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!
Those are really incredible. Lots of very talented people out there.
ReplyDeleteCreation from devastation. What a good attitude.
ReplyDeleteGreat pictures, I have not been to Galveston since the 70's. Looks like it has improved:))
ReplyDeleteWe really enjoyed our tour around the neighborhood to see the sculptures as well. Some really creative ones. Sad to hear that some are disintegrating ... but I guess time and the elements will take their toll.
ReplyDeleteLove the sculptures thanks for the tour. We took a cruise out of Galveston in the late fall 2008 right after Ike devastated the island, all we saw back then was all the debris and damage from the hurricane, and clean up crews.
ReplyDeleteLouise and I did that tour a few years ago on the motorcycle. Loved it. We tell everyone that is planning a trip to Galveston it is a most see.
ReplyDeleteWhat a fun tour. You always seem to find the interesting things to do and that's a good thing.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great tour! I really enjoy looking at the tree sculptures and the small details. You found some beauties for sure. The Great Dane was very clever. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteWe enjoyed our walking tour during our Galveston visit a few years ago. You captured photos of some of the sculptures we didn't see. The Great Dane sculpture was my favorite along with all the beautiful architecture. Thanks for taking me back!
ReplyDeleteWe loved walking around the beautiful historic district in Galveston and searching for the tree sculptures. That's amazing that you found all of them! You did a great job photographing the sculptures.
ReplyDeleteWhat an awesome way to turn a natural disaster into something of such beauty and uniqueness. The tree sculptures are incredible, and thanks for sharing them with us.
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like my kinda tour. Thanks for sharing. LuAnn
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