The Spirit of 2005: Galveston (Part One)

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It was a Friday in September 2005. I had a Redwall book report due the following Monday (and I only read half of it), I had a sore throat, I had to go to tae kwon do lessons (a short-lived venture, and we are not going to talk about it here...ever), but I still wanted to go with my brother, mother, and father on a business trip to Galveston.

At around 5:00, we set off. I had my Redwall book and the WingNuts soundtrack. At that time, Texas 40 was not yet complete, and Highway 6 in its original state. I noticed many things along Highway 6 that I would really never see again, including concrete medians, the Peach Creek Road intersection, and others. I did not notice if the Robert Road intersection had a crossing with gates, for instance.

By the time we got to Hempstead, it was definitely evening, and by the time we got to Houston, it was most definitely dark. Since it was too dark to read anymore, I decided to continue listening to WingNuts music while staring at the various strip malls, all brightly lit for the night. Regrettably, in years past, the brands included the once-venerable Service Merchandise, but I was still fascinated.

Eventually, we passed by the Foley's office building and the doomed Astroworld. Six Flags announced that Astroworld would be closed and demolished (admittedly, it had been declining for several years). Foley's corporate building would be closed and merged into Macy's South in Atlanta. It was an end of an era. As the approach to Galveston continued, the city lights disappeared. Eventually we got to a Walgreen's (to get some cough drops), passed the stalwart H-E-B Pantry Foods (Pantry Foods had pulled out of the B-CS area), and eventually got to a suite on the Galveston coastal road. It was a nice suite hotel (with condos mixed in!) but the rent was very cheap of a hotel like that due to the off-season and the fact that the beach was mostly washed away. Tomorrow, there would be much to see and do.

The H-E-B Pantry

Allegedly the old Foley's offices

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Also, pay attention to this page by tomorrow, as I can embellish it with links, maps, and images.