Don't Mess With a Texas Bike Ride

Bernardo Galvez was an American patriot.  Only he wasn’t an American.  He was Spanish.  Part of a connected military family from Spain, Galves had earned a certain level of distinction during a brief war Spain fought with Portugal.  Following the war the Spanish government sent him to New Spain, today Mexico, as the colonial governor.  Later he was moved to France and there he learned to speak French which proved necessary when his superiors moved him again, this time to the new American territory of Louisiana.  Originally a French conquest in the New World, the French ceded control of Louisiana to Spain following the failed French and Indian War.  Later, while serving as the governor of the Louisiana Territory he led local forces against the British during the American Revolution.  

In 1781, Galvez spearheaded a small army of American and Spanish soldiers in a dash across the colonial Deep South driving the British eastward, concluding with a victory at the Battle of Pensacola that effectively drove the British from Florida.  A brave and excellent fighter Galvez’s career was marked by near mortal escapes from battle and serious wounds.   General George Washington personally thanked Galvez for his service.  He later returned to New Spain and held the title of viceroy until his death.  Following his burial the new United States remembered the life of Galvez by naming a Texas port town for him, henceforth known as Galveston.  

Galveston grew quickly thanks to the bounty of riches provided by the Gulf of Mexico.  But what the gulf gave it also took away as a major hurricane came ashore in 1900 that literally wiped out the city of Galveston.  To this day the storm ranks as the largest natural disaster ever to hit America--over 8,000 Galveston residents lost their lives.   The city healed and was rebuilt.  Following some rather dark history that saw Galveston fall to the seedy ills of gambling, sex and crime the city was able to reinvent itself as a tourist destination.  

With the proximity of the Gulf and year round temperatures averaging 70 degrees Galveston is embraced as a place to visit and to live.   Galveston is noted for a remarkable engineering achievement, the seawall.  Built by the US Army Corps of Engineers following the 1900 hurricane the seawall is 10 miles long and 17 feet high.  It has been breached by high water only once (Hurricane Ike in 2008) since construction was completed in 1904.   The seawall (pictured, from a 1908 postcard) is on the National Register of Historic Places.  

The seawall offers a great bike ride. Along the route (with extensions the ride is 17 miles one way) riders have unobstructed views of the Gulf of Mexico and a near constant breeze.  The seawall does have some pedestrians to dodge but no vehicle traffic.  Once the seawall has been conquered, try the rest of town. Galveston has a series of distinct historic districts, suited to riders of all levels.  The flatness of Galveston is perfect for thin wheel sprinters and casual cruisers on the fat tire machines.  Parking can be found at either end of the seawall and at parts long the route.  Visit www.galveston.com/biking for more information.

We have a video of the seawall on our website at www.stickybottleteam.net.