The beaches were packed Sunday and the city that pulled itself out of the rubble of Hurricane Ike now looks a lot like its old self again.
A rebuilt pavilion, boardwalk and stage on East Beach re-opened Saturday, marking Galveston's near-complete recovery from the destruction caused by Ike.
"They've rebuilt Pleasure Pier. It's the Flagship, Pleasure Pier. People are here, so I definitely think they've done a great job," said Nazley Mohammadi of Houston.
"I think that it's a great thing that we can come out here and have some fun," Lonn Washington of Houston said.
Standing on the seawall, it's hard to imagine the devastation here just a few short years ago. Business is booming and Memorial Day, in particular, is a money maker.
"It's doing fantastic," beach vendor Theresa Kashuda said. "The weather is great. Everyone wants sno-cones and shaved ice. It's absolutely wonderful."
The $1.6 million renovation of East Beach was funded by FEMA. And after a 7 percent increase hotel visitors from 2011 to 2012, the city crushed by a hurricane now looks forward to another successful summer season.
"Last year was doing good," Kashuda said. "But I think this year we're off to a much better start."
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