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!

Galvestonion Style...

This weekend I found myself in Galveston,Texas for Mardi Gras. It was great to get out of the Chicago cold and feel temps in the 70's...

I was in Houston for business and made the journey over to visit friends and experience "MG" Galveston style...more about the fab festivities later...what I want to share first (of course) are all the fabulous Galveston historic homes...so lovely...here are a selection of my favorites, although there were too many to capture....

My absolute fave....

and it comes with a pool in the side yard for those beastly Galveston temps in the Summer....

RuedeEmily's "Tour of Homes" continues...

I am now obsessed with Norfolk Pine trees which grow in abundance in Galveston...

I stopped in my tracks when I spotted this lovely display...the homeowner and gardener extraordinaire was outside as we passed by and explained this was "fig ivy" that she had trained and clipped to create this masterpiece on her front steps...isn't it incredible?

More of the vegetation that grows in the "hood"...

and when you get to the beach these are some great examples of the newly built beach side homes...

As much as I love the beach I would have to choose the historic neighborhood if I were looking at properties to buy...they were just too amazing (and affordable)...and the restoration of these beauties with their 14 to 18 ft. ceilings and incredible architectural elements just would be too much fun and hard to resist.... Since Galveston is an island only 3 miles wide I would be able to easily access the beach anyway...which would you choose?

Coveting Crete...

My English girlfriend and her son (my godson) take the most marvelous vacations...you see when you live in England the most fabulous places are just a few hours away on a plane. My friends who live abroad can get to Crete quicker than I can get to Los Angeles! Ahh...another benefit to European life!!




As Summer winds down here in the Midwest I had to share some of the recent photos she shared....are you coveting a trip to Crete yet? I am!!



their pool...



I love all the colorful boats...

 

 

 

 this is what I would like to be doing right about now.....cheers mate!

 

Happy Wednesday!!