Butler Longhorn Museum (Houston Area, TX; September 2013 -- Part Five B)

DAY FIVE – 12 SEPTEMBER 2013:

The route we’d taken to get to the Battleship Texas didn’t have a lot eatery places visible to us.  We ended up at a Denny’s close to Clear Lake University, just because that was in the direction we were going.  South of Webster was League City, while there was the Challenger 7 Memorial Park, as that appeared to be a “park” in the truest sense of the word (and not a museum), we passed on that.  We were heading here for something else we found in the visitor’s brochure kiosk:  Butler Longhorn Museum.

I’m not a cow person (except for the diary products and meat I can get from them), but I figured Dad would like this.  The purpose of this place was to showcase the unique breed with the Longhorns were, and how to keep a pure bloodline (as it’d been crossed with other bovine strains).  The proprietor, Monica Hughes, gave us a guided tour of each of the three floors, and went over the information in brief.  That was actually nice for her to hit some of the highlights and answer questions, as we were able to go back through the area at our own pace and read the various displays.

On the ceiling of the second floor were hundreds of Longhorn skulls mounted there.  Monica explained they were going for the Guinness Book of World Records for the number of skulls, and they were currently at 264.  She didn’t know how many they needed to make (or break) the record.  This was also useful to show the variation in the horns.

Also displayed were many items from the pioneer-era farms, and John Wayne getting familiar with the animals during his filming of The Alamo.  I liked the doors to the “gun room,” as handguns had been mounted on in an artistic style.

There was a lot of information here, and this was really a good find.  See, it pays to go off the beaten path sometimes.  I look for interesting things wherever I go, and one was the art project here.  From a distance, this longhorn head doesn’t seem like much, as it appears to be just a metal-crafted sculpture.  When we looked up close, that’s where the wow-factor came into play.

An artist named Terry Jones (no connection to Monty Python) took all the items which had been gathered in a police evidence room (after their associated cases had been closed), and crafted them together.  While pistols had up the large majority of the material, there were also locks, tools, and portions of gears.  This was very similar to the dolphin sculpture sitting off the main square in Georgetown, TX.  I have to say this was my favorite part of the Butler Museum.

In addition to the main building, there was also an annex area where school children would meet for educational presentations.  There was also a statue of a Longhorn which gets brought to other locations, and has some nice murals throughout.

Monica also showed us something interesting on the property.  Some trees as they grow get interesting branches or markings on them.  This particular tree had a natural heart-shape on the trunk.  As this wasn’t a carving, but a natural occurrence, this was pretty kewl.

Seeing all these Longhorns had made us hungry, and steak was the only things which would satisfy us.  I knew there were a number of places in the area we could go, but we decided on convenience, and ended up at Saltgrass Steakhouse.  My parents had never been to this regional chain before, as when they visit Austin we go to Texas Land & Cattle.  (A Longhorn Steakhouse, which would’ve been more appropriate today because of the name, was just up the road, but we opted for the closer place.)  Figure this would be last “large meal” of the trip, as my parents would want to eat light the next night (before their flight out).  Between the copious amounts of meat we had, followed (back at the hotel room) by our various alcoholic diversions, we were pretty stuffed.

For more information on the places visited or mentioned:

            Challenger 7 Memorial Park:  http://www.visithoustontexas.com/listings/Challenger-Seven-Memorial-Park/20032/436/

            Butler Longhorn Museum:  http://www.butlerlonghornmuseum.com/

            ###  30  ###

San Jacinto Monument and Battleship Texas (Houston Area, TX; September 2013 -- Part Five A)

DAY FIVE – 12 SEPTEMBER 2013:  THE MEMORIALS OF SAN JACINTO

Our draw today at “The Egg and I” was another free beverage.  The staff enjoyed seeing us every day, as we were “short-time regulars.”  Getting someone to come into your business the first time can be tough, but keeping them coming back is something to be strived for.  In addition to good food at a reasonable price, the cleanliness of the place and the positive attitude of the staff were big parts in our continued patronage.  The manager, Athena, also took notice of us, and treated as well as any of her regular “long-term” customers.

I’d looked at the Houston map, and found something of historical significance on the east side of the city.  I plotted a course which would keep us on the outside of the Sam Houston Tollway, and through the suburb of Pasadena.  I remember Lee (who lived in the area for a while) referring to this as “Stinkadena” because of the all the refineries.  I envisioned a grey industrial landscape we’d be going through, and a potential rough area.  Part of the fun is exploring an area you don’t know, but also be smart about it too.

The AAA Tour Book described Pasadena as “looking similar to an area in California,” hence the same name.  We had to admit the area we went through was pretty nice, with the University of Houston at Clear Lake nearby, as well as some business parks.  Also included was the Armand Bayou Nature Center (which we probably would’ve checked out if it wasn’t still in the hottest part of the year.)  Not all industrial as I thought.  Even when we crossed the Pasadena Freeway (into La Porte) and were in the vicinity of our destination, the refinery area really wasn’t as much as the urban blight as I’d expected it to be.  Sure we saw the refineries, but we didn’t smell them.

Our destination was the San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site.  I’d seen the San Jacinto Monument before, but only in the distance when looking south travelling on IH-10 during the trips to Baytown.  This was where the battle for Texas Independence culminated in an eighteen-minute battle against surprised Mexican forces.  The site itself has walking trails to show you locations of specific events, and some side roads in order to get views of the Monument.  Seeing it from the main road coming in was good enough for me.

Next to the Monument is a reflecting pool, and flags of the six nations which have flown over Texas.  Inside there’s a museum dedicated to the battle, those involved, and some of the events which happened on either side of the time when Texas was it’s own country.  We watched a short film on the battle which gave a lot of details about the event.  Mum noted after having been to other places mentioned in the War of Texas Independence (like Washington-on-the-Brazos, and Gonzales), this was a great way to cap the other historical places we’ve visited.

Standing at over 560 feet tall, the Monument is made from the same shellstone that the museum at Gonzales was constructed from.  Like there, here it was interesting to look at all the shellfish fossils in the blocks.  Yeah, for a long time this area was a sea floor, but I wonder if any more intricate and interesting fossils were ever found when carving out these blocks.  At the top of the Monument is a star, which is designed to show five points from whatever direction you look at it.

We took the ride to the viewing section at the top of the Monument, and it was nice to be able to look at the area from all the compass directions.  We could see all the refineries to the south and north, but it was interesting to see Houston far off to the west.

Whenever I visit a high place, it’s always fun to get pictures from every direction.  The glass of the windows sometimes causes the flash to reflect, or I want to make sure the farther destination is the focus (not the edges of the window I’m looking out), so I might take a couple of different test shots.  It was then I noticed there was a penny sitting on the window sill, on the outside of the glass.  Okay, I figured that was a pretty random event, considering how high up we were.  But I noticed on a sill facing each compass point there was at least one penny hanging out there.

Now there had to be an interesting story behind this.  These pennies were worn and weathered, but they were the “newer” design (having the log cabin visible).  The elevator operator told us the AC unit had gone out once, so all the windows were opened, and some smart-arsed students put the pennies out there.  They weren’t hurting anything, so they were left when the windows were closed up again.

Another reason for us coming out here was what was parked right next door:  Battleship Texas.  Berthed in its own little harbor, this decommissioned military vessel was open to allow visitors to wander above and below the decks.  Battleship Texas (also known as the USS Texas) was placed into service in 1914 for World War One, but it was used far more extensively during World War Two (it assisted in both the Normandy Invasion, and the landing at Iwo Jima).  This is one of the few vessels to have served in both conflicts.

After its combat service was over, the ship was decommission and scheduled for use as target practice.  Texas citizen started a campaign to save the ship from becoming scrap, and brought here in 1948.  Other than a few new coats of paint, the battleship looks pretty much as it did when it was an actively-used vessel.  The lowest deck (where the engines were) didn’t have much area for visitors, but the decks above (which contained the living and operational facilities) had much more to see.

Some places (like the officer’s quarters, medical bay, and radio room) were sealed behind glass to protect the historical nature.  Other areas, like the mess hall and crew bunks were open to all free wandering.  While some crews actually had rooms, there were many bunks which were up against the wall in the main corridors.  It’s hard to imagine how crowded this must’ve been when the crew was full.

The stairs which took us from one deck to another were the same as when the ship was still being used.  They were narrow, so watch your step, but it was worth our time to go below decks.

We also wandered around outside on the main deck to see the gun batteries, and other secondary weapons.  The central structure where the bridge is located wasn’t open to the public, but there was stuff there.  We passed a gentleman (who wasn’t part of the Park Service) leading a lady through “No Admittance” doors, as apparently this vessel was going to be used as the venue for some gathering she was planning.  We overheard them talk about how tables were going to be set up on the main deck and such.

While we couldn’t enter the central structure, we could access the stairs and catwalks around it.  This was very interesting, as these little ledges were where the signal light operators and other defensive batteries were.  These are traverse at your own ability, but the views you get of the ship, the decks, or the surrounding area are worth it.

There weren’t any informational cards inside the ship or placed on some of the weapons, but there was a sign near the gift shop.  That’s one thing which I thought was needed, if only to let you know what caliber some of the weapons were.

One many of the defensive batteries, there was nothing to prevent us from climbing on them (which afforded picture opportunities).  The pedals and the hand-cranks still worked (and were nicely oiled), so we could see how quickly and effortlessly these could be repositioned.  In a combat vessel, speed is everything.

The rear of the ship (the aft, using nautical terms) was having some refurbishing being done, but normally that was open to the public.  There were a couple Park Service officials hanging out on the ship to answer questions, and they’d found the best shady place which was open to wind flow.

For more information on the places visited or mentioned:

            Armand Bayou Nature Center:  http://www.abnc.org/

            San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site:  http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/san-jacinto-battleground

            San Jacinto Monument Museum:  http://www.sanjacinto-museum.org/

            Battleship Texas:  http://www.battleshiptexas.org/

             

            ###  30  ###

Rosenberg Library & Tall Ship Elissa (Galveston, TX; September 2013 -- Part Four B)

DAY FOUR – 11 SEPTEMBER 2013:

Near the visitor’s center was the Rosenberg Library Museum, which I’d read had a small gallery on the upper floors.  This is still a modern public library, too, so there wasn’t any admission cost.  The museum (located on the fourth level) had displays on various artifacts from Galveston’s history, much of it dealing with the turn of the 20^th Century.

One of the things I found interesting was this blue glass bottle, called a “fire grenade.”  Filled with chemicals, it was used by the fire department to get to areas where the hoses might not reach.  I looked at this as the reverse of the Molotov Cocktail, and wondered how many of these “grenades” have survived.

Since it was time for lunch, we set out to find some of the places mentioned on the tram tour.  We located the Star Drug Store, which still has a huge Coke sign out front.  Originally built in 1886, the building was renovated a couple times.  After a severe fire in 1998, a restoration project to return this to the look of the 1950’s, when the center lunch counter was the first to be desegregated in the city.  Mum was able to get the vanilla Coke, which she remembered having when she was young.  I let her know it could be purchased at most stop-and-robs, but didn’t frequent corner stores to know that.  Besides, she added, the fountain made version would be better than any bottled version.  Can’t argue with that.

There were display cases all around the edge of the store, which contained a lot of items … some many decades old, and some fairly recent.  It gave us a lot of interesting things to look at while we were waiting for our food.  This was a great place for lunch, and still a local favorite.  A had a nice chocolate milkshake to so along with my meal.

When travelling with a group, you have to look at things that everyone would want to do.  The Pirates of the Gulf Coast looked pretty interesting to me, but I wanted to hit things which I think we’d all like.  And I didn’t want to come down to Galveston for a third day, as I wanted to see what else was in the Webster area.  I figure I’ll come back at some time later to hit that, as well as two other things which caught my attention (which is why I’m mentioning them here):  Haunted Mayfield Manor, and the Galveston Railroad Museum.  Both of these are located in the same vicinity of the Pirates, so all within easy access.

One item which I thought we’d get a more historical bang for our buck was the Pier 21 Theatre, which had a film on 1900 Hurricane.  Finding Pier 21 was easy (as they’re all marked with bright red flags), but find where to park was more difficult (as that wasn’t very well marked).  We did find the public lot, and the theatre would validate your parking for about two hours, so that’s a good little tidbit to know.

Since the naming of hurricanes has only been since the 1950’s, any prior storms where just usually known by the year it happened.  If there was more than one massive storm in a season, that was probably part of the reason why they were given “names.”  The hurricane that devastated Galveston in 1900 was aptly named “The Great Storm,” as it’s been the worst one to hit there in recorded history.  At that time, the island was only about eight feet above sea level, so a thirty-foot storm surge wielded massive destructive power.  The film showed the early footage of this thriving port city during the height of the cotton boom, followed by an explanation of the tragic events, and then the newsreels of the aftermath.  Hundreds dead, thousands injured, and millions in damage doesn’t even describe the impact.

Part of the presentation also showed how the entire city was lifted about eight feet, and the twenty-foot Seawall was built to protect against future storms.  It took a couple years to complete, and the millions it took to build where in the currency of the day (so a similar undertaking today would be in the billions, in order to put that in perspective).  There were many at the time who felt spending so much was foolish.  But when a hurricane in 1915 rolled through the area, and most of force was deflected by the Seawall, it showed this was well-worth the money.  As bad as Alicia and Ike were when they hit, their effects were also minimized because of this too.

We still had free time in the parking lot, so we went next door to the Texas Seaport Museum where the 1877 Tall Ship Elissa was, only to find the vessel was in the process of being refurbished.  The museum was open, but running at half-price because the main attraction wasn’t currently available.  The most destructive storm to roll into Galveston since 1900 was Hurricane Ike, with a tidal surge of 22 feet, and winds of 110 mph.  While the museum was severely damaged and subsequently repaired, the damage to the hull of Elissa remained undetected until 2011.  The were seriously rotted, so a restoration project began to save it.  We couldn’t go on the boat, but were still able to take pictures of it sitting in the dock.

In addition to information about the damage and restoration, the Texas Seaport Museum showed the history of the shrimping industry of the area (no Bubba Gump brand available here).  It also had a section on the waves of immigration (mostly Germans) that came through here, as Galveston was known for a period as “South Ellis Island”).  There were some other restaurants and small shops around the area within walking distance, so take advantage of the parking in the area.

We had another major target which we’d learned about on the tram tour, which was an old fashioned candy and ice cream store, except we couldn’t remember where it was (considering the zig-zag nature we’d done).  We remembered it was on one of the streets that paralleled the pier area (in the historic “Strand” district), so I just methodically went up and down each street.  That allowed us to see something which were mentioned on the tour that we didn’t get pictures of, like the arch constructed by the first Mardi Gras held on the island…

…to thing which were just sitting randomly in the city with any any given explanation.  This giant horn being one of the examples, as there was no indication as to why it was there.  This wasn’t a freakin’ music store, and I didn’t see any sign as to why what the significance was.  Let’s just chalk this up to pure weirdness.

Soon we located La King’s Confectionery, which dates back to the 1920’s, and still has that feel of that period.  It easy image this didn’t look very different than it did when it first opened.  The place also bought the recipes for “Purity Ice Cream,” which was Texas’ first ice cream manufacturer, founded back in 1889 in Galveston.  Of course we needed to stop and get ice cream.

I ordered my second chocolate milkshake of the day, and whoa Nelly, what a milkshake it was!  As a kid I remember ordering shakes, and the metal container they were mixed in being brought to you with the full cup (so there was enough for almost another serving there).  The milkshake I received at La King’s came in the metal mixing container, and held enough for _three full glassfuls_.  That was ultimate milkshake saturation, and worth every penny.  At that point, I couldn’t give a damn about dinner, because I was full for the evening.

We looked up and down all the cases which contained various types of candy.  These cases went as far as the building was long, so it was almost as long as the ice cream side of the building.  Since I work with some diabetics, I had to note the entire case of sugar-free candy.  With our sweet tooth satisfied, we made a quick discussion to see if there was anything else we wanted to hit while we were here.  The Moody Mansion was now closed for the day, but beyond that we reasonably hit everything in the area that we wanted to see.

On the drive out, we pulled into a random parking lot in order to get pictures of the statue of the Victory in the center of the main street.  We’d seen this previous day and on the tram tour, but weren’t in the position to get a good look at this.  The bronze figure alone is 22 feet tall.  This was the Texas Heroes Monument, dedicated by Henry Rosenburg in April 1900 to honor those who served in the Revolution of 1836.  A bit of lore was that she pointed in the direction of where the “red light” district was, back when this was a massive cotton port, so it was easy for the visiting sailors to locate their houses of ill-repute.  That’s a bit of trivia I’m sure isn’t widely known, except to those who deal in the historical nature of things.

It was rush hour again as we were leaving Galveston, and I made sure to point to my parents the circular blue roads signs here.  Those were the marked evacuation routes.  Now picture this bridge we were going over, and the entire population of the island trying to leave at once.  There’s a reason why you pay attention to the weather service.  We weren’t that hungry after our swim, and ended up having appetizers for dinner at a Cheddars (only because we knew what we get on the menu).  That gave us some opportunity to plan out our attack for the next day.

For more information on the places visited or mentioned:

            Rosenberg Library Museum:  http://rosenberg-library-museum.org/

            Star Drug Store:  http://www.galvestonstardrug.com/

            Pirates of the Gulf Coast:  http://www.piratesgulfcoast.com/

            Haunted Mayfield Manor:  http://www.hauntedmayfieldmanor.com/

            Galveston Railroad Museum:  http://www.galvestonrrmuseum.com/

            Pier 21 Theatre:  http://www.galvestonhistory.org/The_Great_Storm.asp

            Texas Seaport Museum:  http://www.galvestonhistory.org/texas_seaport_museum.asp

            La King’s Confectionery:  http://www.lakingsconfectionery.com/

            Texas Heroes Monument:  http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM8FP9_Texas_Heroes_Monument_Galveston_Texas

            ###  30  ###

Historic Tour of Galveston (Galveston, TX; September 2013 -- Part Four A)

DAY FOUR – 11 SEPTEMBER 2013:  SECOND DAY AT GALVESTON

On the previous day we’d been trying to hit specific things as they opened, so today we were going to explore the downtown Galveston area a bit more.  We had our breakfast at “The Egg and I” again, although our draw was only for a free beverage.  The first thing we did upon arriving on the island was to drive down towards the center portion, where a lot of the beach houses were.  Lee and I stayed near the vicinity of the village of Jamaica Beach when we were here in 2006, so I recognized some of the other buildings and things I’d forgotten on that trip.

We passed the mini-golf course (which had the giant ride to fling people into the air), and the corner store we got stuff from, as well as a small house that looked vaguely like a giant twenty-side dice.  I recall reading that a lot of places got damaged when Ike swept over the area in 2008, so the specific place I stayed out was probably gone.  Besides, there was no reason to drive down a side road to see it.  Mum mentioned this section reminded them a lot of the Outer Banks, with all the beach houses (up on stilts) near the coast.  It was interesting to see some of the rather large hotels raised up too, and I thought that was some engineering to be able to do that (that’s a lot of weight to support).

We went back northward along the Seawall, in order to get some more looks of the area.  To me, I wonder about those people who stay in these resort hotels, and have to cross a busy four-lane road in order to get to the steps to go down to the beach.  That wouldn’t be much of an attraction factor to me, because I wouldn’t want to play Frogger to be able to enjoy the ocean.  That was nice when I was in Myrtle Beach back in 1997, as we paid extra to have a place with beach access.

It took a few extra moments for us to locate the visitor’s center in downtown Galveston, because it was listed as a different location on my map.  It was located near the Galveston Fire Department, and because of what day it was, Dad said he wanted to stop and watch the memorial presentation.  They could do that as I got our bearings inside.  The lady at the visitor’s center had pulled out a map of the area, and I’d already noted what we’d hit yesterday, and a couple things we’d considered today.  She commented that most people that come in are never that organized, and that made her job easier.  I’d asked about the Seawolf WW2-era submarine (out on nearby Pelican Island), because I wanted to know if that was both pay to park, and pay to go in, or if we could just look at it from afar.  I figured Mum & Dad had no desire to go inside, but I’d want to look at it if I could.

While that was being checked on, we were informed about a historic tram tour which would be leaving from here in a few moments.  That sounded like a plan.  Self-guided driving tours of a city are nice, but you don’t get any information other than on the brochure (no chance to have any questions answered).  Also, the driver doesn’t really get to enjoy it, as they’re trying to figure out where to go next.  All of use being able to enjoy someone leading us about is much nicer.

Galveston Historic Tour was a golf-cart pulling us along, and it had a cover to provide shade.  Could’ve used cup holders, as I had to use my feet to keep hanging on to my water bottle.  The tour zig-zagged all over the downtown area, from the historic “Strand” district, to the eastern end (which was a bit less affluent).  Most of the houses were in the Victorian style, and extremely close together.  Some had been restored to their formerly glory, and others were in the process of doing so.

Having a guide (Joseph) to answer questions was nice, as he let us know those who restore the homes only have to keep the exterior historical (thus free to decorate the inside to their individual tastes).  He also pointed out the homes with a star-shaped plaque on them were the ones (the few) that survived the Hurricane of 1900, which pretty much flattened the island.  Other homes had other markers on them to mark the water level of various other storms.  That’s something that a self-guided tour wouldn’t necessarily get that information.

Businesses also had these markers on them, too, as seen by this pole outside of the Stork Club.  Each of the plaques has the names of the storm on them, which included 1961’s Carla and 2008’s Ike.  The city of Houston is only thirty-nine feet above sea level at its highest point, and Galveston was about a third lower.  Living near a coast which is subjected to hurricanes is dangerous, but it also lets you know what you have to prepare for.  Flood insurance is worth the price.

After Alicia tore through the area (back in August 1983), a number of trees were taken down.  The stumps that remained ended up being carved into statues as a way to show how the city survived.  These were all done by a single artist (with one notable exception).  One house (where movie director King Vidor once lived) had the Tin Man from Wizard of Oz, the firehouse had a Dalmatian…

…while others were intricately carved flower motif, or waves.  Now each of these stumps were still rooted, so there was some concern about them eventually rotting from the inside out.  You couldn’t really polyurethane or use some other sealant when parts were still in the ground, so that was something the tour guide said they were trying to figure out how to preserve these.

One stump which pointed out was that of a mermaid.  The guide told us that she had taken quite a battering during Hurricane Ike, so the city now referred to her a Tina.  Okay, I liked the twisted humor!

The carving of the guitar we could tell was of far less quality than the others, but it’s still a nice piece.  It showed someone’s devotion to his area.

During the tram tour, we were given so much information that it was hard to capture it all.  It wasn’t just that I wanted to note it for things to be included in this very blog, but other places to be able to visit ourselves, as a lunch or potential snack destinations.  There were a number of notable historic buildings here too, from the house with the widow’s nest…

…to the Moody Mansion, which is a place open for its own specific tours too.  Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to get a clear shot of that.  One that I did get a nice picture of was Bishop’s Palace.  I liked the look of that, as it reminded so much of Boldt Castle (back in New York’s Thousand Islands regions).  Given the time, we would’ve like to have gone inside these homes.  By the way, the picture I took isn’t backwards.  You can see by the fronds on the tree which direction the wind was blowing.  That’s why the “open” sing looks reversed.

The tram tour only lasted about an hour, but it was extremely worth it.  This is a highly recommended, as you got everything from a local.  I’m sure some of the locations Joseph pointed out were ones that he had some association with, as well as places which he considers his favorite, but I’d do the same things.  If you’re looking for a good place to eat, or some other venue, always start with what one of the residents recommends.

For more information on the places visited or mentioned:

            Galveston Seawall:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galveston_Seawall

            Galveston:  http://www.galveston.com/default.asp

            Seawolf Park:  http://www.galveston.com/seawolfpark/

            Galveston Historic Tour:  http://www.galveston.com/historictours/

            Moody Mansion:  http://www.moodymansion.org/

            Bishop’s Palace:  http://www.galvestonhistory.org/1892_bishops_palace.asp

*** 30 ***