He is a legend. His name is „Ducky“ Prendergast. I am in Galveston at the Gulf of Mexico. What do I have to do with Ducky? I am on his beach, which is dedicated in honor of his lifelong devotion to the prevention of drownings. „Lifeguard for Life“ is written in the memorial plaque at the seaside. He was one of Galveston’s professional lifeguards. Born in 1908 he was credited with saving over 400 people from drowning in the Galveston surf from the 1920s to 1992.

I love swimming, the ocean and beach life. But I also can imagine how dangerous it is to be in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Unbearable currents, tricky surfs and some sharks around are dangers everybody here is aware of.

But Galveston has much more to offer than sunburned beach bunnies. In the late 1800s and early 1900s the city in the South was considered to be „The New York of Texas“. It was because of The Strand.

Many buildings were built in the era of Victorian architecture. They managed to survive the devastating hurricane of 1900 that claimed the lives of more than 6.000 people, and Hurricane Ike who hit the island in 2008.

The surrounding of Postoffice Street is home to the oldest theatre in the State of Texas: „The Grand 1894 Opera House“. No wonder Galveston is sometimes referred to as the „Baby Apple“, as this area is a miniature version of New York’s Broadway theater district.
As soon as I see the neat houses and beautiful mansions in Victorian style near the grand boulevard called „Broadway“ I can imagine why Galveston was known in former times as the „Wall Street of the Southwest“. While business was mainly conducted downtown and The Strand area, several wealthy citizens built their homes in that area.

Enough Sightseeing for today. I am longing for another swim. Maybe at „Ducky’s Beach“ or the hotel pool. The ocean is a bit rough now in the late afternoon. I am choosing the hotel pool!