“Hurricane ike is charging toward the Texas and Louisiana coastline. It’s expected to make landfall within hours. Our meteorologists say the storm will bring certain death to people who refuse to evacuate from Galveston Island.” Oh that beautiful Galveston Island. I remember our trip there like a distant dream. My dad’s job took him out of town alot, and in the summer that meant free hotel stays when we visited him. In this economy that was a blessing for us. Day one I remember being hot and humid. It was a five hour drive from saginaw to Galveston, long, but pretty scenery.
When We finally got to the hotel the whole family was eager to explore, to see the ocean. We loaded the Pacifica and headed for kemah boardwalk. The boardwalk was big and colorful. Tons of blues and greens, bright popping reds, and subtle yellows. Every time we peaked over the rail we saw gigantic schools of fish– easy pickings for anyone with a hook and line. There was so many restaurants on that huge boardwalk , but we finally decided on the tall seafood restaurant with the deck overlooking the gulf. It was around sunset and the ocean was magical looking.
We spent the next day at the beach digging our toes into the soft warm sand. It was funny to watch all the sunburnt tourists run around. Th water was nice, cool, and salty. My father and I raced to see who can go out the farthest. We rode waves back and forth from the shore. Too bad at the end of the day the battery on the car died and we were stranded there on that beach. By the time the coast patrol finally found us some jumper cables we were starving and my siblings and I complained till our parents took us to this little sandwich shop before stopping to get a new battery. Good food, real good food, but bad mistake. We needed jumping again. We went over our weekend budget with the new battery, and had to head home.
Of course I was upset that I didn’t get to finish our exploration of Galveston Island. I didn’t get to see the gorgeous historical district, or visit the stunning houses that stood tall on stilts over the ocean in bright, spring colors. Yet I learned to appreciate the time I spent there when it was all destroyed by the beaslty hurricane Ike. The hurricane hit Galveston on September 13, 2008. Two weeks after we left the area. The lively Kemah Boardwalk was crumbled to nothing but a toothpick. No more vibrant colors. No more schools of fish. No more decks overlooking the unforgiving gulf. I still have the stubs from all the rides that are now ruined by the once beautiful waters. They now sit on my dresser to remind me of the fun no one else will feel again. The beaches that were warm and inviting became littered with the trash of the storm. No longer warm. No longer inviting. The small sandwich shop, gone. The tall houses on stilts that once stood proud over the tormenting sea, gone. The historical district left as rubble. All the colors, all the memories left gray by the storm. Times like these I am glad my mother is a camera junkie. I look at all the photos of what was and I’m glad I spent the time that I did there. Too bad it takes a devestating tragedy to make people appreciate the places they visit.
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