What's Ahead:
- Accommodation Options
- Spooky Activities on the Island
- Restaurant Recommendations
- Stay tuned for my sample Galveston Travel Itinerary at the end!
Trip Planning:
- Plan Ahead - Make your hotel reservations at least two months ahead of time. Make your dinner reservations at least two weeks ahead of time. Everything else you can kind of play by ear. We walked in to get tickets to all of the attractions we visited, but you can also make reservations online.
- Bring A Mask - The city is still pretty pro-mask, as opposed to other areas of Texas, so some of the attractions will still require you to wear one on entry. Please make sure you are comfortable with this before heading there.
- Bring Bug Spray - The mosquitos on the island can be awful sometimes.
- Make A Shopping List - There is a Walmart, a Target, a Kroger, and some other supermarkets on the island, but as Seawall Blvd can be pretty busy at times, they can be hard to get to on a whim. My recommendation would be to make a list, plan one trip, and pick up all your grocery items at once.
- Beach Day Food - If you don't feel like bringing sandwiches to the beach, Porretto Beach has a snack shack that is open during peak season, there is a Jack-in-the-Box across the street, and there are all sorts of restaurants along the Seawall.
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| Porretto Beach |
Accommodations:
#1: A Historic Beach House - This provides an option for privacy, a backyard for the pups, and the ability to be immersed in the local history.
We stayed at Coastal Hideaway, an affordable, pet-friendly two bedroom, one and a half bath beach house, which is an easy five minute walk to the beach. The house was likely built between 1895 and the 1910s, but it has been fully renovated with new paint, an updated bathroom, smart TVs in each room, and stainless steel appliances in the huge kitchen. The fenced-in backyard feels like a jungle, and you are provided a garage and an outdoor shower.
#2 The Galvez Hotel and Spa - If you have the option of luxury, I would suggest you stay in the most haunted hotel in Galveston. If you want to partake in the nightly ghost tour, make sure to make your reservations in advance.
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| The Galvez Hotel and Spa |
Activities:
#1: Bishop's Palace - This 1892 mansion (also known as Gresham's Castle) is likely the most recognizable building in the city. The house is made completely of stone, and as such, it was able to withstand the great hurricane of 1900. Walter Gresham and his wife, Josephine, built the home and lived there with their nine children. In 1923, it was purchased by the Roman Diocese of Galveston, and it then served as the residence for Bishop Christopher E. Byrne. The home is incredibly grand and ornate, and as for ghosts, it is said that the Gresham's still walk its halls.
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| The Bishop's Palace |
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| The Immense Staircase |
#2: Moody Mansion - This mansion feels like the inside of a life-sized CLUE board, and I'm pretty sure Miss Scarlet killed Mr. Body in the Conservatory with the candlestick. Yes, there was an actual conservatory, along with every other formal room from the game and movie.
William Moody had his hands in almost everything, from cotton to ranching and from publishing to insurance. There are streets, banks, churches, and hospitals that boast his name, and then there are the incredible Moody Gardens!
Even with how pivotal the Moody's were to Galveston's expansion as a city, this mansion was born of a darker past: Richard S. Willis made his fortune in the cotton industry, but he was a very frugal man who kept his assets liquid to be able to easily distribute them among his ten children in the event of his passing. His wife, Narcissa, however, wanted to live a more lavish lifestyle in a large home that her husband would never allow. After Richard's death in 1892 (under strange circumstances, I might add), newly-widowed Narcissa put almost the entirety of his money into the commission of building the mansion, leaving nothing to the children. For this act, she was estranged from her children, and she lived alone in the house with a single housekeeper until she died in 1899. When she passed, her daughter immediately put the mansion up for sale. There were many bids placed on the house, but when the Great Storm of 1900 happened, all bidders pulled out except for the Moody's, so they were able to secure it as their own. Not surprisingly, it is said that Narcissa is still seen from time to time at the mansion. As the house was all she really had to show for this life or the next, I am sure she will continue to be around for many years to come.
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| Moody Mansion |
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| Original Stained-Glass Window |
#3: The Strand - Full of adorable souvenir shops, delicious restaurants, fudge shops, and pubs, the Strand is the place to be in Galveston day or night. It has the feel of a cleaner Bourbon Street. 2029 Strand St, Galveston, TX 77550.
"G-Town" Tip #1 - Galveston is a laid back, historic town that operates from 10AM-5PM on most attractions, so plan accordingly.
#4: The Historic Pleasure Pier - Probably one of the most iconic sights of Galveston, the Pleasure Pier hosts:
- The Iron Shark: a 100-foot-high oversea rollercoaster
- The Galaxy Wheel: a 100-foot-tall carousel with amazing views of the Gulf
- The Texas Star Flyer, which swings riders 230 feet over the Gulf
- And thirteen additional rides, as well as carnival games, concessions, and souvenir shops.
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| The Historic Pleasure Pier |
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| A History of the Pier |
"G-Town" Tip #2 - Galveston effectively shuts down during offseason, so if you go any time other than between Spring Break and Labor Day (even if its still 90 degrees outside), just know the waterparks will be closed, the Pleasure Pier will only be open on the weekends, and the town will be essentially "dead" when it comes to local happenings, which makes for a quiet and peaceful vacation of course.
#5: Rent A Boat - We rented an awesome little 19-foot ski boat from Galveston Boat Rentals. Our mission was to ride out to see the USS Selma, a beached shipwreck in the middle of Galveston Bay. They launch you at an East Bay boat ramp, which puts you out into essentially a huge lake that does not have any of the boat lanes or choppy water like the open ocean. This area is perfect for tubing, skiing, wakeboarding, swimming, and fishing. It takes about thirty minutes to make your way out to the USS Selma, and she is worth every bit of the effort! You can also rent the boat with a captain if you are not quite comfortable on the water by yourself.
If you do not want to rent a boat to see the USS Selma, you can always take the ferry to the Bolivar Peninsula and see it along the way. The ferry is the only way to get out to the more natural beaches of Bolivar.
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| The USS Selma |
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| Family Time on the Boat |
Restaurants:
#1: The Fisherman's Wharf - The incredible service and the atmosphere of dining out on the dock and watching the dolphins and tankers make their way across Galveston Bay is hard to beat! You will also be dining right next to the ELISSA, the still-sailing 1877 Tall Ship that has become the mascot of Galveston.
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| Grilled Shrimp over a Rice Pilaf |
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| The ELISSA |
#2: Landry's Seafood House - With their focus on family, warmth, and exceptional seafood, Landry's embodies the true flavor of Gulf Coast tradition. For a comfortable, laid-back dining experience with a gorgeous view of the ocean, this is the place!
#3: The Galvez Hotel and Spa - Even if you choose not to stay there, no haunted weekend in Galveston is complete without a visit to the most haunted hotel in the city. The elegant atmosphere immerses you in Southern Cajun cuisine, along with so many delicate wine options. Songs by Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra float by in the background just the way they did in person at the Balinese Room Pier that used to sit right across the street. The Galvez's current bar was actually saved from the old Balinese!
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| Dave's Chocolate Espresso Martini |
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| These two can fit in anywhere... |
SAMPLE ITENERARY:
Friday -
- Begin the trek to Galveston
- Check into your beach house or hotel
- If staying at a beach house, once settled, pick up your grocery list at the local supermarket
- Eat dinner at the Fisherman's Wharf
- Take a sunset walk on the beach
Saturday -
- Eat breakfast at beach house or hotel
- Visit Moody Mansion
- Visit Bishop's Palace
- Walk the Strand for shops and candy
- Eat dinner at Landry's Seafood House
Sunday -
- Eat breakfast at beach house or hotel
- Rent a boat for the day from 10AM-1PM
- Head to the Pleasure Pier
- Eat dinner at the Galvez Hotel and Spa
Monday -
- Eat breakfast at the beach house or hotel
- Check out of the beach house or hotel
- Begin the trek back home
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Thanks for reading Blue Sky Days! XOXO, Kyrstie.