I've only been lucky to travel to the South a handful of times in my life, once to Atlanta and once to Hunstville, Alabama, both in my 20s; once to Houston for the 2018 ELCA National Youth Convention; and then to Savannah, Ga., with Shelley in March 2019.
But in January, I was lucky enough to catch a business trip to the Texas Press Association's annual convention, which lucky enough for me was in Galveston, Texas. How lucky was I to be able to jet out of Minnesota on a Minus-5 degree day and land in Texas where it was 80 degrees and humid! ... It was like a dream, only real!
I had a driver waiting for me when I arrived, and he was slated to drive me from Houston International out to the island city of Galveston. About five minutes into the drive, I was so uncomfortable with the heat and humidity that I asked the driver to turn on my air conditioning in the back seat. ... He chuckled, eyed me up in the rear view mirror and said, "You're not from around here, are you?"
That was my introduction to Galveston.
I spent four days and three nights on the island, and while most of the time was tied up in manning my company's booth on the trade show floor and attending evening networking events, thanks to a couple of generous flight times I had some time on the front and back end of the trip to take in some of the sites around the island.
The convention was held at the Moody Gardens Hotel, Spa and & Convention Center. All in all, I would stay there again, and frankly it would be a lot more fun not during the winter, and if I had my family along. The facilities are clean, well furnished and the staff is top notch. But much of the attraction to Moody Gardens is that there are several outdoor water parks; an aquarium and rain forest contained in a large, all-glass pyramid; giant immersive theaters, a golf course and a paddle wheel boat, all of which were closed because it was January.
I did get to sample the food out of the on-site bar and one causal restaurant, which were only a couple of the food options available at the resort. All was good and fairly priced, if not memorable. I will say that the calamari appetizer offered in the bar was top-notched, though.
Most exciting was that my last night in Galveston, the conference ended at 5 p.m., and my flight didn't leave until the next morning. And so I had one night to explore. After a conversation with the hotel concierge, I knew I had to make my way to the Strand District.
The Strand is a section of Galveston that contains turn-of-the-century historic buildings that have been saved and repurposed into a several block, touristy, ongoing party. According to the city's website, Galveston Native George Mitchell led the extensive renovation of the area in the 1980s, and today The Strand is a picturesque shopping and dining destination, as well as the hub of year-round special events and festivals like Mardi Gras! Galveston and Dickens on the Strand. The district is home to one of the largest and most well-preserved concentrations of Victorian architecture in the country.
I am a history and architecture buff so The Strand was right up my alley. There's any kind of boutique shopping a person could want, as well as restaurants, bars and historical sites. Given that I only had a few hours to enjoy what it had to offer, I spent all of my time there before I had to catch the 10 p.m. trolley ride back to my hotel.
I did a lot of walking and people watching and window shopping, which might sound boring. But when you're a Minnesotan in Galveston on an 80 degree evening in January, that is a wonderful night spent!
My one culinary excursion on the island was to a place called the Shark Shack Beach Bar & Grill. Found in a corner, one story historic building, the Shark Shack doesn't look like much from the outside. It's main external charm seemed to be that the front wall opened up, making it an open air restaurant, I supposed in "nicer" weather for those Southern folks. But the sign outside on the door promised the best seafood in town, there weren't that many people in the place, and it looked just enough like your average neighborhood corner bar that I was hooked.
And let me tell you, I scored! ... If you ever find yourself in Galveston, make time to hit up the Shark Shack for a meal ... because you will not be disappointed. Their boast that they have the best seafood in town held up in my limited opinion. And every piece of my meal was delicious.
I started with their calamari appetizer (see a pattern here?) too, and it was some of the best I've ever had. Fresh caught and lightly breaded with a cajun-based breading, it was delectable.
And then I had their Seafood Platter: (fried or grilled) fresh fish of the day, shrimp & crab cake w/ coleslaw & fries or grilled veggies & poblano rice. ... Telling you right now: Order it. But know that there's enough there for two people. You'll thank me later.
Most memorable about my night spent in The Strand was when I ran across an assuming historical marker about "Juneteenth." ... Now, mind you, this was in January, months before America learned more about Juneteenth when Trump caused a backlash for wanting to hold a political rally on the day that celebrates the Emancipation Proclamation. But I still was only vaguely familiar with the holiday. Shame on me. Shame on America. ... But I'll just let the historical marker share why Juneteenth should be a national holiday:
"Commemorated annually on June 19th, Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery in the U.S. The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by President Abraham Lincoln on Sept. 22, 1862, announced 'That on the 1st day of January, A.D. 1863, all persons held as slaves within any state ... in rebellion against the U.S. shall be then, thenceforward and forever free.' However, it would take the Civil War and passage of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution to end the brutal institution of African American slavery.
"After the Civil War ended in April 185 most slaves in Texas were still unaware of their freedom. This began to change when Union troops arrived in Galveston. Maj. Gen. Gordon Granger, commanding officer, District of Texas, from his headquarters in the Osterman Building (Strand and 22nd St.) read 'General Order No. 3' on June 19, 1865. The order stated 'The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the executive of the United States, all slaves are free. This involves an absolute equality of personal rights and rights of property between former masters and slaves.' With this notice, Reconstruction Era Texas began.
"Freed African Americans observed 'Emancipation Day,' as it was first known, as early as 1866 in Galveston. As community gatherings grew across Texas, celebrations included parades, prayer, singing, and readings of the proclamation in the mid-20th century. Community celebrations gave way to more private commemorations. A re-emergence of public observance helped Juneteenth become a state holiday in 1979. Initially observed in Texas, this landmark event's legacy is evident today by the worldwide commemorations that celebrate freedom and the triumph of the human spirit."
And that is where I first learned about Juneteenth. ... And to think that I was standing on the spot where that miraculous order was read. I can't even imagine. That being said, it's shameful that Juneteenth isn't a federal holiday and taught in all of our schools.
As I said, I didn't get out of The Strand to see the rest of the island, which contains so much more worth seeing, but one piece of advice is to make time to go see the Bishop's Palace. It wasn't open the night I was downtown, but in reading up on the place since my trip, it's be the first stop on my list the next time around.
I'd like to bring the family back there one day, so I'm curious, if you've been to Galveston, what needs to be on my list next time? Thanks in advance!
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