Galveston, TX opinions

[gabriellyn]

Regarding the water - we have visited numerous times (prior to Ike) and never contracted any infections. However, the water is not clear due to sediment from the Mississippi River. It's not trash or icky stuff, just plain old sediment that makes the water less than clear. The beaches are golden, with neat dunes and lots of critters to be seen. We particularly enjoy Galveston Island State Park, however, while they are open, many of their facilities (like bathrooms) are not open yet due to Ike. It used to be our favorite beach because it was very family friendly, had picnic tables right behind the dune line and also had showers/restrooms available. There are other city beaches that offer this as well, but we never visited those.

 

[vsimeone]

Thanks so much for this thread!!! I am headed to Galveston for business in two weeks! I love all these ideas but as I will be working all day...

Is there anything, in particular, for two co-workers to do? We just have three evenings to fit in any activities. How late does the ferry run? That sounds like a fun excursion!

Any other recommendations for restaurants? Since we have to work all day, eating out is often the only recreation that we get to take advantage of. We're staying at the Holiday Inn if that helps in terms of location at all.

Thanks again for the OP who started the thread and for all great ideas posted here!

 

[SummerGirl]

I really appreciate everyone's opinions! I looked up the boardwalk & that seemed like a great place to take the kids. Definitely Moody Gardens, the waterpark, children's museum, and ferry ride all seem like best bets. I think my kids would enjoy the space museum too. Hmmm....but I am thinking about this whole beach thing. Originally I thought we would do beach stuff most of the week & then fit in all the other things here & there. Well, I think I may have changed my mind now. I'm very grateful for the honesty in everyone's opinions, that helps us make educated decisions regarding our vacation. It seems that a week in Galveston may be to much too!!

Thanks again everyone--you have provided me with so much great information!! You all are GREAT!!!!

 

[momofrrr]

I live in League City which is about 1/2 way between Houston and Galveston. As far as the water goes I would have to say that the water is clean as far as debris goes but it is very sandy and full of silt. The beaches are very clean. The Strand is slowly opening back up but there is plenty for a day long stroll and shop. If you are there on a Sunday I HIGHLY reccommend the Brunch at the Galvez. It is a little pricey but the food is absolutelye delicious. We go down there often just for that. The Boardwalk and Space Center Houston can both be done in a day. There is a wildlife park off of FM 517 in Dickinson I beleive. It is off the beaten path but it is a very popular field trip for our schools. There is also the San Jacinto Monument and Battle Ground and the Battleship Texas.....please feel free to IM me if you have any questions. I have lived in the area since I was 11 and here in League City for 18 years. I will be happy to help with directions......

 

[dydo2424]

Isn't the big the big statement for Texas surfer types "I Surf Brown Water"?That describes most Texas coastal water. That said, until my husband took me to Destin FL in my early 20's I had no idea how "bad" it was here. But I grew up with that being the "big" family vacation so it was always awesome! For some reason last year the water was fairly clear several times that we went. However, we always go to Port Aransas... I've always wanted to go to Galveston. Thanks OP for asking for info. It's helped me out tremendously!

 

[madelyn]

We spent 3 nights in the Galveston last summer while my husband was helping out with "Good News Galveston", a group that is aiding in the clean up after the hurricane. We stayed at a Hawthorne Suites which was not the greatest but the best I could find for a reasonable price that was more than just a single hotel room. My 3 kids (ages at the time 10, 7 and 2) and I spent our time during the day on the beach across the street or at the hotel pool (this was probably the best part of the hotel). The kids probably enjoyed the hotel pool more than the beach but did like building sand castles. I grew up going to the Texas coast each summer and had a wonderful time and didn't realize how yucky the water actually was until I was an adult and went to Hawaii and the Florida coast and Carribean and then returned to the Texas coast. The water is brownish and you cannot see the bottom of the water. Sometimes there is tar and debris around the beach but this is more what I remember from our Corpus Christi area. I did look into the Escapes condos and I think the beach there is private and supposed to be nicer. I was finding availability at a reasonable price on I think Expedia or maybe Hotels.com but then it was unavailable by the time I made up my mind. My in-laws are in the Houston area and we really love the Children's Museum there. We have a reciprocal membership from a museum in the San Antonio area so you should look to see if you can join a museum in your area and then get in the Houston museum free. The kids also have fun at the Health Museum next door and our membership lets us in free there too.

 

[MichelleTX]

Yes, the beach at Escapes is very nice & clean. They also have a very nice pool & the condos have a washer & dryer which is a huge plus.

 

[madelyn]

Yes, the beach at Escapes is very nice & clean. They also have a very nice pool & the condos have a washer & dryer which is a huge plus.

Michelle, how did you guys get the room at Escapes? I didn't want to sign up to do a timeshare presentation and the rates direct from Escapes were pretty high at the time we were going. Although summer rates are high just about everywhere.

 

[Planogirl]

Thanks so much for this thread!!! I am headed to Galveston for business in two weeks! I love all these ideas but as I will be working all day...

Is there anything, in particular, for two co-workers to do? We just have three evenings to fit in any activities. How late does the ferry run? That sounds like a fun excursion!

Any other recommendations for restaurants? Since we have to work all day, eating out is often the only recreation that we get to take advantage of. We're staying at the Holiday Inn if that helps in terms of location at all.

Thanks again for the OP who started the thread and for all great ideas posted here!

Galveston is a mostly sleepy little town so you probably won't find much night life. The popular older restaurant in Galveston is Gaido's which is along the Seawall. There's a place called The Spot which I've been told is a fun place to go. It's on the Seawall too. You can find a few good places on the Strand and on Pier 21 in the old downtown area of Galveston. Are you at the Holiday Inn on the Seawall? If I'm not mistaken the San Luis Hotel is nearby. It's a pretty nice place.

This page shows a little video of the best of 2009:
http://www.galveston.com/cuisine/

 

[HunnyPots]

While you're there, be sure to make time to eat at "The Spot" on seawall at least once! They have outstanding onion rings and burgers, plus you can go upstairs and eat while looking at the beach right across the street. It's a lot of fun and very family friendly.

 

[ktlm]

I agree, we love the Spot! It is kid and adult friendly. Also, I wasn't sure if you were aware that Moody Gardens also has a pool area open in the summer months called "Palm Beach". They have brought in white sand so it is "beach like", and it has a splash pad area for the kids. We haven't had time to actually hang out there, but we have walked through to look at it as our package deals came with admission to it, and it looked like a lot of fun. We brought our swim stuff on our last trip, but just spent too much time doing everything else and didn't get to that area. You could probably spend the good part of a full day just hanging out in that pool area. I don't think I'd have trouble filling a week in Galveston between the beach, Moody gardens and their "Palm Beach" area, strand, water park, etc. I don't know if it is something your girls would be interested in, but the Moody Garden hotel also has a "Secret Garden Spa", which is a spa just for girls between ages 5 and 16. They do manicures, pedicures, make-up etc. I don't know how pricey it is as DD wasn't old enough for that on our trips.

 

[Shyvioletisme]

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!!!

personally if I were going to a texas beach, I'd go to south padre island. I've always found the beaches/water at galveston to be dirty; not something I'd want to get in.

 

[MarieLuvsWDW]

personally if I were going to a texas beach, I'd go to south padre island. I've always found the beaches/water at galveston to be dirty; not something I'd want to get in.

Padre would be one heck of a haul from Oklahoma though. If I were going to make the stretch to Padre, I'd throw in a couple of extra hours and hit some truly spectacular beaches, like those on the Gulf Island's National Seashore in Alabama, or the Florida panhandle.

As far as the water goes, it's very brown (think: watered down chocolate milk) and the beach sand is more mud-like. The SE coast of Texas definitely got the short end of the stick, thanks to the Mississippi.

I was last there around four months ago, I guess? Once you get past the seawall, there was still noticeable damage. You'll see lots of stilts, minus their houses and restaurants/shops. I think the worst of the worst has long been cleaned up though.

One thing positive that I can say about Galveston though, is that there is a lot to do in the area. Not just Galveston, but the surrounding towns. It's definitely a tourist attraction. The only thing missing, is pretty water.

 

[floydfamily4]

We don't live far from Galveston and visit Moody Gardens Palm beach often. I would recommend a City Pass. This pass would give you a great chance to see many of the Houston favorite attractions and still do your beach time (I don't think the Galveston beach offers enough for a week- IMO)

Here is some info from the website (www.citypass.com/city/houston):

Houston CityPass is a carefully selected collection of Houston’s most popular, most famous attractions, priced a whopping 45% less than the cost of tickets purchased separately. The CityPass youth price (ages 4-11) shaves 44% off individual ticket prices. Houston CityPass is valid for nine days.

Inside each Houston CityPass booklet are
six actual admission tickets, each with a little tip revealing a CityPass secret to skip main ticket lines. Plan an action-packed weekend -- or take up to nine leisurely days -- to explore Houston’s shops, restaurants, and neighborhoods. Houston CityPass offer one admission to each attraction:


1.Space Center Houston (NASA): general admission including the Giant Screen theater
2.Downtown Aquarium: general admission to Adventure Exhibit
3.Houston Museum of Natural Science: general admission to exhibit halls
4.Houston Zoo: general admission
5.The Health Museum: general admission, including You: The Exhibit
OR
George Ranch Historical Park: general admission
6.Museum of Fine Arts, Houston: general admission; including You: The Exhibit
OR
The Children’s Museum of Houston: general admission

 

[MichelleTX]

Michelle, how did you guys get the room at Escapes? I didn't want to sign up to do a timeshare presentation and the rates direct from Escapes were pretty high at the time we were going. Although summer rates are high just about everywhere.

Madelyn, my dh booked it over the phone I think. We did not have to attend a timeshare presentation. If you look Escapes! Galveston up on trip advisor you will find many reviews and pictures. For Galveston it was very nice! GL!

 

[Deb & Bill]

personally if I were going to a texas beach, I'd go to south padre island. I've always found the beaches/water at galveston to be dirty; not something I'd want to get in.

I agree. All I remember about Galveston beaches were lots of tar balls on the beach, floating in on the surf from the offshore rigs. Your feet are always stained black. If South Padre or Corpus Christi wasn't possible, look towards Alabama to Gulf Shores. Much nicer beaches.

The sand at Galveston is dark colored. Not the sugar sands of further east down the coast.

 

[EMom]

I agree, we love the Spot! It is kid and adult friendly. Also, I wasn't sure if you were aware that Moody Gardens also has a pool area open in the summer months called "Palm Beach". They have brought in white sand so it is "beach like", and it has a splash pad area for the kids. We haven't had time to actually hang out there, but we have walked through to look at it as our package deals came with admission to it, and it looked like a lot of fun. We brought our swim stuff on our last trip, but just spent too much time doing everything else and didn't get to that area. You could probably spend the good part of a full day just hanging out in that pool area. I don't think I'd have trouble filling a week in Galveston between the beach, Moody gardens and their "Palm Beach" area, strand, water park, etc. I don't know if it is something your girls would be interested in, but the Moody Garden hotel also has a "Secret Garden Spa", which is a spa just for girls between ages 5 and 16. They do manicures, pedicures, make-up etc. I don't know how pricey it is as DD wasn't old enough for that on our trips.

That is the only "beach" I'll enter at Galveston. Seriously, I will not go in the water at Galveston for love nor money. It is nasty. Yes, there are jellyfish, but good luck spotting them in that brown water. My niece managed to get stung by a stingray, but I think that's a rarity. People here have listed lots of things to do in Houston/Galveston, but I wouldn't put the beach on that list. The Children's Museum, the Kemah Boardwalk (the paper has BYGO coupons all the time) and NASA are all good suggestions. We have to take DD to Schlitterbahn every year. But do not come for the beach/water.

 

[momofrrr]

I have not noticed a tar issue in a number of years. No, the beaches are not sugar and yes, the water is silty but it is a great vacation when you don't have a long time to get there and enjoy! I have lived here and been going down to Galveston since 1972 and I am still alive to tell the tale. Would I rather go to the Carribbean, of course but that is not always an option.

 

[lovehoney]

We did Corpus Christi last summer and the tar was horrible. I think it really depends on if there have been any oil spills or accidents in the gulf. When I was a kid there was tar all the time. I don't see it on the beach near as much anymore.

 

[SummerGirl]

Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions! I really appreciate everyone's responses, it definitely gives us much to think about & plan!!! If Galveston doesn't work out for us this summer, it will definitely be on the "short" list for future driveable vacations!!

I hope everyone had a great Valentine's!!!