Wednesday, April 8, 2015

Galveston Island Tree Sculpture Tour

Recently a group of my friends headed off for a day of adventure in Galveston. After we ate, one friend chauffeured us on the wonderful Galveston Island Tree Sculpture Tour.

During Hurricane Ike in 2008, lots of old trees in Galveston were inundated with salt water or were uprooted and died. Artists have taken the dead trees and carved them into fabulous art.

Here's a physical map you can take with you if you decide to take the tour. Or here's a Google map of the tour.

Here are some of my favorite spots:




You might not really notice them if you weren't looking for them. It's nice to stop and take a closer look.


Pretty soon, you start recognizing them when you see them.




Some are quite startling.

 
 Most are near private residences, but some are in parks and some are at restaurants.



Some were festooned with the trimmings of the upcoming holiday.




And some were embellished with paint.



I was surprised at how elaborate some of them are.


A dog chasing a squirrel up a tree...



...while a lazy cat looks on.



A close up of the dog.



Some familiar figures....





This seemed to be the favorite of our group.




For more wordless photos, go to Wordless Wednesday.

Saturday Snapshot is hosted by West Metro Mommy Reads. To participate in Saturday Snapshot: post a photo that you (or a friend or family member) have taken and then leave a direct link to your post in the Mister Linky at West Metro Mommy Reads.






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34 comments:

  1. Seraphinas PhantasieApril 8, 2015 at 5:58 AM

    Fabulous photos of this very special sculpture park and fantastic sunshine too.
    Best regards, Synnöve

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  2. Maria April 8, 2015 at 6:50 AM

    Amazing! I really like the dolphins! :)

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  3. UnknownApril 8, 2015 at 6:57 AM

    Gorgeous sculptures! I like them a lot.

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  4. KayApril 8, 2015 at 8:01 AM

    That is so very interesting. I have never heard about it, but it's been years since we went to Galveston. Will keep it in mind.

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    1. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzApril 8, 2015 at 5:21 PM

      It's very easy to do. I hope you get a chance to visit, Kay.

      Delete
  5. Katherine PApril 8, 2015 at 8:20 AM

    How interesting! I love the dog chasing the squirrel. The amount of detail is amazing. I love the Tin Man as well.

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    1. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzApril 8, 2015 at 5:21 PM

      I think my personal favorite is the dog chasing the squirrel. The Tin Man is a close second.

      Delete
  6. LeoviApril 8, 2015 at 8:45 AM

    Very funny !! I love these wooden sculptures, great !!

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    1. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzApril 8, 2015 at 5:22 PM

      Apparently it was several different sculptors who did the work.

      Delete
  7. GattinaApril 8, 2015 at 11:15 AM

    I love the tree sculptures, they are great !

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    1. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzApril 8, 2015 at 5:22 PM

      They were such a surprise. I'd never even heard about them until my friends told me about them.

      Delete
  8. TiApril 8, 2015 at 12:03 PM

    Yeah, I've never heard of these either but I love how they turned out.

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    1. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzApril 8, 2015 at 5:24 PM

      It was sad, almost tragic, to see the trees that were killed by the salt water from Hurricane Ike.

      Delete
  9. real girl sportApril 8, 2015 at 12:43 PM

    This fascinating, what a beautiful way to re-use those old trees. And you're right the detail is startling, so much variety too - great photos! You really got in close to them, I'd love to know more!

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    1. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzApril 8, 2015 at 5:25 PM

      Yes, apparently the owners of the homes are very understanding of people stopping by and snapping photos. One owner came outside while we were standing in her yard and she was astonishingly friendly.

      Delete
  10. Bee HaltonApril 8, 2015 at 1:06 PM

    I love the Sponge Bob :-)

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  11. Claire JustineApril 8, 2015 at 2:55 PM

    Lovely photos, so arty and it looks like a lot of hard work has gone into them..

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    1. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzApril 8, 2015 at 5:26 PM

      I love all the art in such an art-y city as Galveston.

      Delete
  12. Susan DemeterApril 8, 2015 at 3:50 PM

    These are all amazing! We have a few in our neck of the woods so to speak but not nearly as fun as some of these :)

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    1. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzApril 8, 2015 at 5:26 PM

      I've never seen them anywhere else. Good to know there are others.

      Delete
  13. LouiseApril 10, 2015 at 5:49 AM

    How fabulous they are. I'm sorry that I missed them on my trip to Galveston.

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    1. Deb Nance at ReaderbuzzApril 10, 2015 at 6:02 AM

      I live thirty miles away and I had no idea they were there.

      Delete
  14. Laurel-Rain SnowApril 11, 2015 at 9:36 AM

    How wonderful to take devastation and turn it into something creative and beautiful! Thanks for sharing.

    Here's MY SATURDAY SNAPSHOT POST

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  15. JulieApril 11, 2015 at 12:02 PM

    Those are amazing! Thank you for sharing.

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  16. Sandra NachlingerApril 11, 2015 at 2:37 PM

    What a perfect example of making lemonade out of lemons! I'll bet you had a great time discovering those fantastic sculptures. I haven't been to Galveston in years, but I always loved the city. Looks like you chose a beautiful day to visit.
    My Saturday Snapshot post is HERE.

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  17. Anne@HeadFullofBooksApril 11, 2015 at 8:00 PM

    So creative. I love the final tree with the dog barking up at the squirrel. I want to take the tour but it would be quite a trip for me from Washington State. My snapshot Saturday

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  18. Ginx CraftApril 12, 2015 at 6:06 AM

    How lovely that something so interesting can come out of destruction.

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  19. thecuecardApril 12, 2015 at 3:17 PM

    Very cool wood carvings! Thanks for sharing. I feel like I've been there.

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  20. Sue JacksonApril 12, 2015 at 6:32 PM

    Wow, what a cool project - some of these sculptures are just amazing! Thanks so much for sharing -

    Sue

    Book By Book

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  21. jenclairApril 14, 2015 at 8:44 AM

    Thanks for sharing! These sculptures are brilliant!

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