Dozen Distinctive Destinations
Galveston, TX
Year Listed: 2003
In a state known for its bigness, Galveston is small - but what this Texas city lacks in size, it makes up for in spirit. Founded in 1839 on an island in the Gulf of Mexico, Galveston soon became a major seaport and gateway to the Southwest. The final decades of the 19th century marked the heyday of this "Queen City of the Gulf," with go-getters making fortunes in cotton, banking, publishing, printing, railroads and shipping. The boom years ended with the deadliest natural disaster in U.S. history: the great 1900 hurricane, which killed 6,000 and smashed much of the city to rubble. Galveston rose again, and today its proud past is remembered in more than 550 structures listed in the National Register of Historic Places -- including the Hotel Galvez and the Tremont House, two of the National Trust's Historic Hotels of America. The East End and Silk Stocking historic districts are a treasure-trove for architecture buffs, while the blocks along The Strand, once known as the Wall Street of the Southwest, offer interesting shops, restaurants and art galleries. Kids will enjoy visiting an offshore oil rig, venturing into a tropical rain forest at Moody Gardens, or exploring the Texas Seaport Museum. And the whole family can play in the sand and surf on the island's 32 miles of beach.
