Originally published in Motorcycles On The Road Again, May 2007.
In the last couple of years Galveston Island has become a popular destination for motorcycle enthusiasts.
Whether they come down in November for the rally, spend a week on the island on vacation or just organize a short ride down with their friends they come and they enjoy the charm and the hospitality of Galveston.
The Strand is lined with old buildings that are generally over 100 years old. The Historic Partnership has worked very hard to protect and preserve the character and style of these buildings and the result is a frozen slice of the year 1900.
There is an eclectic assortment of shops that line the Strand offering unique products from handcrafted arts to unique clothing, outstanding dining (see the article about Luigi's Ristorante in this issue) and fun entertainment at establishments such as JUJU'S and Yaga's. If you are looking for something a little more traditional the hamburgers at Fuddruckers are fantastic.
Spend the night in luxurious style at the Tremont House Hotel just a block from The Strand.
Post Office Street, a couple of blocks south of The Strand, has its own unique personality and character. Post Office Street tends to have more art galleries, antique shops, restaurants and clubs. For entertainment don't miss one of the great shows, plays or concerts at The Grand 1894 Opera House. Catch Willie Nelson, B.B. King or Greater Tuna here and you will be treated to a show that is "up close and personal".
Go north from The Strand across Harborside Drive to be treated to the Island's best seafood at Willie G's, or Fishermen's Wharf. The Harbor House at Pier 21 Hotel offers luxury rooms with great views of Galveston, the ship channel and some incredible sunrises and sunsets.
Moody Gardens
Bring the entire family and spend a week at Moody Gardens. The glass pyramids visible from the causeway as you come onto the island are part of the Moody Gardens complex. There is an Aquarium Pyramid, a Rainforest Pyramid, an IMAX theater and a Discovery Pyramid.
For an exciting thrill try the Ridefilm Theater. You are strapped in to an 18-seat theater and virtually surrounded by a 180-degree, seamless, spherically shaped screen. The exciting high quality film combined with awesome sound make you part of the action with all the thrills, spills and adrenaline pumping action of the real thing.
Let the kids and teens splash in the waters of the Palm Beach recreation area or take the entire family on a cruise on the Colonel Paddle wheeler. Enjoy an outstanding dinner or entertainment ranging from Dixieland Jazz Bands to pianists to strolling musicians.
Cruise Galveston
Carnival opened up Galveston as a port for Cruise Ships in the fall of 2000 and the SUCCess has been incredible.
Now, in addition to Carnival, Royal Caribbean, Princess and Celebrity each sail from Galveston with a combined fleet of seven ships and a total passenger capacity of over 16,000 including the newly assigned Royal Caribbean Voyager of the Seas — carrying over 3,100 passengers, this 50,000 ton behemoth will be the largest cruise ship to ever sail from a Galveston port.
Passengers sailing from Galveston have options of cruises ranging from 4 to 7 nights with destination choices including Cozumel, Belize, Key West, Honduras, Jamaica, and the Panama Canal. There are even some trans-Atlantic crossings from Galveston.
The easiest way to Cruise Galveston is to contact GalvestonCruises. com — they fOCUS exclusively on cruises from Galveston and they are there to make your experience as pleasant as possible. Visit their website for group discounted specials that cannot be matched anywhere else.
Since the fall of 2000, when Carnival started cruising from Galveston, GalvestonCruises.com has specialized in Galveston cruises, offering expert advice and great rates on cruises from Galveston.
GalvestonCruises.com focuses exclusively on cruises from Galveston. This dedication to the Galveston cruise market allows their agents to understand details that can make the difference in your cruise experience.
With offices are located just a few blocks from The Ship Terminal they are available before and after your cruise to assist you in any way.
We encourage you to review their website, call one of their agents, and review their pricing. You will note that on many dates, the group discounted prices can not be matched by other agencies or individual reservations made directly with the cruise lines.
SEAFOOD LUIGI' LUIGI'S Luigi's Ristorante Italiano
Perhaps when you visit the Isle of Galveston your first thought on food is seafood and to be honest, that is understandable being surrounded as you are by ocean. But here's a suggestion as you start to feel that rumble in your tummy. Luigi's Italian Restaurant located on the Historic Strand.
The 1895 Sealy-Hutchings bank building sits on the corner of the Strand & 24th and right inside is the Zagat highly recognized restaurant of owner Luigi Ferré, aptly named "Luigi's Ristorante Italiano". Step inside and you might be greeted by Chef Luigi's powerful baritone operatic solo. The atmosphere is at once casual, yet elegant, probably a combination that comes from the exposed brick walls, high ceilings, archways, Italian murals and tables all dressedup in linen cloths and napkins. Bottles of wine decorate one wall in tall racks built between the brick columns; there for your consideration.
An Italian trattoria is loosely defined as a family-run restaurant and the food and service are usually more casual than in a ristoranti but also warmer and more personal. Clients become regulars at trattorie because their tastes and preferences become known, and they become part of the family. I tell you from my heart; Mr. Ferré has successfully aligned the two, the casual and the elegant, into one. I feel as a member of the family when I am there and am most welcomed into the warmth by the excellently trained and attentive staff.
Chef Luigi opened his masterpiece in June 1997 with the standard contemporary and classic Italian cuisine and fresh and innovative new "Luigi classics". One that springs to my mind and mouth is the Portobello mushroom with crab meat. I shall cry should this ever leave the menu as I did when the salad with crab meat disappeared. But never fear, Luigi Ferré is not one to let his clientele sob for what they miss. Say the word and he is in the kitchen whipping up that dish you remember from your last visit.
Menu items include the standards Italian favorites like lasagna, chicken parmesan, along with a number of other pasta dishes like Tagliatelle e Salmone Fumicato (homemade fettuccini pasta with alfredo sauce and fresh smoked salmon on top), lamb, beef and veal dishes are also listed for instance veal piccata and "Piatti Forti," the Costollete Alla Griglia (Grilled veal chop with mixed steamed vegetables).
And while you may not yet be hungry, you might want to take a stool at the bar in the front of the ristorante and sip your drink or glass of wine and watch the strollers on the strand pass by on their way to shop. I promise you won't be disappointed.
2328 Strand Galveston, TX 77550
Hours of Operation Mon – Thur (Lunch) llam – 2:30pm (Dinner) 5:30 – 9pm Fri & Sat: (Lunch) llam – 2:30pm (Dinner) 5:30 – IO:OOpm april 14-15 2007
The Diner
The bikers who attend the Lone Star Rally have found The Diner — in a recent year The Diner served several thousand eggs during the rally weekend. That was because The Diner serves the best, reasonably priced breakfasts that I have ever eaten.
Don't just take my word for it; The Diner won the Best Breakfast award by the TexasTravel Counselors, sponsored by the Texas Department of Transportation. This is a café that seems to be right out of the 40's or 50's and not much has changed — and that is a good thing. The food is outstanding, the waitresses are friendly and efficient and everyone makes you feel right at home.
"Mom" has been running this place for quite a few years and it is apparent. Most of the customers are regulars and they and Mom seem to know each other well. One thing that is for sure is that Mom will be there overseeing everything and making sure that her friends (you will think of her as a friend as soon as you meet her) are treated well and enjoy their visit.
The freshly baked biscuits are homemade and served piping hot with plenty of butter, jams, jellies and syrup available. Maybe, as my wife does, you prefer to split open the biscuit and make it into a sausage biscuit.
The Belgian waffles are crisp and come from a special waffle iron that bakes them in the shape of the State of Texas — where else can you find waffles, hamburgers, buns and just about anything else you can imagine in the shape of the state? Texans truly are different and rightfully proud of their state and their heritage.
Don't tell my cardiologist but in researching this article (hey, that is my job) my breakfast consisted of a Texas-shaped Belgian waffle, bacon, sausage, gravy, eggs, grits, orange juice and coffee. With a breakfast like that you are ready to go plow the "back 40" or to ride a few hundred miles before you feel the need to stop for lunch.
For lunch you might consider one of the hand-breaded chicken fried steaks, fried fish, shrimp fresh from the Gulf, one of the daily specials or maybe just a half-pound burger with all the trimmings. Top all of that off with a refreshing glass of iced tea and you are going to be one very happy camper.
Once you cross the causeway onto the Island is very easy to get to The Diner, take the 61st. street exit from 1-45 and turn right on 61st. The Diner will be on your right about a 100-yards from the turn.
The Diner opens at 6 am and closes at 2 pm. They are closed on Wednesdays. Galveston is a resort area so the hours make fluctuate seasonally. Their phone is 409-744-
After your meal do something to work off those calories!
Galveston – The Legends Live On
Carmen Juch
Sitting in a movie theatre it seems easy enough to imagine pirates, eye patches, peg legs and all, hobbling the streets of Galveston in "days of yore" but when you walk the actual streets, well it may be harder to stretch your imagination.
There are tell-tale signs of the old pirate influence; you just have to know where to look and who to listen to for the stories.
Let's face facts, pirates weren't necessarily the best people in the neighborhood, but a few managed to end their lives in Galveston on a high note. Although they protested being called pirates, among them were Jim Campbell, Jean Lafitte's favorite sea captain, John Lambert who became the island's leading butcher (fitting I assume), Stephen Churchill, who ran the ferry and Charlie Cronea.
And then there was a man known as 'Crazy Ben' Dollivar. Of this group, Ben's story seems to be the most interesting one to tell. Raised in the mid to late 1700's by an uncle who was heartless and worked Ben ruthlessly in the cotton fields, he knew nothing of his parents or origins. He ran away and eventually became an artilleryman under Gen. Simon Bolivar and later joined forces with Jean Lafitte.
The people in town gave him his "road" name because apparently he had a habit of talking and arguing to himself. That coupled with the
.wSÅ fact he was homeless yet seemed to have a stash of gold certainly clinched the nickname. The other ex-pirates held down jobs and that went a long way in the town to earn them some respect but Ben was the town drunk who owned neither shoes nor a home although apparently he had access to gold.
Much like I imagine we bikers are likely to do, this group would meet up for drinks occasionally to discuss the old days and swap stories but never shared their stories with the locals and oft times that meeting happened at a place called The Oyster Saloon. Legend has it, and most say it's a fact, that when the group met and it was 'Crazy Ben's' turn to pay ijtn for the drinks, he paid with a SpaniSh gold doubloon. The fact that the coins were worth much more than what the drinks total came to didn't seem to be something 01' Ben bothered with thinking too much about.
The fact that his appearance was very "pirate-like" probably didn't help matters for Ben much with the town folk; he had an abundance of scars and was not considered attractive, to say the least, and it was quite easy to get him into an argument without meaning to. He was a tough old bird, living out his life out doors with only a pair of pants to keep him from the elements.
Like bikers tend to do, these old pirates looked out for Ben and that probably helped him make it into old age.
In July 1858 a clipper-built yacht sailed into Galveston Bay and docked at Kuhn's Wharf.
The name painted on its stern was "Sea Rover of New Orleans." The crew consisted of four bearded sailors who looked as if they had seen better days and a young captain. The captain came ashore and asked if anyone could help him locate Ben' Dollivar and Churchill volunteered. Several hours later, Ben and the strangers returned to Dock 6, rented a small sloop and sailed out of the harbor.
Experience:
The rest is gossip and hearsay but Ben, the crew and captain returned to the yacht. Ben told one of his old friends, Churchill, that he planned to spend his last days in New Orleans. The young captain claimed to be Jean Lafitte's nephew and promised to care for Ben and provide for his whiskey needs during Ben's old age in exchange for the secret of the where the gold hoard was hid.
Maybe Ben really had little choice in the matter for most believe that when the yacht reached open sea Dollivar would be murdered and thrown overboard as fish food.
Whatever his fate may have been that day was the last Galveston ever saw 01 "Crazy Ben".
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