theme for his 29th annual Tremont House Ball...he was our host for the weekend!

The lobby of the Tremont Hotel where we stayed...another Mitchell property on the island...

The beautiful bar...

this jazz quartet played great jazz throughout the lobby...

After the Knights of Momus parade passed by and we captured our fill of beads (I came home with half a suitcase full) we left the curbside perch for a night of dining and dancing in the Tremont ballroom.

The view outside our hotel during the parade....

Golden "live" statues greeted us as we entered the party...

At the dinner buffet...a local delicacy...

The festivities lasted late into the night...cruise ships had docked in the port so the island more than doubled in size for the celebration...

and as we retired to bed the streets looked like this...but by early morning everything was perfectly cleaned!

All in all a really fabulous weekend...

P.S. One of the things I love most about America is that you can really be immersed in a completely different climate, culture, with unfamiliar architecture and vegetation after a quick plane ride....in most of the world you need to travel to a different country to experience such differences...this trip reminded me of this obvious but truly fun fact!