Day Two in Galveston was dominated by visits to the beautiful Victorian era homes. We started at Bishop’s Palace. There is a self-guided audio tour. There are no student, senior, or military discounts but if you grab a card from the Galveston Welcome Center, you can get a $1 a ticket. (It was still a bit pricey $39 for 3 adults, 2 kids). The kids enjoyed the tour as they were responsible for following the posters and typing in the corresponding number on a cell-phone like device. We were a bit disappointed that a good deal of the house was under construction but what we did see was stunning.
I will share a couple of my snapshots here but we’re setting up a Tumblr page for hubby’s pics. He really captured the beauty. Of course, that is his profession. I’ll share that with you soon. For now, here’s a glimpse at some of the beautiful details.
The entry stairwell is gorgeous and not at all done justice by me.
And anyone who knows me knows, baths are one of my sacrifices with trailer life. I told Mr. Hero this is the kind of bathroom I needed when we go back to brick & mortar.
The house has an amazing history in Galveston beyond its beauty. I hope we can visit again sometime when more rooms are open.
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Feeling good about our experience there, we moved down Broadway to visit the Moody Mansion. This is also the location of the Children’s Museum. They do offer many discounts including military (though not retired or disabled vet) and if you buy them at the same time, the Children’s Museum tickets are half price — a very reasonable $3. You must buy them at the Moody ticket window, the Children’s Museum cannot sell the combo tickets.
The tours are guided and long, about an hour and a half. And thats where we made our mistake. The next tour was 1:00 and I didn’t ask how long it would be. And because of security, you can’t come and go. The building is locked with a key. We had not eaten lunch and I tried to push through. Well, Sonny-Bunny takes after his Momma and gets sick/faint if he runs too long without food. After the third room, we realized, he would never make it. Fortunately, we were able to catch the docent before she got too far from the main door to let us out.
It was a disappointment, however. The amount of history in that one house is stunning. Unlike the Bishops Palace, they have recreated and/or restored the original decor. It is lush and Little Diva was really paying attention. She asked a question in each room. Also, this momma was interested. Little Diva and I may make a trip back some day. Note: Also, unlike Bishops Palace, photos are not allowed.
As we had already bought our Children’s Museum tickets, we found a nearby McDonalds and fed the “starving” boy. We did successfully return but after a lot of grumbling reflection. It is expensive to attend museums like this. I need to plan ahead better for discounts/budgets and ask more questions about what is involved in a guided tour. This would have been too much for my kids even if we hadn’t had the delayed lunch. Hashtag — lessons learned the hard way! There is still so much for me to learn in this next step in our life.
Here’s to doing better next time.
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