Pointing Our Headlights South: A Week on Galveston Island!
If you are on the hunt for perhaps the best family vacation in the state of Texas, look no further than Galveston! You could spend weeks here soaking in every family-friendly activity this island has to offer, but here are our top picks for a week or long weekend in “G-Town:”
What's Ahead:
- Accommodation Options
- Kid-Friendly Activities Unique to the Island
- Restaurant Recommendations
Accommodations:
There are two great kid-friendly options for places to stay in Galveston:
#1: A Historic Beach House
This gives the kids the ability to be kids (a.k.a. run amuck and be louder than a whisper), as well as it provides an option for privacy, a backyard for the pups, and the ability to be immersed in the local area.
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. Additionally, we appreciated all the kid-friendly creature comforts around the house, such as puzzles and kids’ books on the bookshelves.
#2: Moody Gardens
If you are looking for the most kid-friendly, all-inclusive experience on the island, there is nowhere like Moody Gardens. They have won the Four Diamond Award many times over, and they offer standard guest rooms to full-sized family suits. Staying onsite allows you premier access to the gorgeous 242-acre gardens, the attractions, the spa, the golf courses, and all the dining options. They also have a boat marina onsite for your convenience.
Activities:
#1: Moody Gardens
Even if you choose not to stay there, no family vacation in Galveston is complete without a visit to the Gardens. This magical park uses nature to educate and excite visitors about wildlife conservation. They genuinely have so much to offer that I will not be able to cover it all here, but below are some of the best perks to visiting Moody Gardens:
- Aquarium Pyramid – The Gardens feature three main attractions in three separate pyramids. The blue pyramid hosts one of the largest aquariums in the region. It is twelve stories high and contains over 10,000 marine animals, from fish to sharks and from seals to penguins. Each part of the aquarium represents a different region of the sea, including the North Pacific, the South Pacific, the South Atlantic, and the Caribbean.
- Rainforest Pyramid - The clear pyramid is ten stories tall and is home to over 1,700 free-range animals, including Giant Amazon River otters, Saki monkeys, ocelots, and a wide range of other animals, birds, and reptiles. The rainforests of Asia, Africa, and the Americas are featured throughout the bat caves, waterfalls, and Mayan Ruins of this majestic structure.
- Discovery Pyramid – The deep pink pyramid contains science-oriented exhibits and activities, and it hosts a 4-D Interactive Experience called 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
- Palm Springs – This water wonderland features a landscaped white sandy beach, a water park for the kids, freshwater lagoons, a lazy river, tower water slides, a group of slides with a dump bucket, a wave pool, a hot tub, and a splash pad play area for smaller children.
- Zip Line / Rope Course – Moody Gardens hosts the tallest steel rope course on the Gulf Coast, coming in at five stories tall. Do not worry, they also have a smaller version for those under 48 inches. Additionally, they have a zip line that takes you 60 feet above Palm Springs to get a bird's eye view of the pyramids.
- When you get hungry, they have dining options in the Aquarium Pyramid, the Rainforest Pyramid, the Visitor Center, the hotel, and at Palm Springs.
- They also have a Paddlewheel cruise boat, an IMAX theater, and they host an incredible Festival of Lights each holiday season.
#2: The Pleasure Pier
Probably one of the most iconic sights of Galveston, the Pleasure Pier holds:
- 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.
#3: The Beach
I was surprised with how calm the waves were in Galveston. My kids compared it to swimming around in a big bathtub! That being said, if you are looking for a beach where younger children can play in the surf without being knocked down, this island is a great option.
Another factor that sets Galveston apart from so many other beaches is that there are no houses on the ocean side of the road. This means uninterrupted views of the ocean, whether you are walking along the Seawall, driving down Seawall Blvd, or eating at one of the restaurants across from the Seawall.
#4: 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 up 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.
#5: Take the Ferry to Bolivar or Head Out to the State Park
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.
If that is not enough nature for you, you can also head to Galveston Island State Park for walking trails and even more pristine beaches and protected wildlife habitats. If you enjoy camping, this is the perfect location to camp right on the beach!
Restaurants:
I will start out by saying that anything by Landry’s is a safe bet for a delicious meal and a family-friendly atmosphere in Galveston. This includes Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. (on the Pleasure Pier), Rainforest Café, Fish Tales, Saltgrass Steak House, and Landry’s Seafood House.
Two of our favorites are:
#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.
#2 Joe's Crab Shack
My son loves crab legs, so the Crab Shack is a must for us! I also enjoy that it has outdoor seating, an ocean view, and a playground for the kiddos to play on while they wait on their food to come.
When it comes to a long day at the beach, if you do not feel like bringing sandwiches, Porretto Beach has a snack shack that is open during peak season. There is also a Jack-in-the-Box across the street, and there are all sorts of restaurants along the Seawall.
Additional “G-Town” Tips:
- Galveston is a laid back, historic town that operates from 10AM-5PM on most attractions, so plan your day and activities accordingly.
- Galveston effectively shuts down during offseason, so if you go any time other than between Spring Break and Labor Day (even if it’s 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 can make for a quiet and peaceful vacation if that is something you are after.
For more Texas beachgoing fun, check out our kid-friendly “Coastal Getaway to Corpus Christi,” which includes an offshore adventure on a working pirate ship and a horseback ride on the beach.
HOW TO: Galveston
TO DO BEFORE YOU GO:
Make your hotel reservations at least two months ahead of time. Make your dinner reservations at least two weeks ahead of time (Open Table is a great app to use for this). As for attractions, that is really up to you. We just walked into all of the attractions we visited because I do not like to plan minute by minute when we are on vacation, but you can also make reservations online. Plan Your Shopping Trip - There are only one or two supermarkets on the island (we went to Kroger), and the rest of the "grocery stores" are convenience stores or liquor stores that have a little bit here and there, so my recommendation would be to make a list and pick up all your grocery items at once. As for our boat rental, I absolutely recommend Galveston Boat Rentals at 409-692-6600. Again, you can rent a boat from them with or without a captain depending on your preference. The ferry to the Bolivar Peninsula is walk-on, so you do not need a ticket or reservation ahead of time.
TO PACK:
Beach gear (beach towels, bathing suits, sunscreen, sand toys, etc.); bug spray, as the mosquitos on the island can be awful sometimes; a mask or two, as this Galveston is still fairly pro-mask, so some of the attractions will still require you to wear one upon entry; a good pair of sandals are needed for the waterparks, and tennis shoes are a must for walking the Seawall and visiting the walkthrough attractions.
TO ENTERTAIN:
Our kids are big on using reading, drawing, coloring, and using their Amazon Fire Tablets to keep them occupied during road trips.
TO STOP:
We are not big on stopping once we get on the road. We would rather get to our destination faster and enjoy it longer, so we usually prep snacks ahead of time, so that we only have to stop for gas and restroom breaks. If we stop for a meal, it's usually fast food, so we can keep moving.
TO PARK:
Our beach house had a garage, and the beach was walkable, but if you park along the seawall, there is a fee. None of the attractions we went to had a parking fee though.
BONUS – ADVENTURE STAPLES:
We always take snacks (the kids have mini-backpacks that they keep with them), water, and water bottles on every road trip. As for car essentials, we have our rooftop cargo bag which holds our luggage and takes about 5 mins to set up and take down on the roof. Furthermore, I always keep our seatback leakproof trash bag in the car. This keeps the car clean and the spills to a minimum.
This incredible article was written by Kyrstie Nickles. You can find more helpful Adventure tips and tricks on Kyrstie's blog & instagram
Read more about Galveston in her blog post!