Galveston Historic Home Tour and NASA, Kemah, Houston

Here's a bunch of pictures from the Home Tour on Sunday, May 13th.  I'll put captions on the pictures I remember.

What's interesting about Galveston is that they rebuilt the island after the 1900 hurricane.  They raised the entire island by 14 feet!  In one of the homes, they had pictures during the raising.  The roads were raised first, then they raised all the buildings.  In some of the homes, you'll see l-o-n-g staircases to the porch.  And that's because everything was raised up.  On some of these steps, you'll also see plaques that show the water line from the 1908 (I think it was 1908) flood from the hurricane.  

Lots of homes also have several plaques by the front entrance, which shows that it has been deemed a historical landmark, or on a previous historical homes tour.  Enjoy the pictures.

I didn't go inside this home.  The line up to get in went around the block.

This is an interesting home.  The door is on the far left of the building.  It was an old warehouse at one time.  Inside the door there is a long staircase to the upper level, and the entire upper level is their living space.

This is the back of the house shown above.

This is one of the tree sculptures.  They call the mermaid Tina, because she was battered by Ike!  

This is an interesting tree sculpture because half of it died, and there's still a tree growing .

This is a house being renovated by the Galveston Historical Society.  They fix the exterior, then  someone buys it and finishes the interior.

This is the start of the boardwalk at Kemah, TX.

Me on the boardwalk at Kemah.

A quick stop at NASA

This is the structure heading into Houston IAH Airport.  At night, it's all lit up.

My room at the OMNI Houston.  It was really nice.  I'm not sure why some people refuse to stay here.

Galveston Tree Sculpture Tour 2012

I went on the Galveston Tree Sculptures Tour.  It was great and interesting that most of the trees are oak, and they were killed off by hurricane Ike in 2008.  It was the saltwater that killed the trees, not the force of the storm.

The start of the tour.

This was the old post office and customs house.

A view along the street.

This is a Sealy street mansion, built in the 1880s, and a survivor of the 1900 hurricane.  Also a previous home on the Galveston Historic Homes Tour.

This dog is actually a tree sculpture and the owner of the property  dresses the dog for any occasion.  It was dressed for the election that day.

There are these parks all over the city.

Dolphims

Mermaid

Dolphin

I forget the significance of this one.

This is in a children's playground.  A grandmother reading stories to the grandchildren, and the characters from the stories are coming out the back of the chair.

This seat is close to the reading sculpture.

Crocodiles

And this is the house with the croc sculpture.  Our tour guide figured the owner was a transplant from New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

Dolphin

Owl

Squirrel

Herons

This is beside the Heron sculpture

This is the only sculpture our tour guide said that the owners did themselves.  The rest of the sculptures were done by commissioned artists.

This is a two-storey widow's walk on one of the homes.

Pelican or heron.  I'm not sure which one.

Frog

This is an angel.

Geisha girl facing East

Dog

Tin Man and Toto from Wizard of Oz.  See the note below.

Explanation of the Wizard of Oz theme.

This is common in Galveston.  Double wood doors to protect from winds and water.

Another mermaid.

Pelicans

This is outside the fire house in Galveston.

Dalmation at the fire house.

Fire hydrant at the fire house.