Corpus Christi, USS Lexington battleship, Texas Moving onto San Antonio

We toured the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas. It was a sunny but cool day

USS Lexington seen from the freeway overpass, Corpus Christi,Texas

Interesting history timeline of this magnificent ship

Walkway up to the entrance

Control tower with 5"/38 caliber armament, scaffolding is set up around tower for on going repairs

Flight deck looking from the control tower looking to the stern

Flight deck looking from the bow back to the control tower

Blue Angel jet on the flight deck

Early Cobra helicopter

Darlene at the flight boss station in the control tower

Deck at the flight boss station 

View from the flight boss seat looking over the Blue Angel on the Bow, notice the tug and tow passing through from the Corpus Christi port 

Original SBD from the Battle of the Coal Sea

Escalator from the lower deck to the pilot ready room

Leaving the Gulf Coast heading west through Texas

Galveston, 1877 Elissa Tall Ship, Moody Mansion, Texas

There are 31 rooms in the house.

Restored to its 20th Century splendor, the 1895 Moody Mansion depicts the history of Galveston and the life of W.L. Moody, Jr. and his family.  Moody was the son of Col. William L Moody, a decorated Civil War veteran who owned highly succcessful cotton and mercantile businesses.  The younger Moody grew up in Galveston and in the early 1900's built one of the nation's great business empires - he was among America's 10 wealthiest people in 1950.

The elegant light fixtures and furniture were the latest  styles of their time.  Each room had wall sconces and over head fixtures in matching designs made for each individual room. 

Each room had it's own character andcolors.

This was damaged in a Hurricane but restored to it's original design. 
It is about 4 feet wide and 12 feet tall. 
It was placed on the landing as you came half way up the stairs.

Seems were going back to this style with free standing tubs.  The tin container on the wall was for heating water
for the bath tub, guess what?  It was made in Kalamazoo Michigan.  

Lots of  furniture made in wood have claw feet, this combination of stone and metal with claw feet is unique.

The windows went down to the floor something I've never seen in houses.
Each room had so much natural light.  

The 1877 Ellisa is a restored tall ship that is actually sailed to events by volunteers dedicated to keeping
the ship functioning., they spend months learning how to sail her.

She sits at dock in Galveston a working harbor.

Coming up to the deck.

The amount of rigging and ropes was unbelievable, it takes volunteers 3 months to
learn about the sails and ropes.

Every where you look there is rigging.

Can you imagine standing there in a storm trying to steer and read the gauges.