David and another dad took four of the kids fishing from one of the piers in Galveston.
Later in the day, a mom and I took the two oldest teens to Pleasure Pier. At the end of the pier there was a row of wooden rocking chairs where she and I sat and rocked while sipping on some libations, looking out over the ocean.
(Instagram photo credit, Miss Mabel)
Good night, Tuesday. You did not disappoint.
(Sunset on one side of our camper)
Buenos dias, Wednesday!
Your glorious sunrise was a clue for us about how amazing the day would be! :)
(Sunrise on the other side of our camper.)
Some of the younger ones headed to the on-site pond for some catch and release fishing before having a group pancake breakfast.
Our family and another decided to head to Surf Side Beach (about a 25 minute drive south of our resort) for a day of swimming, sun, fishing, and picnicking. Oh my gosh! We had a BLAST!
This girl! She definitely has a saltwater soul :)
Some of my husband's favorite moments were catching (2) Black Tip Sharks and (1) Spanish Mackerel.
Then we cleaned up and headed out for a dinner. I LOVE these people!
The restaurant was delicious, it had views of the ocean across the street, and we had a mariachi band serenade us.
A little bit of souvenir shopping afterward topped the night off.
What a wonderful day we had!
Thursday! I'm so glad we extended our stay to enjoy another day by the coast.
Miss Mabel and I went into town to take a tour of the historic Bishop's Palace.
Built in 1892, for the Walter and Josephine Gresham family (9 children), this incredibly gorgeous, Victorian mansion survived every major hurricane since 1900.
From the website::
The house is listed in the National Register of Historic Places at the national level of significance in the area of architecture. Architectural historians list the Bishop’s Palace (Gresham House) as one of the most significant of Victorian residences in the country.
As Mabel and I stood in awe inside the foyer, we were imagining how magnificent it would have been to attend one of the many balls!
How I love history!!
The house was built from 1887 to 1892 for Colonel Walter Gresham and his wife Josephine, with whom he had nine children. An attorney and entrepreneur, Gresham came to Galveston from Virginia following his service in the Civil War. He was a founder of the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad, eventually working to bring about the merger of the Santa Fe with the Atchison and Topeka Railroad. He also served in the Texas Legislature.
(Everything is original - except the phone which was added later.)
In 1923, the Diocese of Galveston purchased the house where it then served as the residence for Bishop Christopher Byrne. After the diocesan office was moved to Houston, the diocese opened the house to the public in 1963 for donation. The funds operated the Newman Center (from the basement) for Catholic students attending college nearby.
We stopped for some delicious custard on our way back to the resort. Yum-my!
Friday was time to say good-bye to our cherished vacation.
We really hated to leave and since then, we have dreamed of being back on the island. The good news is the other families are part of our church family so we get to see them each week at Mass.
David and the guys are heading back over Christmas vacation for a fishing trip, and we all agreed to go back to that resort next summer for another joint vacation with friends. We can hardly wait.
I'm so grateful for this time especially since we agreed it was our best vacation ever.
Until next then...
Patty
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