Galveston and Juneteenth

Today we celebrate Juneteenth here in Texas and across America. On June 19, 1865, slaves here in Galveston, Texas found out they were set free two and half years after the Emancipation Proclamation. Could you imagine how they felt here in Texas when Gordon Granger announced federal orders in Galveston, Texas, standing on a balcony, proclaiming that all people held as slaves in Texas were free.

In past years, my grandmother and grandfather celebrated this day by having gatherings with family and friends. They would often drink red soda, eat watermelon, red velvet cake, and Bar B-Q. This year marks 10 years of my visit to Galveston, Texas in June. When I'm there, I often celebrate my mother's birthday or enjoy some sunshine and beach with friends.

Last year, when visiting on this day, I reflected on how slaves in Texas felt the moment they found out they were free some 155 years ago. Sometimes when I place my feet in the ocean and walk into the waters a little bit, I wonder if former slaves ever imagined that one day they would be set free. The smiles below are for my ancestors :)

Moody Gardens Hotel

This week, we celebrated my mother's birthday in Galveston, Texas. We rented a Mazda CX-5 with a sunroof to drive to Galveston Island. We stayed at the Moody Gardens Hotel on Galveston Island. It's located in the middle of town. We enjoyed both theme park and ocean views from our hotel room. We didn't plan on staying here, but after our planned hotel was overbooked Expedia generously booked the Moody Gardens Hotel for us. I was super excited because we planned for the past two years to stay at the Moody Gardens Hotel during Christmas time, but something always came up. It's not just a hotel, it's a convention center too.

Guests can enjoy the aquarium pyramid, rain forest pyramid, MG 3D Theater, and more! In addition, to these amazing attractions, Schlitterbahn Waterpark Galveston is on the grounds of Moody Gardens as well. Did you know that African Americans were not allowed to enter theme parks except on Juneteenth? While watching an interview with Phylicia Rashad, I discovered this important fact at the Moody Gardens Hotel.