Business or vacation, Galveston, Texas, is your destination.
You may be from an indigenous tribe from a remote part of the Andes, or live next door in Atlanta. Perhaps you want a romantic get-away to escape the boredom of office politics, or want to give your children a fun vacation. Colleagues probably badger you for a change of scene for the next sales conference, or you may dream of setting up shop on your own in an enabling business environment. Galveston, which basks in the warm but tempestuous waters of the Gulf of Mexico, has drawn explorers, adventurers, and entrepreneurs for centuries, and remains a beguiling magnet of a destination in Texas to this day.
Looking for a simple place to go
You could safely recommend Galveston, should an alien life form, ask you for a recommendation about a single place on planet earth, where generations of human enterprise are on living display. Magnificent specimens of classic architectural styles, the finest dining, superlative local self-governance, racy night life, delightful solitude in verdant surroundings, and shopping that keeps going long after your wallet and you are limp-Galveston has it all, and in Texan proportions at that.
They say that character is built by adversity, and Galveston has had disasters in droves, almost since its inception as a port and as a modern urban center. However, the city and folk who settle here to live, display incredible resilience, as they rise above every natural challenge with super-human self-confidence. Local administrators join hands with the Chamber of Commerce to provide webs of security and warm friendship for anyone who invests in business with the city. Hurricane preparedness is so finely honed that even a major storm no longer causes any significant disruption. However, it is not just about disasters: the city's infrastructure planning is as visionary as it is detailed. Galveston has a future even more glorious than its past.
Looking for the good life
The ultra-modern amenities of Galveston are in almost jarring contrast with its loving preservation of historical artifacts. The National Register of Historical Places is replete with entries from Galveston. One can stroll for hours in the humbling environs of imposing buildings, and be transported back to the elegant days of the 19th century. Children will be especially enthralled at the attractive displays of the early days and the roots of Galveston.
The best way to connect to Galveston's is by an excursion through one of its historic districts, or a tour of one of the historic homes that are open to the public. Stroll through the 36-square-block area of downtown Galveston, exploring the enticing shops on The Strand, the waterfront district, and the docks for the cruise lines), and the trendy Post Office Arts District.
Pick up one of Galveston Historical Foundation's excellent brochures. For a self-guided walking or driving tour of the East End Historical District (east of 19th Street) or the Silk Stocking District (from 23rd to 26th streets, between Avenues K and P).
Museum's abound, whether you fancy land, sea, or air - from the art deco Railroad Museum at the foot of The Strand, to the Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig and Museum on Pier 20, to the Lone Star Flight Museum (next to Moody Gardens), the Mardi Gras Museum, the Texas Seaport Museum on Pier 21 featuring the Tall Ship Elissa and the Galveston County Historical Museum round out the collection.
Galveston has shopping for most everyone's tastes, whether you like upscale, artsy, or beach trendy. With a city this historically minded and individual in its tastes, expect to find wonderful antique and curio stores; look for treasures both downtown and on Broadway.
You will not be alone if you chance upon this enchanting place and decide to make Galveston your home. However, even if you are a realist tied down to your present residence, you will still leave this sub-tropical island paradise with a lump in your throat, and pine to return to her sensuous embrace at the first opportunity.