Video at normal speed on Youtube channel SUENORD1 (https://youtu.be/iiexkysurzI)
I started my bicycle ride at the McDonalds on the East end of Galveston Island. You can actually bike out a couple of more miles along the breakwater where the ships come in from offshore, but it only offers a slab of cement on one side of the road and a swamp on the other side. The Boardwalk goes for miles to the West from this point, but I only filmed about 6 miles.
Galveston is my old stomping grounds, since I worked on a diving vessel for 8 years, and this was its primary port. When I went ashore, I used either my little electric Walmart scooter or an electric adult tricycle I put together to get around on.
After cycling a couple of miles, the boardwalk began to fill up with large numbers of colorfully dressed people. It turned out that they were waiting for a Mardi-Gras parade which would go down the street. I maneuvered the bike through all the spectators, and the mob gradually thinned out to normal winter density. There are many events all year round; outdoor art shows, an enormous motorcycle meeting and assorted parades. The climate is normally ideal, but a hurricane severely damaged the island a few years ago, and the process of repairing the damage seems to have gone into high gear. 4 years ago, when I was still working out of Galveston, the cement plates of the boardwalk were still pretty uneven. They have been repaired, and the beaches are being rebuilt.
We took the ship out to sea as the hurricane approached. All of the shipping piers were under water during the storm. We worked out of other ports for about a year while the docks were being rebuilt.
This is what the Seawall looked like after Hurricane Ike in 2008.
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As you bike West along the boardwalk, the buildings gradually become more scattered. Actually, the portion I filmed was the most interesting part, from my viewpoint. If you intend to bicycle fast, you should start about where I turned back East again.
Galveston is a nice area for biking, and the older section of town on the North-east side is full of art shops and restaurants. The trolley system was ruined by the storm, but there are some small buses that go along Broadway street. They do not follow the Seawall Boardwalk.
Now aware of Mardi Gras, I headed for New Orleans after returning to the van. I took the ferry in order to bypass Houston. They go frequently, and I assume they send you a bill based on your car license plates. They didn’t ask for any money, at least. I could see several grass-fires in the wetlands along the road. I don’t know if they were accidental or on purpose.