Anyone familiar with Galveston, TX?

[travelbug]

Do you know anything about a resort called Escapes! to the Gulf? How about that part of the beach? Is it nice?

How about Galveston as a vacation spot in general? TIA!

 

[yankeechick]

i live there when are you wanting to come visit my town?

 

[travelbug]

i live there when are you wanting to come visit my town?

Maybe in April. Thinking about it just for somewhere different, but not sure what it's like. I could do a timeshare trade for the Escapes resort. They do have availability for the week I'm considering, but I'm still undecided. Do you know anything about that resort? I looked on tripadvisor.com and reviews are mixed. I did read that the beach itself is nicely maintained by that resort but that the gulf water around there is "yucky" (direct quote).

I'd love to hear anything you can tell me about that area or about fun things to do in Galveston. This would be an adults only trip. Thanks, yankeechick!

 

[MM27]

i live there when are you wanting to come visit my town?

I'm not the OP, but can you share some highlights of the area? I'm going on a cruise out of Galveston in December and we're coming in a day ahead of time. I'd love for some ideas of what to do and good places to eat.

 

[Planogirl]

DH is from there but it's been a while since we've been. I do know that Moody Gardens was very nice and includes a swim area located on the bay side of the island, butterfly rainforest, IMAX, aquarium, and a tour boat among other things. http://www.moodygardens.com/

There's also several historic districts including the Strand where the tall ship Elissa is along with museums, shops and restaurants. http://www.galvestonhistory.org/1877_Tall_Ship_ELISSA.asp There quite a bit of history in Galveston.

As for food, you can't beat Gaidos on the seawall if you like seafood.

The west beaches on the gulf side of the island aren't bad. The problem in Galveston is the mess that drifts to it from the offshore rigs and the passing ships. Sometimes the jellyfish and seaweed come in large amounts too.

 

[yankeechick]

the escorts are nice. hotel galvez is my fav it is beautiful. april is a great time to visit except if it's kappa w-end ,so be sure to check on that. well schlitterbahn is a great waterpark. moody gardens is also fun if you have kids going w/ you. the strand is a historic district there also local shops on the strand. michel b. menard home is the oldest home in galveston.moody mansion museum is also great to see. galveston island duck tour is a must if you are visiting. casey's is my fav place to eat if you have any questions feel free to pm me. oh yeah, about the beach it's clean,but the water is not clear bc of the miss. river running into the gulf of mexico. i surf in the beach all the time so it is safe. well i hope you have a great time on the island. oh, and the ferry is fun to ride and feed the seagulls and it's free!

 

[Mr Man]

DH is from there but it's been a while since we've been. I do know that Moody Gardens was very nice and includes a swim area located on the bay side of the island, butterfly rainforest, IMAX, aquarium, and a tour boat among other things. http://www.moodygardens.com/

There's also several historic districts including the Strand where the tall ship Elissa is along with museums, shops and restaurants. http://www.galvestonhistory.org/1877_Tall_Ship_ELISSA.asp There quite a bit of history in Galveston.

As for food, you can't beat Gaidos on the seawall if you like seafood.

The west beaches on the gulf side of the island aren't bad. The problem Galveston is the mess that drifts to it from the offshore rigs and the passing ships. Sometimes the jellyfish and seaweed come in large amounts too.

I agree with all the above suggestion except the yucky water

yucky water doesn't come from passing ships & offshore rigs (Geez, I mean I know you like living in Dallas and all but sheesh.....throw us a bone down here by the Gulf)

The "Yucky" water in Galveston comes from being on the "dirty" side of the Mississippi......period. It is quite brown around the shoreline but cleans up nicely offshore.

We do day trips deepwater fishing at least 4 times a year down there......love it....

 

[yankeechick]

oh the best place to eat on the island is di'bellas. it's only know to the locals it's hidden and vistors really only eat on the seawall. this place is the best food ever. it's italian food but also has steaks and seafood. the best thing on the menu is the steak w/ crushed crabmeat if you don't like steaks get the special of the day. it's always good. omg! im getting hungry. well this place does not take walk ins so you need to make ressie. this is a local secret im telling you so enjoy it. im telling you it's the best also salsas is a great mexican place to eat

 

[pogopossum]

as someone who is from big d, and spent many summer vacations on the texas coast, i would say that the water is fine, just a little river murky.

the only other thing about april on the coast, is spring break

it can be crowded if you make it down during sb 09.

we mostly went to padre and mustang islands, the water begins to clear a bit down there, haven't been down to south pi, but from what i have seen the water is clearer there.

but we have been to galveston as recently as five years ago, and camped at state park and had a great time. only problem we had was hurricane in the gulf was chopping up jellyfish and sending pieces in, which stung a little. shouldn't be a problem in april.

 

[mselly13]

I'm not the OP, but can you share some highlights of the area? I'm going on a cruise out of Galveston in December and we're coming in a day ahead of time. I'd love for some ideas of what to do and good places to eat.

When were in Galveston just over a year ago, in May, also for one night before a cruise. We stayed at the Holiday Inn facing the water. We were able to leave the car there for free and took a taxi to the cruise. Great continental breakfast.

The night before we enjoyed a wonderful dinner but I don't remember the exact name, Fish Bonz maybe, also facing the water. Maybe someone from that area can give you a more exact name.

 

[yankeechick]

spring break here and alot of texas towns are in march. just make sure it's not kappa w-end. spring break has nothing on kappa w-end!!!!

 

[yankeechick]

When were in Galveston just over a year ago, in May, also for one night before a cruise. We stayed at the Holiday Inn facing the water. We were able to leave the car there for free and took a taxi to the cruise. Great continental breakfast.

The night before we enjoyed a wonderful dinner but I don't remember the exact name, Fish Bonz maybe, also facing the water. Maybe someone from that area can give you a more exact name.

was it fish tales???

 

[madcam]

I grew up about 30 minutes north of the island and have spent summers and weekends and random evenings down there my whole life. So here is my two cents worth (and they are just my opinions):

Hotels:
I am not really impressed with too much down there as far as hotels go. You don't really get what you pay for and you can end up paying alot. Most of the hotels are very dated. Escape! is newer and I don't know a thing about it....it may be one of the better places down there. I recently went to a wedding at the Galvez and we stayed there on our wedding night and had the sunday brunch there (awesome!). The common areas are beautiful and very reminecent of Galveston's hayday. The rooms are small and dated and NOT at all what you would be expecting for the prices. We also stayed at Moody Gardens hotel a year ago and aside from the convenience to the attractions there and Schlitterbahn, I can't think of anything to recomend it. I have heard decent things about the San Luis but again, not going to justify the price. The FlagShip (now named something else) is AWFUL, the Tremont is very "historic" (old). I hate to be a downer about the hotels but I am very picky about where I stay and if I had to stay at any of these....I guess I would go for the San Luis. Or I would rent a beach house or condo on Galveston or Tiki Island. Then again, you may be on the right track with Escape!

Restaurants:
We love Willie G's and Gaido's the best. Mario's is also very good (both locations)as is the Mosquito Cafe and the Original Mexican Cafe. DiBella's is pretty good and I hear good things about Rudy and Paco's and M & M Palms (expensive). A great place for a burger or a po' boy is The Spot. The Rainforest Cafe is right there by the San Luis and it is a really fun place for the kids. There is a volcano and a water ride inside the restaurant. The food is average/good but its more about the atmosphere for the kids there. There is a web site called b4ueat dot com that will give you restaurant reviews for the entire Houston and surrounding areas.....it's great.

Things to Do: (beside the beach)
The Strand has lots of shops. Tacky souvineers, nice boutiques, island wear, etc. There is also a place called the Peanut Butter Wearhouse that is basically a huge rummage sale but they do have some very intersting, if not valuable, antiques in there. La King's is an old time soda fountain/candy store that you cannot miss. There are also some great used book stores right off the Strand that I have found some real treasures in! Don't miss the Strand.

Moody Mansion and Ashton Villa are some pretty neat tours if you are into that sort of thing. The Library there is also very historic. Also, depending on when you go, they have the Galveston Historic Homes Tour and that is very interesting if you love history.

Moody Gardens has some great attractions and you can check all that out on their website. Next door to that is Schlitterbahn. I grew up going to the original park in New Braunfels every summer and everyone I know that visited the original park hates the new one. Everyone that I know that has been without that point of reference said it was ok. I have never been so I can't judge but I did stay next door with a window facing it and to me, it looked really small for the amount of people they had crammed in there. Maybe on the off season it is not as bad.....you might look at Palm Beach at Moody Gardens as an alternative if you are not looking for thrill rides.

There is a great film about the Great Storm of 1900 that plays at the theater at Pier 21 (which is right next to Willie G's).

There are also some great local bands that play down there at places like Yaga's, The Old Quarter Acoustic Cafe, 21.....and the San Luis just opened a new pool side louge called H2O that sounds pretty fun. Plus there are alot of other bars down there. There used to be a place that had karaoke on the Strand but since I know it has changed hands, I don't know if they still do that but there is another place that might, you would have to look into it.

On the seawall you can rent roller blades, those bike things that sit two people in front and two in back, and stuff like that. And there are alot of surf shops on the seawall as well.

Like a PP said, do not go down there on Kappa weekend if you can help it. The Island is packed, the college kids get CRAZY and it is really hard to get around. The police also get really tense and short tempered having to control the crowds and the hotel situations. I am sure it is a blast if you actually went for the party but if that is not your reason for going, I would pick a different weekend.

I LOVE Galveston!! Beach-wize, it's not Destin or even Gulf Shores but there is alot to do and it has a wonderful history. I could go on and on but I will stop here. Hope you have a wonderful time!!!

 

[HunnyPots]

Love Galveston! Been there more times than I can count.

You have to check out "The Spot" on Seawall for amazing burgers and onion rings! Its a really cool little joint with great atmosphere, food, and drinks. I also love Bennos on the Beach for inexpensive cajun style seafood and gumbo.

The beaches are kind of hit or miss. They can be clean and clear or they can be covered in seaweed and jellyfish and smell like a bait shop! As a previous psoter said, its on the wrong side of the Mississippi for clear water and pristine beaches. A lot depends on what kind of weather they are having.

My favorite things about Galveston are its history and architecture. I can spend hours exploring old city cemetery or driving through neighborhoods looking at the victorian homes. The Strand historic district is also nice for shopping and strolling. Stop by La Kings for an old fashioned ice cream soda
or some salt water taffy.

Try to avoid spring break if at all possible! Other than that, go and have a great time!

 

[yankeechick]

wow well said!! next time you go to galveston give me a call maybe would could dis together!

 

[yankeechick]

let's just pray ike doesn't come here,so you can visit the island. im freakin out about ike

 

[Planogirl]

I agree with all the above suggestion except the yucky water

yucky water doesn't come from passing ships & offshore rigs (Geez, I mean I know you like living in Dallas and all but sheesh.....throw us a bone down here by the Gulf)

The "Yucky" water in Galveston comes from being on the "dirty" side of the Mississippi......period. It is quite brown around the shoreline but cleans up nicely offshore.

We do day trips deepwater fishing at least 4 times a year down there......love it....

I'm actually from Houston - I refuse to take responsibility for Dallas.

Actually back when we used to go to Galveston a lot, I kept getting into tar and oily stuff. Plus we kept finding trash washing up on the beach. DH and his family told me that this was from the offshore stuff and ships dumping junk. I don't know, that's just what I was told and like I said it has been a while. I just think that Galveston gets treated unfairly sometimes. Believe me, I always liked Galveston and heard much about their struggles with polution and I guess, that runoff from the Mississippi.

 

[EMom]

I'm going to be a downer here and have to say that I won't get in the water at Galveston for love nor money. I think it's nasty. I've been there many, many times since I was a toddler. Back when I was 2-3, it seemed fine, but all I had to compare it to back then was a lake. The last time we went, DD was wearing a t-shirt over her swimsuit and the water stained it so bad that no amount of stain remover could save it. It was a goner.

I don't want to give the impression that I hate Galveston, because I don't. We frequently go there, but NOT for the beaches. Too much vegetation (and the lovely scent it brings) and too many jellyfish. Plus, I like being able to see at least 1/2 inch into the water. The beach is fine for a stroll, there are lots of great restaurants, museums, historic homes to tour, Schlitterbahn, etc. For swimming, get a place with a nice pool. Many of the Galveston hotels have recently upgraded theirs.

It's worth a trip, but not for the beach.

 

[travelbug]

OP back again. Thanks everyone! This is all great information, both the good and the not so good. How do I find out when Kappa weekend is?

 

[Jenvenza]

We live close to Galveston and LOVE going there! Moody Gardens is wonderful, The Strand - which has great shops - and is right next to where the cruises leave from - and they have some great ghost tours here. There is a lot of history and it is a wonderful place to visit. I am not a big fan of the water - but on some days it actually looks a lot better than other days. Out of all the beaches close to us - Galveston is my favorite by far!