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People Love The History, But Not The Beaches


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These photos were taken during the 4th of July weekend at Terramar Beach in Galveston. The seaweed didn't smell offensive and it wasn't loaded up with trash, it was just a little inconvenient to walk on or around. The water was great though, warm and not any big undercurrent action. Also, the beach house was beautiful and affordable, an easy drive down to Galveston, easy to walk around, lots to see and do, good restaurants, not overcrowded and it felt safe to be out during the day or night. All in all, a great time and I'm already making plans to go there again before the summer's over. Galveston & Garner State Park, two great treasures of Texas. BTW, anybody got any recent photos from Garner?

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Although Galveston attracts people from across North America, nearly 90 percent are from Texas. And 72 percent are from just up the road in the greater Houston area.

So what kinds of people like to visit the island? Based on the demographic profile of those who stay overnight, they own their own homes and are between ages 25 and 44.

The largest visitor group, at 11 percent, is described as

Edited by pineda
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The last thing Galveston needs is a flashy slogan. How about Galveston - Be Yourself! ?

I do agree Broadway is ghetto-glam.

This past weekend was a beautiful weekend at the beach.

Turquoise water as far as the eye can see. I have no sympathy for people who don't understand how sand bars make the close in water sandy.

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more about the seaweed in Galveston

The Gulf of Mexico is second only to the Sargasso Sea in the quantity of Sargassum weed.
-snip-
The Sargassum weed is important for the health of the coastal habitat. It provides a place for several animals to hide while they hunt for food. Spadefish and small sea turtles swim near the seaweed looking for an easy meal of shrimp and crabs.

As the currents deposit the Sargassum on the beach, humans scoop the smelly seaweed up and put it in piles near the dunes. This can hold the sandy dunes in place long enough for other plants to take root. This action can help new dunes form thus keeping beach erosion at bay. This unique community of plants and animals can adapt and survive in many places. Looking at the seaweed and its partners can also be a source of entertainment and education for people of all ages.

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Looking at the seaweed and its partners can also be a source of entertainment and education for people of all ages.

See, now that's precisely the attitude that the Galveston tourism council needs to take in order to effectively advertise out of state. I can see it now...people in rural Missouri turning on the TV and hearing the phrase:

"Galveston! Where even the seaweed is a source of entertainment for all ages!"

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I DEFINITELY think they need to clean up that seaweed, at least before a weekend! Good grief. I don't remember the beach being like that when I was a kid.

We're renting a beach house in Pirate's Beach for Labor Day and I sure hope it isn't nasty like that. Gross! :blink:

As for finding their identity, why force a label on themselves? People who love Galveston love it for various reasons. I mean, for years people could not understand the allure of Key West...now you can't find a cardboard box in which to live on the island for under $800K. :lol: They only really have one decent beach...and it's man-made, at that...

Galveston needs to invest in some good-looking palms that are sub-tropically resistant and start planting them on the beach dunes. They can recycle that seaweed and turn it to mulch, or like they mentioned, they can use a big dozer/rake to clean it up and dump it on the dunes to help erosion.

It does kinda stink, though, if it sits and rots long enough. Yuck.

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Folks this happens in Galveston just about every Summer when the winds prevail Southeast. In other words, when you see the green water hanging out for awhile, the seaweed's not far behind.

Edited by Gary
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Forgive me if this is an ignorant question, but what would it take to make the beaches look nice? Is there any way we could make the water clearer? Maybe some kind of barrier off the coast of Galveston? I'm not sure if this is even technically possible, just curious.

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Forgive me if this is an ignorant question, but what would it take to make the beaches look nice? Is there any way we could make the water clearer? Maybe some kind of barrier off the coast of Galveston? I'm not sure if this is even technically possible, just curious.

Is it technically possible? Yes. Do we want to? No.

Putting up a barrier would create what amounts to a massive harbor and would kill the wave action.

In theory, one possible solution would be to extend the dikes that already come off of the tips of Galveston and Bolivar further out or to curve them in such a way that the water coming out of the bay is deposited entirely onto Bolivar's beach and not to Galveston. But it'd be very expensive, may have severely adverse impacts upon Galveston Bay's ecology, and would never fly politically.

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It really is easy to tell that we're in Texas. In North Carolina, they are militant about keeping the state natural. No man-made barriers are allowed on the Outer Banks. It took decades to finish the Blue Ridge Parkway, because some of the bridges were too intrusive. Not until the engineers figured out how to curve one around a mountain was it completed.

But, here, we have no compunction about tearing things up, or paving over nature. And, if nature doesn't cooperate by looking the way we saw in a magazine somewhere, we want to "clean it up a bit". It's really strange.

Texas is not alone in this approach to nature. Florida, South Carolina, Mississippi and Alabama love to build 30 story condos in the middle of their dunes, too. Most of Florida's white sand was trucked in from somewhere else to make it "look right". But, the insistence on nature not looking dirty is a strange quirk.

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The last thing Galveston needs is a flashy slogan. How about Galveston - Be Yourself! ?

I agree the with the "Be Yourself" slogan.

I'm afraid that Galveston as I have known it - is about to change. Here they go hiring experts to come up with fancy slogans and increase tourism. And like Kehma, the mom and pop businesses are going to fade away while "Mr. Landry" builds as many restaurants as he can fit. And gambling can be back before we know it. Even the expert admits he likes hearing the stories about the Balinese Room . Hell, I like hearing those stories myself. And sometimes I even wonder if gambling would be such a bad thing for Galveston. If we could we contain it just to Galveston, then perhaps it would be cool. But I dont think that is possible.

Galveston has been growing at rapid speeds lately...and I'm not against all of what Fertitta has brought to the island. I hope to see Galveson prosper.

Anyone been to the new Schlitterbahn? I have not heard anything good or bad.

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Florida, South Carolina, Mississippi and Alabama love to build 30 story condos in the middle of their dunes, too.

There was an article in a South Carolina newspaper about how these condos are being built closer to the shore thanks to beach renourishment. Never mind the potential hurricane that will blow it all away.

But the nice thing about the beaches in the Southeast is that one can look out into the ocean and not see an offshore oil platorm or oil tanker. Now, I hear Congress wants to open the East Coast up to offshore drilling. Shame.

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A couple of weeks ago I spent 2 days driving along the gulf coast of Florida and was amazed at the new construction..... Beautiful houses and condos right ON the beach. Makes you wonder how the goverment is going to pay all those windstorm losses.

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I've been to the new Schlitterbahn, and it was REAL crowded. It's not that large, and there was still construction going on (some new rides, and a new Pirate kids play thing). I went about two weeks ago.

Also, Surfside Beach is a good, too. I actually enjoy it more than Galveston Beach.

Edited by Trae
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But the nice thing about the beaches in the Southeast is that one can look out into the ocean and not see an offshore oil platorm or oil tanker. Now, I hear Congress wants to open the East Coast up to offshore drilling. Shame.

Cuba is actually pursuing drilling closer to the Florida shore than any U.S. proposal.

Edited by sevenmeadows
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