What to do for 1.5 days in Galveston

[ski_mom]

We are cruising out of Galveston this summer (unfortunately not on Disney). We will get in Galveston on Friday afternoon and our ship leaves on Sunday, so we'll have about a day and a half.

We are planning on going to the space center Saturday morning, but otherwise, we are open.

There will be my family (DH, DD18, DD17, DS13 and me) and my in-laws. They are not really "beachy" people, so I'm trying to plan things that won't just be beaches since they've agreed to do on a cruise with us! We will probably split up at a couple of the ports so my family can go to the beaches and my in-laws can do a city tour or something similar. Because of this, we'd like to stay together pre-cruise.

Anyway, just wondering what others have done while waiting for their ship to sail.

Thanks!

 

[cisobe]

We cruised out of Galveston in 2013, and searched a bit for things to do. I think Galveston has a website with attractions, such as Moody's Garden,which has an aquarium and botanical gardens and i believe there is a water park near by there too. We only did a little bit of research, but never followed through with those plans as my son was tired after our long flight in from Hawaii, and he ended up taking a long nap at the hotel. We also needed to do some shopping as my wife's shoe decided to break when we got to the hotel. We ended up walking down the board walk, and going to the pleasure pier for lunch, and took a taxi ride to the nearest shoe store...

 

[gumbypee]

Look up Moody Gardens! It's awesome. Pyramids with different themes-rainforest, aquarium. Go to website and I believe it even estimates times to visit so you may not do all

There used to be a mini golf course up the beach road.

I think their is now a pier maybe with games and stuff

Or you can go to Kemah (not as far into Houston as space center.) there is a boardwalk and some games and shops and restaurants - and a speedboat ride I love

 

[aggiedog]

If anyone in the family is into airplanes, there's a nice museum on the island. http://www.lsfm.org

If anyone is REALLY into airplanes, you can pay to fly in some of them.

 

[mevans9066]

Check galveston.com!! They have live Web cam and video cams too from the cruise terminal views, beach views, the strand and live feed from the ships that leave from galveston! When we left from there on the Carnival Triumph we made big huge poster board hands we waved from the top deck and my girls were watching it lice from home and could see us waving bye as the ship pulled out to sea! The hands worked great!

 

[dcassetta]

The Galveston thread http://www.disboards.com/threads/all-things-galveston-updated-5-21-14.2988332/

 

[phinz]

As a kid I always enjoyed riding the Bolivar Ferry and going to Seawolf Park. The former Flagship Pier is apparently an amusement park now. Exploring the jetties at East Beach was always fun too.

 

[ColoradoDisneyFreaks]

You can easily spend most of Saturday at the Space Center. They have tons of activities and exhibits, and there are 2 different tours of the facility that you can take as part of it as well.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

If anyone in the family is into airplanes, there's a nice museum on the island. http://www.lsfm.org

If anyone is REALLY into airplanes, you can pay to fly in some of them.

I'm not sure if the move is complete but it's my understanding the Lonestar Flight Museum is moving up to Ellington Field. It's an amazing museum because their planes are all able to fly. They are not gussied-up shell displays. Each can and do fly. Hubby knows a couple of their volunteers.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

As a kid I always enjoyed riding the Bolivar Ferry and going to Seawolf Park. The former Flagship Pier is apparently an amusement park now. Exploring the jetties at East Beach was always fun too.

Yep, the Flagship is gone. That's now the Pleasure Pier (a Landry's holding). Took my girlfriends from Maine to Bubba Gump's on the pier just this past Saturday night. Food, drinks, and atmosphere was great. Had a fab time.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

To the OP, we are Schliiterbahn pass holders and enjoy that. You could also go to the Pleasure Pier. Moody Gardens is a good option. Over by the port is the oil rig museum. A little ways up the interstate you could go to the Tanger Outlets and experience a Texas staple: Buc-ee's. If you've never been to a Buc-ee's you'd be in for a treat. LOL!

We live in Kemah. Here we have the Boardwalk (another Landry's holding). If driving from Galveston to Johnson Space Center via Hwy 146 to NASA Rd 1 you'll pass right thru Kemah and by the Boardwalk. It's shops, restaurants, midway games, rides, etc. During the summer they'll do lots of events with live entertainment. Fireworks every Friday (that we see from our place). It's a fun little area. We like to go over to a little burger shack joint a couple blocks away called Hubcaps. It's right next to the Holiday Inn.

I wouldn't recommend the beaches in Galveston. They're very unpretty especially if you're going to ports with beautiful beaches.

Also, you could walk the Strand. Go to LaKings on the Strand for a really awesome old soda-fountain experience. The Strand is in the old part of the island by the port. Shops, eats, carriage rides, etc. It's nice. We like to go to LaKings, tho.

 

[FergusBC]

We had just one day in Galveston before our last cruise and really wished we'd had longer. We spent half a day at Moody Gardens in the aquarium pyramid. We'd have liked to see the rest of it but time was pressing ! We actually loved walking along the beach - but then we're coast people so we liked comparing the Gulf to our own home turf We did one of the dolphin tours, went to the see the movie about the Great Storm...were too late to get to the harbour museum and the tall ship Elissa, which were on wish list. There's also an oil rig museum near the pier that we would have gone into had we had more time.

There's a link to my trip report in my signature below if you want more details and pictures

 

[phinz]

Yep, the Flagship is gone. That's now the Pleasure Pier (a Landry's holding). Took my girlfriends from Maine to Bubba Gump's on the pier just this past Saturday night. Food, drinks, and atmosphere was great. Had a fab time.

I just miss the Balinese Room. The stories my grandfather could tell from its heyday...

 

[soniam]

Mmmm LaKings. Love that place.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

I just miss the Balinese Room. The stories my grandfather could tell from its heyday...

I've only recently heard of the Balinese Room! Seriously, they could resurrect that place and make a killing! I can tell you right now I'd be a regular!

 

[phinz]

I've only recently heard of the Balinese Room! Seriously, they could resurrect that place and make a killing! I can tell you right now I'd be a regular!

It's in the works. Galveston County gave them a special parking variance and they're working on getting it done. They've shown the plans. It won't be nearly the same, but they're going to keep the Polynesian style.

 

[sweetpee_1993]

It's in the works. Galveston County gave them a special parking variance and they're working on getting it done. They've shown the plans. It won't be nearly the same, but they're going to keep the Polynesian style.

I thought I had read something like that but wasn't sure. Let's keep in touch, maybe do a meet up when they get the doors back open.

Maaaaany years ago (probly 40ish years back), in the old Flagship Hotel, there was a mural painted of the pier & hotel out over the water. My father-in-law painted it. He grew up in Texas City/Galveston. He had painted my mother-in-law's name into the waves.

 

[phinz]

I thought I had read something like that but wasn't sure. Let's keep in touch, maybe do a meet up when they get the doors back open.

Maaaaany years ago (probly 40ish years back), in the old Flagship Hotel, there was a mural painted of the pier & hotel out over the water. My father-in-law painted it. He grew up in Texas City/Galveston. He had painted my mother-in-law's name into the waves.

That's very cool. My grandmother worked at the hospital in Galveston as a nurse. My dad grew up in LaMarque and my mom grew up in Texas City. My grandmother lived in Hitchcock until she had to move into managed care/assisted living. I caught many specks off of the Flagship Pier, and got into at least one fist fight that I can remember, though it was really my face hitting his fist for some reason I still haven't figured out. Mistaken identity, and I paid the price. Oh well. Fond memories of Galveston, all said. I mourn Sea-Arama all the time.