TravelWorld International Magazine Summer 2024

You’re not in Egypt. You’re in Galveston. The three pyramids—
Aquarium, Rainforest, and Discovery Museum.
Moody Gardens Hotel & Pyramids
Photo Courtesy of Visit Galveston
Absolute Equality Mural
Photo Courtesy of Visit Galveston
JUNETEENTH
Galveston is packed with history,
heartbreak, and a lot of good food
and fun. From beaches to shopping
on The Strand to visiting a pyramid,
you’re also bound to fall in love
with the 32-mile sandbar that has
weathered many storms. What you
may not know is that the deadliest
natural disaster in U.S. history—the
1900 Storm, occurred in Galveston,
in which more than 6,000 people lost
their lives on this fateful September
day. Before the storm, Galveston
was the second richest city per
capita in the United States and was
even dubbed the “Wall Street of
the South.” “Resilience” is a word
you’ll often hear around the island
to describe Galvestonians—also
friendly and warm. In Galveston
you can feel comfy wearing cowboy
boots or flip flops. I’ll always choose
pink flip flops, but you be you.
BEACH
WHEELCHAIR
PROGRAM
When I learned about this program,
I knew I was a Galveston convert.
Galveston takes their accessibility
seriously, as should each city. They
have ramps to the sand and access
decking that wheelchairs can roll out
to the water on. When Galveston
originally put in the portable
decking, they didn’t realize that
strollers and others with wheels, like
rolling ice chests, would also use
the decking. Beach wheelchairs are
available at all Park Board-operated
beach parks in Galveston for free
and without reservations on a first
come first-served basis. Cory Lee
with CurbFree visited Stewart Beach
and made a video of him rolling on
the accessible beach mats. Galveston
truly is a pioneer in making their city
accessible for most.
MOODY GARDENS,
THE AQUARIUM
PYRAMID
You can explore the deep blue sea in
the Gulf of Mexico, the South Pacific,
and the Caribbean at Moody Gardens.
My favorite part of the Aquarium were
the animal encounters. You can meet
a penguin! Or a sea otter! Or an owl
with piercing eyes. This is a great place
to bring kiddos. Moody Gardens,
a 242-acre facility, really is an ideal
family vacay spot, with multiple
attractions, comfy rooms, a great pool
where parents can swim long laps, and
amazing food. The breakfast buffet
had a great selection—from egg dishes
to fresh fruit. Moody Gardens is also
wheelchair friendly. The buildings
have ramps leading to the entrances
and wheelchair accessible bathrooms.
The man-made lagoons have ramps to
get into the water.
While Juneteenth became a federal
holiday in 2021 when President
Joe Biden signed the Juneteenth
National Independence Day Act into
law, it began at the southwest corner
of 22nd and Strand in Galveston
when General Gordon Granger set
up his Union Headquarters. You
can take the self-guided Freedom
Walk Tour on their own and
visit five historic sites. They can
also download an app and take
the “Freedom Walk Challenge.”
Some of the sites include Pier 21
and the Middle Passage Marker,
which commemorates enslaved
Africans during the 18th and 19th
centuries or the Ashton Villa, the
site where the Galveston community
commemorate the General Order
No. 3 through a reading, prayer
breakfast, and reenactment. Other
sites include the “Absolute Equality
Mural” and Galveston’s Juneteenth
Exhibit, “And Still We Rise…"
And Still We Rise…
Galveston’s Juneteenth Story
HISTORICAL
IMMIGRATION
Galveston was the second largest
point of immigration into the
U.S. behind Ellis Island in the
1800s. You can visit Galveston’s
Maritime Industry Past and
Present and experience what
immigrants experienced as they
sailed to America at the “Ship to
Shore” exhibit. Also, Galveston
is the 4th busiest cruise port in
the United States, so you can visit
the new Royal Caribbean cruise
terminal or just watch the ships
and dream of your next vacation.
Historical Ship "Elissa"
at theTexas Seaport Museum
Photo Courtesy of Visit Galveston
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