Island time

Galveston, oh Galveston! Island's new throwback tourist campaign brings musical surprises

Romantic beach sunrises, bird watching, roller coaster rides, grand historic property tours, raucous parades and laser-lit dance parties: This is the Galveston portrayed in the island's new tourist campaign video, set to the country song popularized by Glen Campbell in 1969.

Galveston has rebounded significantly since Hurricane Ike tore through in 2008, and the new video pays homage to that event with gratuitous shots of the sculptures carved from some 40,000 trees lost in the storm.

"The 'Galveston' song is so iconic world-wide, and to many people, it is already considered an anthem for the island," Melody Smith, marketing director for the Galveston Island Convention and Visitors Bureau, said in a statement.

The CVB has purchased the rights to the song and added "an upbeat, modernized" touch to the tune.

"With Galveston re-emerging as a top travel and cruise destination, we thought it only fitting to draw on our roots and embrace this song within our marketing efforts."

The visitors bureau points to a steady rise in tourism and increased "destination status" visibility over the past few years, with new family amenities and a newly-thriving downtown historic district in The Strand.

The CVB has purchased the rights to the song and added "an upbeat, modernized" touch to the tune, initially written by Jimmy Webb as an anti-war anthem. Watch the video above.

Stumptown bound

Alaska Airlines takes off with new nonstop flight from Houston to Portland

Not all Alaska Airlines planes are this cute

Photo by Wonderlane/Flickr

Alaska Airlines is now offering flights from Houston to Portland

If you've yee'd a little too much for your haw, consider visiting picturesque and hipstertastic Portland, Oregon thanks to a new non-stop flight from Houston from Alaska Airlines. Daily flights between Portland and George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) start May 15, just in time to escape the Texas heat for the land of Douglas fir trees Pine State Biscuits.

The new flight will depart 10:30 am Portland time and 6:30 pm Houston time. Houston was the largest city not yet connected by a nonstop flight from Alaska Airlines. The route will be serviced by an Embraer E175 aircraft.

"We're based in Seattle, but Portland is a second home for us where we've been the largest carrier for more than 20 years," said Kirsten Amrine, vice president of network planning and revenue management at Alaska Airlines. "Our new flights out of Portland, Eugene, and Medford show our continued focus on connecting Oregon with the rest of the country."

Houston is the third Texas city to receive routes from Alaska Airlines. Nonstop flights leave from both Dallas-Fort Worth and Austin. The latter makes sense considering that Fred Armisen moved to Austin in the sixth season of the cult comedy series Portlandia. Granted, that was a fictional version of the capital where Kyle McLachlan is the mayor.

"As passenger traffic at PDX continues to grow, so does the opportunity for airlines," said Dan Pippenger, chief aviation officer at the Port of Portland. "We appreciate the continued partnership with Alaska that gives travelers more options to connect to major markets and more flights within our state."

Alaska Airline flights are notable for having the most legroom of any U.S. legacy airline excluding lie-flat seats as well as no middle seats. Flyers get a premium flight experience that includes free movies and Wi-Fi, device charges at every seat, and the ability to pre-order meals.

Unfortunately, TSA Red Carpet is not a feature available at this time (that was the last Portlandia joke, we promise).

airport alaska airlines

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