ENJOYING OUR TIME IN HOUSTON, TEXAS

Wednesday, March 28 – We've been in Houston for a little over a month and are preparing to head to Florida to visit family. After spending Easter weekend with our daughter, Carrie, we'll head East. It's been a busy time, but we've also spent many a day just relaxing here at the Houston Elks Lodge Campground and enjoying the spring weather.

It's been fantastic to visit with Carrie. She's preparing to move into a new downtown apartment, so she is very busy. This was not her choice. Her landlord sold her loft and gave her three weeks to find a new place. Carrie has moved several times and seems to have everything pretty much under control. We're happy to be here to help ease a little of the stress involved in moving. She'll put Paul to work installing a couple TV's and possibly rearrange some furniture after the movers finish their work.

We've spent several Saturday afternoons downtown enjoying the city life with Carrie and watching NCAA March Madness in several of the thousands of sports bars around town. It sure has been a crazy and exciting tournament with numerous bracket busting games. Hope you've been able to enjoy a couple games!

We are always discovering new places to watch the game, grab a bite to eat or just quench our thirst. Today we discovered King’s Bierhaus.

We shared an order of the American Sampler, which is one of their signature dishes. Delicious. We all ordered one of their German beers on tap. Yes, Marsha even had one, and she hates beer. She said that if you don’t like beer, try the Stiegl Radler, Grapefruit. She loved it.

Carrie took us to the Art Car Graveyard that she accidentally found during one of her many outings around Houston. We were in town for the Art Car Parade last April but unfortunately will miss it this year. It's a wonderful event and a great time! This scrap metal yard is where many of the old cars, and parts removed from unused vehicles, end-up after the parade. We recognized many of these cars and weird parts from past parades and visits to the museum. The museum (you can read about our visit here) is where the car art is on display and makes for an unusual place to visit while in town. We highly recommend a visit to the Art Car Museum.

Before…Azaba, 2011. It isn’t your eyes; it is a bit blurry…hehe

Graveyard….Azaba, 2018

Before…Eele, 2011

Graveyard, 2018

Before…Cable Guy, 2011

Graveyard…All that is left, 2018

Before…2012, Mr. Green.

Graveyard, 2018. Not too bad.

Before, 2011. No idea of the name.

Graveyard, 2018

This weekend is Easter and a sure sign of Spring with warmer weather finally arriving in Houston. Of course, Marsha has planned dinner for Easter Sunday and was adamant about Paul not even thinking about leaving before Tuesday, April 3. This will be the last we see Carrie until her planned visit to Ohio later this summer. Of course, we'll return here next fall on our way to visit places unknown at this time!

A little taste of Spring here in Houston for our family and friends up North.

We'll be heading East along the Gulf next week for an eventual stop in Florida. Stop back and enjoy a few days at the beach in beautiful Amelia Island, Florida. See you there!

We wish all our family and friends a very blessed Easter day!

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day!

GALVESTON’S EAST END HISTORIC DISTRICT

Tuesday, March 13…continued – While we initially went to Galveston to do the Tree Sculpture tour, we thoroughly enjoyed gawking at all the gorgeous historic homes. The East End Historic District is comprised of over 50 city blocks. The District has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976 and has been designated a National Historic Landmark. The architecture of the East End Historical District reflects a variety of styles and periods, the earliest being examples of Greek Revival style built during the 1850's.  Some of the historic homes have plaques in their front yard. We didn’t have any info about the homes, so we will just show you some of our favorite historic homes. They are amazing.

Trube Castle, brick house…1890
 

Beissner House…1887

Joel B. Wolfe house…1894

George Fox House…not sure of date.

Lemuel C. Burr house…1876

Julius H. Ruhl House…1874

Arthur F. Sampson House…1889

Clarke-Jockusch house…1895

William and Lena Juneman Smith…1905.  These shotgun style homes caught our attention.

Many of the homes have been jacked up or are in the process of being lifted up onto piers. They hope to prevent any future flooding.

The colors of so many of the homes are bright and cheerful. Marsha loved see the purples, pinks and bright blues.

 

Voted by us….least colorful. Rudolph Kruger House…1888

Many homes are being renovated. It is so nice to see people taking pride in their community.

We noticed these plaques on homes by their front door that designate their historical importance. Some are difficult to read. 

Marsha loves taking photos of trees. She found this one to be a beauty.

We hope to spend a week in Galveston next year. Marsha wants to pick up the home tour brochure and check out some more of these lovely historic homes.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day!

GALVESTON TREE SCULPTURE TOUR

Tuesday, March 13 – We've been waiting for an opportunity to drive over to Galveston, Texas, to take the self-guided Tree Sculpture Tour and decided with beautiful weather predicted for today that it would be a perfect day for the walking tour.

Two Crested Herons.

The tree sculptures date back to September 13, 2008, when Hurricane Ike covered most of Galveston Island in a tidal surge. The damaging combination of powerful winds and waves immediately uprooted many of the city's trees and ultimately led to the demise of thousands more trees. Ike forced Galveston to say a sad goodbye to so many of its beautiful tree canopies, but where man saw dead trees and waste after the storm, a group of homeowners saw a chance to take a very bad situation and turn it into a beautiful experience.

Today, artists have given a second life into something Mother Nature attempted to destroy. Tree sculptures have replaced the majestic Oaks that once lined many neighborhood streets. The sculptures, which can be found at homes throughout the island, were paid for by private residents. The sculptures can be seen tucked into gardens and side yards.

Tin Man and Toto.

We chose to walk the 3+ mile tour, but one could travel by car or even bike. There are approximately 35+ sculptures but a few are falling apart. It is a good idea to get the map and tour information online, which we found indispensable. Most of the sculptures can be easily viewed from the street and most are located on neighborhood streets with little traffic to hinder our viewing. The tour took us about 2 hours to complete which included plenty of stopping for pictures. Marsha took a photo of every single one we saw. Here are many of the sculptures, but thank goodness not all 35! LOL

Reading to Her Grandchildren.

The back is just as beautiful.

  In His Hands. Marsha’s favorite.

We found this one a bit risqué. Venus on a Half Shell.

Angles with Lambs.

Birds of Galveston.

Lion King.

Tall Ship.

Monument to Galveston’s Trees.

Great Dane. Paul’s favorite.

Guitar.

Where Have All the Flowers Gone.

Angle Cradling Bunny.

Yellow Lab.

Island Totem Pole.

We found this tour to be a delightful way to spend a sunny afternoon and enjoyed the carvings immensely. Have a couple of hours to spare? Why not see the sculptures for yourself. We think you will like them.

An added bonus to the Sculpture Tour is the beautiful homes found in the East End Historical District. That is a topic for our next blog so come on back and enjoy these magnificent homes with us.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y’all back real soon. Have a great day!