Galveston Island is a popular weekend resort town on the Gulf of Mexico, about 40 miles southeast of Houston. While the beach area is the obvious attraction, the town also boasts an historic shopping district called the Strand, the Moody Gardens family park area, several museums, some excellent restaurants, and some outstanding restored victorian mansions that you can tour.

The island boasts 32 miles of beachfront along the Gulf of Mexico. The beach stretches along the Seawall in Galveston, and stretches southward, where you will find several small parks, some camping areas, and the Galveston Island State Park, which features 2 miles of gulf-front beach, campgrounds, and bathhouses. Free parking is available along the Seawall. How's the beach? Well, it depends. It's pretty nice for a Gulf Coast beach and is fairly similar to some of the beaches you find along the eastern seaboard, but if you're used to Caribbean or Mexican beaches, you will be disappointed. The sand is rather brown and fairly coarse and there is often trash or seaweed washed up on the beach. The water is somewhat murky. But, the beach is only 45 minutes from downtown Houston, and its undeniably a popular place to be. If the kids are really clammering for a quick day trip or weekend at the beach, Galveston is hard to beat!

The most popular single attraction in Galveston is Moody Gardens. I don't quite know what to call Moody Gardens since it's not really a theme park, but that's sort of where it's heading. They recently opened a large upscale hotel there, and there are several attractions such as a fake beach on the bay, a paddlewheel tour boat that cruises around the bay, an IMAX theatre, a tropical rainforest pyramid, and other similar family-oriented events and attractions designed to suck the dollars out of your wallet.

One of the more interesting aspects of Galveston is the historic Strand shopping district. Restored turn-of-the-century buildings house cafes, coffee shops, trendy gift shops, etc. There is a small square where something is happening most weekends, be it a puppet show, a fake ice skating rink, a giant chess match, or musicians playing folk music. The shops line the streets for several blocks.

The town is filled with excellent examples of victorian architecture, built in the 1890s and early 1900s. Many of the historic houses offer tours for fees ranging from about $2 to $6. Some of the most popular of these tours include:
* The Bishops Palace (Broadway), built in 1886, a classic towering brownstone with turrets, balconies, and elaborate woodwork inside
* Samuel May Williams home (Bernardo de Galvez)
* Moody Mansion (Broadway, former home of the cotton and banking magnate whose name now adorns just about everything in town
* Ashton Villa (Broadway)
* 1894 Opera House

There are also some museums on the island, including a railroad museum, the seaport museum, an oil rig museum, a flight museum, and a museum that highlights the island's history, especially the hurricane of 1900. This hurricane leveled much of the island as towering 20 foot waves crashed down on the beaches and 100 mile per hour winds ripped apart everything in its path. More than 6,000 people were killed by the storm, which is described as one of the worst U.S. disasters of all time. The hurricane served as the impetus for building the seawall, a concrete structure above the beachfront designed to bear the brunt of any future Gulf storms.

Galveston also has several special events throughout the year, such as a wildly bacchanalian Mardi Gras (okay, so New Orleans has a better Mardi Gras, whose counting?), a traditional christmas, and of course the town plays Spring Break host for thousands of Texas college students without enough money to go to Cancun.

Getting There:
From Houston, take I-45 south until it ends (about 40 miles). If you're coming from out of town, the nearest large airport is Houston Hobby.

Where to Stay:
There are lots of hotels on the island, lots of bed and breakfast inns, several commercial RV campgrounds, and the state park for both RV and tent camping. Weekends are always popular, so reserve ahead of time. There are also frequent festivals and events, making reservations even more important. There are plenty of chain hotels, mostly along the seawall. These include Holiday Inn, Ramada, and La Quinta. Some of the more interesting hotels include the Tremont (a classic historic inn located downtown), the Flagship (built on a pier over the Gulf), and the Hotel Galvez (a stately, grand turn of the century hotel).

Where to Eat:
Tons of restaurants of all ilks, but as you probably guessed, seafood is king on Galveston Island. There are a couple of local restaurants on the seawall that boast gulf-front dining, some built on piers jutting out over the water. There are also some excellent restaurants located downtown near the Strand on the bay side. Some of the best of these include Pier 19 with its waterfront dining, and its nearby imitators. For classic american pub-grub and craft-brewed beer, try the Strand Brewery.

Wrap-Up:
Overall, Galveston is a great weekend beach getaway for the Houston area. While not exactly world-classic beaches, the beach is enjoyable and more than adequate for some tan maintenance or a little sand castle building for the kids. The historic Strand area and victorian mansions add a unique local flavor and some extra interest for those who might not care for the bright sun and sand of the beach.



Recommended: Yes