Sea Isle Beachhouse - July 12th, 2018
An extra beautiful morning sunrise that gives promise to a fun day of fishing and Galveston History
The sun crests the wall of clouds giving light to a desperate seagull searching for french fries
Heaven's majesty shines down on a long flight of pelicans that follow the path of hungry trout in search for a morning meal
David and Jerry are out in the water hoping to feed those trout
I said "trout", not shovelhead shark
Not quite a hammerhead but you can see why its called a shovelhead
That was a big shrimp so hopefully you are now full, now go away!
Now this is a trout, welcome to my fish bag!
Jerry reels in a beaute and maneuvers it to his landing net
Kathy captures the scene from the beachhouse balcony
Collect the trout from the net with a strong grip
It is a keeper, take the shot so I can de-hook it
With the surgical precision of an eye doctor, the hook is removed
Go meet your new friends in the fish bag
As David loses another hook to a quick strike, Jerry does not
Another keeper trout! The fishing is good yet again
Kathy captures the scene from the beachhouse balcony
The fishermen team up to clean the days catch
Behold, a properly scaled trout
David scales them and Jerry takes the head and guts out
Don't make me put you in this sink!
Check on the one Rosenberg Fountain I haven't gotten close to
I can get close if I come during a 3 hr window on the 3rd Sat/month
Next head down Harborside Drive, just past 15th Street
The site of legendary pirate Jean Lafitte's Maison Rouge
Lafitte burned his fort down when he left Galveston in 1821
This building was built in 1870 on top of the fort's foundation
One of Lafitte's men went to the mainland, and settled there
James Campbell's settlement eventually became Texas City
Continue to the UT Medical Branch where Margo & Kathy find a sign
St. Mary's was the 1st (1866) private hospital in the state
Park & walk to see another of Nick Clayton's masterpieces, Old Red
The very first building of the UT Medical Branch, completed in 1891
The building was named for Ashbel Smith in 1949
Smith organized the Texas Medical College in 1873
Smith was Texas Sec-O-State, CSA Colonel, & Chair of UT Board of Regents
Smith became the Dean of the Texas Medical School in 1876
Walk up the steps to enter the building's main entrance
Construction of the first UT Med School building began in 1890
Many familiar names were on the 1890 UT Board of Regents
Check out the detail in the arches & different colored bricks
Lone Stars on column capitals are protected by anti-pigeon spikes
Inside are see medical greats: Imhotep, Hippocrates, Galen, Maimonides, . . .
Andreas Vesalius, Ambroise Pare and on the right side: Marie Curie
. . . WC Roentgen, Jo Lister, Lou Pasteur & Williams Morton & Harvey
Head to the 2nd floor on the east side to see the great auditorium
The 1890 podium boasting the great seal of The University of Texas
Climb up to the 3rd floor . . . watch that first step Margo!
The view thousands of eventual doctors & nurses all shared over time
And now know what is inside the rounded end of the building
Head back down and find a door to a small 2nd floor balcony
Step outside to see the brick detail & design from the small balcony
View of the arches from underneath the entry portico of Old Red
View the Keiller Bldg from Old Red's entry portico
Look back at Clayton's masterpiece and then run from mosquitos
Pass by the Shriner's Children's Hospital as we walk back to the car
Travel west on Broadway & stumble upon an unexpected site at 16th St
It is the relocated faux Rosenberg Fountain!
Last seen on wooden piers behind the Galveston Historical Foundation
The Rosenberg Fountain replica was once located on XXXXX street
But was removed to facilitate new building construction
Happy to finally locate it, though the water does not run or circulate
Now its a monument to Yellow Fever that once plaqued Galveston
Stumble upon an interesting house at 17th & Sealy streets
It is the 1890 Trube Castle fashioned after danish castles
The castle took 3.5 months to build and cost $9,700
View of Sacred Heart Church & Bishop's Palace from Sealy & 13th
1880 Gustav Heye House @ 416 13th St is not abandoned, just needs paint
However, the Galveston Incinerator is abandoned & may be demolished soon
Cross the causeway, take Exit 4 and find the causeway bridge monument
A marker to Campbell's Bayou is directly across the street
The original Galveston Causeway was built in 1912
The newest causeway was built between 2003-2008
The 2nd causeway was completed in 1939 and replaced in 1961
Commissioners Court for the original causeway built in 1912 or 1939?
The 1912 Causeway is one of the greatest engineering accomplishments in the US and was put on the list of the National Register of Historic Places in 1976.
Now restricted to railroad use only and maintained by BNSF
The center span drawbridge only provides a railway bridge, not a roadway
Industrial buildings along Galveston Islands' Harborside Drive are visible in the distance
Look over Bubba's Sports Bar toward the Welcome to Galveston Island signs
Look over the railroad tracks toward beach houses along Virginia Point
A very busy thoroughfare a hundred years ago but now a bypassed highway to nowhere
Look down the tracks toward the 2012 drawbridge in the span center
Here comes a train! Time to get off the tracks, quick!
Drive through Tiki Island and photo a very long and skinny beachhouse
Back to the beach house where Alex & Nena are busy feeding seagulls
Alex enjoys feeding the birds as she hasn't been pooped on yet
Ready daddy? Photo the birds when I toss this biscuit up
Nena enjoys feeding seagulls too . . . also not pooped on yet
Yes, I'm looking at you cameraman . . . watch the birdie
Our final beachhouse dinner is hotdogs, some with chili & guacamole
Close out the day with another east to west pelican parade
And a final sunset beyond the power lines and water tower
Let's zoom in on that bright orange sky