Galveston, TX opinions

[SummerGirl]

My husband and I are thinking about taking the kids on a week vacation to Galveston this summer. It's driveable for us & a different type of vacation than previous summers. However, I had a friend mention that maybe Galveston still has hurricane damage. Any disers visit or live in that area since the storm, is the damage still extensive? Any thoughts, opinions, suggestions of places to stay are greatly appreciated. Thanks so much for your help!!!

 

[curemyreed]

I'm going to let someone who makes it to the tourist areas of Galveston more frequently than I do respond in depth.

The public beaches are all operating. There is no debris or sign of the hurricane on the public beaches. I'm not sure how well the Strand has recovered. Check out Moody Gardens, Schlitterbahn Galveston, and Duck Tours on the web to see some fun family stuff to do. Schlitterbahn is rare in that you are allowed to bring in a cooler (no alcohol, but you can buy theirs!) & food and as a family of five this is a REAL savings for us.

I think that your kids are an age where they would LOVE the Children's Museum of Houston. Please look this up on the web as well. It is truly awesome and if you arrive at opening you will still be having fun at closing! We have a membership and go once or twice a month. If you made it a day trip from Galveston (certainly would be a great rainy-day excursion) I would guestimate it would be about an hour drive from the island to the museum. If you actually plan it into your itinerary I would suggest a Thursday. Here's why....Thursdays, instead of closing at 5 p.m. the museum offers free entry to the public. Because Houston traffic is a nightmare beyond description you DO NOT want to be leaving the museum between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m. On the flip side, that free entry causes the museum to get too crowded. What we like to do is arrive during the day on Thursday when a paid admission is required, then when the crowds swell after 5 p.m. eat at the cafe or continue to play in the museum, and then get on the road when the traffic has died down.

Also, have you been to the Texas coast before? Just checking because I think a lot of folks are expecting the pretty water you find on the big coasts and it ISN'T. It is nice, warm, clean, and swimmable in the summer, but it is gray and not at all clear. That being said, we love it and since we are only a 30 minute drive away go down pretty often. We just head straight to the beach, drive right onto it, and get to having fun!!! So I can't speak to how recovered much of the tourist attractions are.

Come on down to Baja Oklahoma this summer, ya'll! We'll leave the light on for ya!

 

[SummerGirl]

Thank you so much for your response! I really appreciate it!! Yes, it would be our first time visiting the Texas coast so I didn't know what to expect regarding the water. As long as the water is clean, I'm sure we will love it!! This may seem silly, but what about jelly fish, is there any problem with that? Have you ever gone deep sea fishing? I thought we would go into Houston for a day, I'll definitely check into the children's museum. My kids love hands on activities so if they have anything like that it would be a winner. The waterpark would be a must, and I have read a lot about Moody Gardens. Thanks again! Alysa

BTW - I have been to Houston one other time & I completely remember the traffic was an absolute nightmare the day we arrived. Definitely want to avoid that again!

 

[gabriellyn]

I live in Houston and although I haven't visited since the hurricane, all reports say that Galveston is up and running! If you check out galveston.com you will see that the Galveston Mardi Gras is in full swing now. Don't forget to check out Kemah Boardwalk too - it's not too far from Galveston.

 

[dizneemom]

I used to live in Houston and have been to Galveston many times. Yes, once I was stung by a jellyfish. It was in October so I don't know if it is the season for them then but they were all over the beach and you had to be really careful. Other times we were there and didn't see any. The sting hurt a lot though and since then someone told me you are supposed to urinate on the sting to make it better. Who knew!

 

[curemyreed]

I would say we make 20-30 trips to the beach a year & have 3-4 jellyfish stings per year. I keep a bottle of McCormick's unseasoned meat tenderizer in my beach bag. If one of the kids starts complaining of an area burning or stinging and I think it's from a jellyfish then I rinse the area repeatedly with ocean water to make sure all the stinging stuff is off the skin and then sprinkle on the meat tenderizer. I wash it off after 15-20 minutes. Might be an old wive's tale or something, but that' s what we did growing up and I think it helps. Generally, if there are too many jellyfish to make swimming risky you will see enough washed up on the beach to warn you.

Also, PP mentioned Kemah Boardwalk....great suggestion! Coincidentally, we were there yesterday and had a lot of fun. Google that, too. F.Y.I. they sold passes which were $20 for adults, $17 for kids which let you ride the amusement rides as many times as you would like...that seemed like a good deal for us financially. They do sell tickets individually but that would add up quick. At the other end of he Boardwalk from the rides is a fountain area that is super-fun for kids...hope you can pull that up to see as well. Your kids can wear their suits and splash around in that. Directly next to that is a nice little playground. Both of those are free. Parking at the Boardwalk is free. Otherwise, to me Kemah is pretty expensive. We rarely eat there as a family due to how expensive the restaurants are. Husband and I will eat there on a date, but knowing we are going to be shelling out a little dough. You can not bring outside drinks/food/pets to the Boardwalk. (I mention pets because I don't know if you are bringing yours on vacation, but I saw at least 4 different groups walk up with a little dog on a leash, get a pained expression reading the "No Dogs" sign, and turn around and leave. Assuming because it is outdoors they thought dogs were welcome?) It's not Disney prices, but still...think that a box of popcorn was priced 3.25, Dipping Dots between $4-$5? Again, I hope that the sky's the limit for your family vacation, but if not, you could pack a picnic and/or drinks & snacks and walk to your car to have those.

If your kids like the hands-on stuff, then you HAVE to go to the Children's Museum. Admission is $7 per person, parking is $5-$7 depending on what lot you go to. Cafe is pricey (IMHO) but there is nowhere else to eat nearby in walking distance. You can bring your food/drinks, but they are not allowed in museum areas and they do not want you to occupy a cafe table, so you would need to eat/drink at courtyard or tables just outside cafe. FYI in case you stay some place with a kitchen and/or plan to not eat out much.

There is also a Rainforest Cafe in Galveston that has a volcano on top that "erupts". You can stroll through the outside of the restaurant and enjoy the giftshop without actually eating there. Of course, it is a cool place to eat as far as themeing goes, but to me it is expensive for poor-to-average food. Prior to food allergy diagnosis, we would go in and split a Volcano for desert. That way we could enjoy the animal animatronics but not spend a ton of money.

 

[HunnyPots]

I love love love Galveston! No, the beaches are not spectacular, but there is so much more to Galveston than just beaches. Yes, they are still recovering, but it should not have any negative effect on your trip. A week in Galveston? That may be a bit too long, at least it would be for me. Check out tripadvisor for advice on things to do in the area. Have a great trip!

 

[curemyreed]

Ooops. Didn't respond to your question about deep-sea fishing. We haven't, but have seen the ads. I'd have a real concern about seasickness with the kind of rocking you're gonna get on a vessel that size. And you are just STUCK if anyone in your group is seasick...they aren't gonna turn the boat around, KWIM? I'll tell you what does look family friendly to me. Dolphin viewing excursions. I've never done that either, but seen the ads.

OH, MY GOODNESS!!! Just remembered why I've never actually paid for the dolphin excursion! There is a ferry from Galveston to Port Bolivar that is free. You can drive onto the ferry and then drive off on the Port Bolivar side, turn around and ride back on the ferry. DO NOT try to drive back from Bolivar...it would take hours! If you drive onto the ferry you can exit your car and go upstairs and look around. If you don't want to drive onto the ferry there is free parking right next to the ferry terminal. You just walk onto the ferry and ride back and forth. We don't see dolphins every single time, but have several times. You can bring along some bread or chips to feed the birds. It is a very pleasant FREE boat ride. About 20 minutes each way as I remember it. BTW, this is not the fancy, tons of seating ferries I've ridden on the east and west coasts. You'll be standing at the rail the whole way. The more I think about it, this is a great way to get to ride a boat without having to spend any money. Only suggestion would be to avoid typical commute times as this is heavily used and would be a long wait to even get to the parking area beside the terminal.

All this talk of the wonders of Galveston is making me want to head down there! It's just too cold lately to enjoy it. We have done the Segway tour at Epcot and LOVED it so much. However, it is for ages 16 and up, so DH & I did it separately so the other parent could supervise the children. Galveston has 2 different Segway tour companies so I had in mind to surprise DH with a Saturday get-away for lunch and a surprise Segway tour. Off topic, but we loved those Segways so much that we have lined up to take each child on an Epcot Segway tour for his/her 16th birthday Diz trip. Definitely up our alley!

 

[Lori2202]

We visited a few years ago and had a great time at the Space Center and the Kemah Boardwalk. If you decide to visit the children's museum, be forewarned that it can be very crowded on Kids Free night. Being budget minded, we decided to time our visit to coincide with the Kids Free night. BIG mistake! I can't tell you how many bus loads of people were in there. We had to leave due to the wall-to-wall crowds, when we left, I attempted to count the number of busses, but lost track after about 20!

 

[ekatiel]

Like others have said-- the beaches in Galveston are swimable but nothing to write home about. We used to joke that those old Hershey's chocolate milk commercials where the kid was floating on the river of chocolate milk were really filmed in Galveston! The water is not clear, but it is actually clean-- it is the type of sand and sediment on the bottom that continually gets washed up that makes the water unclear. All that being said-- there is a ton of other stuff to do in the Galveston/Houston area, too. Schlitterbahn is a must, as is Moody Gardens. The Houston Children's Museum and Space Center are really cool. If you plan to do both of these, I would go ahead and get a Houston City Pass. http://www.citypass.com/city/houston.html Then you'll have access to the Zoo and the Downtown Aquarium, too, as well as a few other places. I think it would be easy to spend a week split between activities in Houston and Galveston. Have a fun trip! --Katie

 

[lovehoney]

We love Galveston. I've been there for day trips a couple of times since Hurricane Ike. You will see some damage still but Galveston is open and ready for visitors! Summer can be really expensive in Galveston, so book early.

If you've never been to Galveston - just realize that all of the hotels are across the street (seawall) from the beach. There are not any hotels directly on the beach. You can drive to beaches either east or west that are not behind the seawall.

The beaches are not the most picturesque in the world but they are beautiful to those of us who grew up with them.

Here is a link to live webcams for Galveston -
http://www.galveston.com/webcams/

For good cheap eats try Shrimp-n-stuff. It is a must-do on every vacation. The gumbo is great and you can't beat the fried shrimp po-boys.
http://www.shrimpnstuff.com/
It is in an out-of-the-way residential area - great place for lunch!

 

[coastiewifern]

My kids favorite attractions are the children's museum and space center Houston. I do not care at all for the beaches in Galveston, I guess I've been too spoiled by the beaches of the FL panhandle. Kemah is fun as well!

 

[SummerGirl]

Thank you all very, very much for the great information!! I look forward to checking out the boardwalk info. Hmmm, I guess I'm just trying to figure out what the beaches look like. Is it kinda gray like? I probably wouldn't be too picky, we are from Oklahoma & all we have are lakes. So imagine that water!

So, how long of a trip do you all recommend! I said a week b/c we want to be gone for an entire week; however, we can always break our stay b/w Galveston & stay a couple of nights at GWL in Dallas on the way back home.

No, we do not have any pets so that's not an issue for us, but that advice I'm sure is helpful for other families that do.

Any other suggestions regarding where to eat, etc. How about places to stay? I prefer hotels, but have wondered about renting a condo?

I've heard so many wonderful things about Galveston being so family friendly & I really think my kids would enjoy it!

BTW-- I'm a dolphin nut so we would definitely have to figure out a way to check them out!

 

[m&amom]

We love Galveston and have gone 2 years in a row. In fact my three year old keeps putting his swimming suit in his suitcase and telling me we need to go to the big wa wa tomorrow. Make sure you check out Moody Gardens. They have an aquarium, rainforest and a discovery pyramid that often shows traveling exhibits when we went they were housing the titanic exhibit. They also show many 2D and 3D movies and have a water playground with a pool and dumping bucket and other things for kids. It is a lot of fun to go down on the strand and go into all the stores also. Also if your children enjoy the rainforest cafe there is one on the beachfront. There is a great sandwich shop there called the sunflower bakery that you can occasionally find certificates for on restuarant.com

 

[Aristocath]

I enjoy Galveston but I couldn't spend a week there. The beaches are not particularly beautiful but you'll have a good time, I'm sure. We like to visit The Strand and the tall ship Elissa is docked in Galveston. There is a museum there at the Elissa and my kids enjoy learning about what an important port Galveston was.

Also, there is a railroad museum that I can't remember the name of but it is off The Strand. Moody Gardens is fun. Have a great trip!

 

[MichelleTX]

As far as lodging I would recommend the hotel at Moody Gardens or a condo at Escapes. Escapes is on the west end of the island and it's right on the beach (not across from like the hotels). We've stayed there before and it was very nice. Have fun!

 

[LBIJim]

Galveston is a fun place to spend a few days. My wife and I enjoyed Moody Gardens, walking or driving by or visiting some of the historic residential areas, strolling along the Strand.

The ferry to and from Boilivar is a fun diversion. There can be a long wait on summer weekends unless you go early.

Beaches aren't very picturesque but they're still enjoyable. We liked the ones at the far end of the city beyond where the seawall directly faces the gulf. I forgot the names of those two beaches. One was where Broadway ends at the Gulf front and the other was at the extreme northeast end of the island. They had pavilions where you can get changed, buy food or beer, restrooms, etc. A few times they had bands or other entertainment.

We were disappointed by the lack of a beach across from our hotel. Hardly any beach at all at low tide. At high tide the gulf reached the sea wall. But we kind of expected this. Usually places with massive sea walls have very little beach.

I don't think I'd want to spend a whole week in Galveston, though. But it's fun for a few days or day trips from Houston.

Jim

 

[sk!mom]

Thank you so much for your response! I really appreciate it!! Yes, it would be our first time visiting the Texas coast so I didn't know what to expect regarding the water. As long as the water is clean, I'm sure we will love it!! This may seem silly, but what about jelly fish, is there any problem with that? Have you ever gone deep sea fishing? I thought we would go into Houston for a day, I'll definitely check into the children's museum. My kids love hands on activities so if they have anything like that it would be a winner. The waterpark would be a must, and I have read a lot about Moody Gardens. Thanks again! Alysa

BTW - I have been to Houston one other time & I completely remember the traffic was an absolute nightmare the day we arrived. Definitely want to avoid that again!

Honestly the water at Galveston is far from clean. My DH got a nasty fungal ear infection and the Galveston ER doc told him that they saw those types of infections often due to the polluted water.

As others have mentioned there are quite a few fun activities. My DD loved horseback riding on the beach.

 

[ktlm]

I'm a fellow Oklahoman. My Dad loved Galveston and it is pretty much the closest beach to Oklahoma, so we went quite a bit when I was a kid and it has some special memories for me. I still love it there. It has no special memories for my DH, and his opinion is that it is "okay". The beaches aren't the nicest and neither is some of the town. Even though it might not be the best beach, we always have a really good time there. Moody Gardens is a great place to take the little ones. We like to ride the ferry too. The strand is a fun area to visit. I have not been back since the hurricane. We took DD there in the summers of 2007 and 2008, when she was 1 and 2. We didn't have any trouble with jellyfish either trip, but the beach can have a problem with seaweed. Both trips we had to climb over seaweed to get to the water. You get used to it pretty fast, but I've never been to another beach with that problem. Both trips we stayed at the San Luis and we really liked it. We had ocean view rooms and you could walk to the beach across the street and rent umbrellas and chairs there. It is a nice place. The rainforest cafe is next door. Their rainforest cafe actually has a ride inside which we think is kind of fun. You can walk up and down the seawall. I think it is a great place to stay. I will say that when we were there in 2007 and 2008 we could still see a lot of damage from the last hurricane and that was not that hard of a hit. I would expect you are still going to see a lot of damage. Plus, I know the recent hurricane completely wiped out some of the little souvenier shops on the side by the beach we always liked to visit, so while it is up and running, I think it will probably still be pretty different. Someone who has been post-hurricane can probably tell you more.

 

[ktlm]

I just noticed your "As long as the water is clean statement". We've never had any illness issues like the PP, but you definitely shouldn't expect any type of crystal clear water, or even clear water for that matter. You can usually not see to the bottom at all, not even in the very shallow area. It's pretty murky water. I've never particularly thought of it as dirty though, except for the occasional seaweed hitting me.