My first visit to a lighthouse was the Pensacola Lighthouse, located on the Pensacola Naval Air Station. It is the tallest and oldest lighthouse on the Gulf Coast and still in use today. Climbing to the top didn’t take too long, at least not compared to the Eiffel Tower climb I did last summer. But you do take the 177 steps to the top a bit cautiously, as they spiral tighter as the tower grows smaller as it rises. It really gets fun when you encounter someone going the opposite direction, as there are only handrails on one side.
The #16 island belongs to the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi, Texas.
The historic district on Galveston Island, the Strand, is a great place to go shopping during the day and 'the' place during special events like Dickens on the Strand or Mardi Gras. On any regular night though, it's a pretty quiet place.