welcome to galveston

Did you know there is a Big Lots right down the street from the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center? Now you do! OK, moving on...

Galveston had a familiar air to it. And I'm not just talking about the smell. The beach and marshy areas are reminiscent of coastal Mississippi and Louisiana, while the historic Strand district calls to mind the antique stores of downtown Ponchatoula.



We parked near the harbor and spent the afternoon walking the Strand. The Peanut Butter Warehouse was a bust. Nothing exciting going on there, especially not the woman who sits behind the counter and stares at you the whole time!

We saw FiestaWare in just about every color at Yesterday's Best, for all you enthusiasts out there. Anybody? Anybody? (Bueller?)



Hendley Market made for an interesting stop. I made sure to look for the three-legged kitty that crawls out onto the skylight of the 1855 building and catnaps on the glass high above customers' heads. No sign of the kitty, but there was a dog hanging out behind the counter.

The ladies who work there are friendly, and when I asked for a lunch recommendation, they pointed us to Eatcetera, an artsy cafe that was brought to life by one of their former co-workers.



I had the ham, cheese and asparagus panini. It was simple and delicious.

We passed some landmark buildings and ducked in and out of a few more shops on the way back. The whole neighborhood was pretty laid back, though they were gearing up for one of their biggest events: Dickens on the Strand. Exciting? Did we miss out or did we leave just in time? Maybe we'll never know.



After a few hours soaking in the Strand, we were ready to check out the beach scene.



We checked in at the hotel and walked across the street, down the seawall and onto the sand. The waves were rolling in, lazily. It was relaxing to watch it.



We walked around by the pier and caught sight of a humongous rat as it scurried across the boardwalk. Farther up on the pier, we found quite an afflicted-looking cat on the rocks.



It was watching the sun set or something and obviously did not want to be bothered; when I called to it, it turned its head slowly and gave me an evil look! Did kitty catch some atrocious disease from the rat -- or maybe it's that 40 ounce it had just finished off?



After the beach, we went to Shrimp N Stuff, where the locals eat. I'm convinced that the locals may be crazy. One of the customers, an old woman, looked sorta mysterious and witchy. She had long stringy gray hair, a big frumpy coat and a denim hat modeled after the one that made Paddington Bear famous.

While waiting for her order, she made a few trips out to her car and then back to join her companion, another old woman, at the table. I had decided they were hermits, one Hampton short of a Grey Garden. Then our frozen shrimp arrived and I got distracted.

On the way out, we passed by their car. There was so much junk in the backseat, I had to avert my eyes. But not before noticing the bumper sticker that read What's The Hurry? You're Already in Austin. I figure these crazy old ladies may be what is keeping Austin weird.

No judgment?

None taken.

We quickly drove away and headed to the next Galveston highlight... Hastings! It's like Barnes and Noble but they also carry used items. I bought a few DVDs at a great price, and Sam bought a basket load! It was a cool place. We celebrated our finds with ice cream at Ben & Jerry's on the beach. Pretty good day.