Repeating 'I do' in Galveston

Some couples may want to run in the opposite direction. But some romantics may want to say "I do" all over again. 

The Hotel Galvez and Spa in Galveston, Texas, will host its seventh annual Galvez Wedding Vow Renewal on Saturday, June 10, 2017, on the hotel grounds. The ceremony begins at 10 a.m. and is officiated by Justice of the Peace Jim Schweitzer. Following the ceremony, a small reception will be hosted by the hotel.

Couples may join in the wedding vow renewal at no cost or book an overnight package which includes a courtesy bouquet and boutonniere for the ceremony, participation in the vow renewal and reception, a room for two and champagne accompanied by chocolate-covered strawberries upon arrival. Couples may keep their champagne glasses as a keepsake of their renewal and professional photos are available for purchase.  

The ceremony is scheduled in June to honor the most popular month of matrimony and the 106th anniversary of the historic Hotel Galvez and Spa, a Wyndham Grand Hotel. Available for June 9-11, the package is offered as a one-night package starting at $359 per night or Friday and Saturday package. Advance reservations are required for both. For reservations, call (409) 765-7721 or visit www.HotelGalvez.com and click on “Special Offers.”

Cheré Dastugue Coen is a food and travel writer living in South Louisiana who is the author of several Louisiana romances under the pen name of Cherie Claire and the author of “Forest Hill, Louisiana: A Bloom Town History,” “Haunted Lafayette, Louisiana” and “Exploring Cajun Country” and co-author of “Magic’s in the Bag: Creating Spellbinding Gris Gris Bags and Sachets.” Write her at cherecoen@gmail.com.

Breakfast with wintering Texans

The holidays aren’t just about Santa on Galveston Island. On this Texan barrier island south of Houston, the holidays have gone to the birds. Every year Galveston offers a “Breakfast with the Sandhill Cranes” to observe the tall birds in their natural habitat. This year, the event happens from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 14 and 15, 2013, at Moody Gardens Golf Course.

Credit: Barbara Rabek

First, there’s a breakfast and presentation about sandhill crane behavior, then a tour of the island’s West End where the birds hang out. Keanna Leonard, education director at the Iain Nicolson Audubon Center at Rowe Sanctuary in Nebraska, will present a mini-workshop titled “The Private Lives of Sandhill Cranes,” designed for beginners and experienced birders alike.

“They (the island’s cranes) are absolutely stunning, standing 3 1/2-feet  to 4-feet tall with a little red cap,” said Julie Ann Brown, executive director of the Galveston Island Nature TourismCouncil.

Sounds like they’re in the holiday spirit for sure.

And there’s more to this avian event, Brown added.

“After breakfast and the presentation, all participants will be invited to go on a ‘crane crawl’ to visit previously scouted crane ‘hotspots’ on the island’s West End,” she said. “We’ll have experienced birders with spotting scopes at each site on hand to answer questions. Participants can meander in any order and at their own pace to view the ‘wintering Texans.’ It’s a great way to kick off the holiday season!”

Upcoming events include the Sea Turtle Saturday and Sea Turtle Saturday for Kids on Feb. 8, 2014, and FeatherFest 2014, an all-inclusive bird event April 10-13, 2014. For more information on any of these events, visit www.GalvestonNatureTourism.org.