A Glance of Galveston

As I mentioned in my last post, I went on a cruise with some family to celebrate Christmas this year. The trip went incredibly well, involved less family drama than one might expect, and also offered some unexpected bonuses. One of these little bonuses came in the form of Galveston, Texas. It was my first time ever being in Texas, and I am very pleased to say that I LOVED it!

I've met a few Texans before (shout-out to Miss Belle, my bestie Al, and Nat!), and really loved them, so I wasn't expecting anything less of the Texans I would encounter, or the Texas I would see along the way. I was expecting to see big hair, hear thick accents, and that everything that I'm used to seeing would be the same, but bigger. And I can assure you, everything really is bigger in Texas!

Even the water fountain was the highest I've ever seen! 

We flew into Houston and then took a cab to Galveston, where we would stay for the night and then board the ship the following afternoon. Because it was dark, it was hard to see what was around us, but we were able to see restaurants and stores during our drive, and this is when we realized the truth in that saying. Every store or restaurant that I am familiar with was so much bigger there. We couldn't believe how large the stores were and how much space everything took up. Granted, there's a lot of space, so why not build big, but my gosh! And while I know that Texas is a state with a coast line, it for some reason seems so strange to think of any part of Texas as being a beach town, which made for an incredibly pleasant surprise when we woke up the next morning and realized our hotel was across the street from the beach!

 The view from the hall window! :)

After breakfast, a quick work out, and prepping and packing all my stuff, I decided to hit Seawall Drive with a little walk and take some pictures of the part of Galveston that we were staying in. 

 The pier was calling my name, but time wasn't on my side.

Texas Beach Water!! I should have snagged some sand! 

(Remember when I talked about how much I love street signs?)

I was so pleased to find out that Galveston really is just an adorable beach town. It had your typical, Bubba Gumps on the pier, a place called Fish Tails to get, obviously, some fresh seafood eats, surf shops, and other beachy stops. There were people of every sort walking around, some fishing on the end of a section of land that extended out into the water, and because it was about 77 degrees, the beach was scattered with people. Everyone that I came across was friendly and nice, and the atmosphere lent to deep breathing and happy thoughts. 

Unfortunately, we didn't have long to spend in Galveston, so the only old town experience I had was in the cab on the way to the port terminal, but overall, Galveston was a great experience. It's a place I would absolutely love to return to at some point and explore further. They had a severe hurricane hit them in 2006, but you would never even know it had been there from the looks of the place. 

Overall, great experience! I recommend a two-day trip to Galveston if Texas is on your "To Visit" list!

 The family at the port terminal before we boarded!

 Galveston from the deck of our room on the ship!

 My mom and Galveston

The Port of Galveston at dusk

The pier our hotel was near was visible from the port at night too!

Sign Me Up

You know how everyone has their own little things that they're "obsessed" with? Ok, well even if you don't (not sure how...), you're about to. For some it's boats, others it's shoes, for a few it's feet, and others might prefer pasta, wildlife, the ocean, birds, or houses. Everyone has something that they are drawn to and interested in for seemingly no reason, and to be honest, all of the aforementioned are little obsessions of mine (minus the foot thing, sorry if you love em, but that shiz is nastttt). But in this particular case, I'm talking about what people are obsessed with taking pictures of.

Today I went on a walk in the sun to snap some shots, and came to realize that there was a pattern in the objects I was shooting. It made me think about how each person that is known for photography seems to have their niche or certain subject matter that makes them famous or who they are. For me, there is one thing that I have always been fairly fascinated by and desired...signs.

I've always been the kind of person to want a big stop sign in my house, envy my friends who have them or other acquired signs, and spend an odd amount of time photographing/noticing them wherever I go. I'm really not sure what it is about them, but I think it has something to do with all the different colors, symbols, shapes, styles, and meanings that they can be or represent. The one in the picture above caught my eye because it is pretty decrepit looking. I love that a couple of the letters are missing and that the paint is chipped off. (Just ignore the tagging on the back, as I mentioned, these photos were taken during my walk today...in Stockton.) Speaking of my walk, here are more photos that I took while traveling the levy walking path that is near my parents' house, and you'll never guess what they're of ;)

See? They're pretty interesting, right? Ok, maybe not to you, but I enjoy looking at them. :) There are so many variations of signs, and especially fascinating to look at while traveling around different places, at least to me. Everyone has their something, signs just happen to be one of mine. Just another little glimpse into the oddities of my life for ya! And now I retire to bed, I've been fighting this damn cold for a week now and am determined to win! So have a great night, day, or afternoon, and think about it.. what are the strange things you tend to be drawn to in life?

Today's Quote: "A picture is a poem without words." -Horace