Line in the Sand

Squeezed by new development on Galveston's west end, fishermen are trying to hang on to an honored Texas tradition: driving on the beach

Comments (0) By Richard Connelly Thursday, Feb 13 2003

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A lot of the folks who took part in the Texas rite of driving on the beach in Galveston don't do it anymore, of course.

"The last time I did it was probably back in the '90s," says Kirk Schwartzenburg, who remembers the high school ritual of days gone by. "You gotta have some pride -- there's a fine line there that happens when you get older. You get a nice enough car and you don't want to risk getting any of that saltwater corrosion."

Courtesy of Ted Eubanks

Preliminary plans would limit beach driving to the western tip of Galveston Island, shown here in an aerial photo (the gulf is to the left).

Daniel Kramer

The beach fight has made a political activist out of fisherman Tim Lopas.

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Eventually, the ability to ride far and wide on the beaches of Galveston will likely pass the way of other such outdated Texan practices, like the liquor store owner's friendly cup of ice for the guy who just bought a small bottle of bourbon for a long drive.

The change will probably end up helping the beaches. But it also will make those beaches just a little less Texan.

By Richard Connelly