This Day in Texas History:
It is Monday March 10, 2014. It is the 69th day of 2014. There are 296 days left in the year. The John Sealy Training School for Nurses opened with in 1890. Galveston’s John Sealy Hospital was only two months old. It was the first formal nursing school in Texas. It later became part of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB).
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Sealy_Hospital
John Sealy:
Who was John Sealy? Why did he open a hospital? John Sealy was a merchant, banker, and philanthropist. He was born in Kingston, Pennsylvania, on October 18, 1822. He died at Galveston on August 29, 1884. He never started a hospital, but he left $50,000 to be used for “a charitable purpose.” It was his brother and his widow who decided to build a hospital. John Sealy Hospital in Galveston opened in 1890. The John Sealy School for Nurses opened in March 1890. Today John Sealy Hospital is a part of the medical branch of the University of Texas.
Source: http://sealy-smith-foundation.org/about_us.html
Four Spring Break Destinations in Texas:
This week is spring break for most Texans. Here are four destinations frequented by Texans and others.
- South Padre Island or South Padre as it is known to Spring Breakers – is the best known Spring Break destination in Texas. The reasons for South Padre’s popularity is its location. It is warmer than other Texas beaches during late February and March when most schools and colleges have their spring vacation scheduled. Additionally, South Padre is known for great water and excellent beaches. It also boasts an impressive number of condos, hotels, clubs and restaurants. And, seeing as how it sits a mere 20 miles north of the Mexican border, it offers visitors the opportunity for a “two-nation vacation.”
- Port Aransas, better known as “Port A” to Spring Break crowds, often gives South Padre a run for its money as a Spring Break destination. The biggest difference is the amount of beach Port Aransas offers for Spring Breakers to spread out over. While the city beaches of Port Aransas accommodate much of the Spring Break festivities, Mustang Island, which lies just below Port Aransas, is packed with condos and miles of white sandy beaches. Whether they opt to stay in the town of Port Aransas or down the beach at Mustang Island, Spring Breakers more often than not find sunny, warm conditions to greet them and allow them to enjoy swimming, surfing, wind surfing, sunbathing and more along these Coastal Bend beaches.
- Corpus Christi is just south of Port A and Mustang Island. It is another popular Texas Spring Break destination. Corpus is two distinctly different Spring Break destinations. Part of Corpus Christi lies on Padre Island while the main part of the city is on the mainland. On the island side, visitors are treated to open Gulf beaches. The mainland offers beachfront along Corpus Christi Bay. Both sides offer a variety of condos, hotels and clubs while the mainland also features a number of popular attractions such as the Texas State Aquarium and USS Lexington.
- Galveston Island is the largest Texas “island town”. Galveston Island also sees its share of Spring Break visitors. It tends to attract a more subdued crowd than the other Texas beach locales. Galveston is full of historical attractions. It also has modern-day wonders such as Schlitterbahn Waterpark, which features a retractable roof so visitors can have wet, watery fun regardless of the weather. Galveston also features a number of great Gulf beaches, as well as restaurants, clubs, bars, hotels, condos, tours, shopping and more.
References:
“SEALY, JOHN | The Handbook of Texas Online| Texas State …” Insert Name of Site in Italics. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2014 <http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/fse02>.
“Top Texas Towns for Spring Break – About.com Texas Travel.” Insert Name of Site in Italics. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Mar. 2014 <http://gotexas.about.com/od/seasonalactivities/tp/Texas-Towns-And-Locations-For-
Spring-Break.htm>.
