Hey, Hey, We Went on Vacay

Last weekend, we packed up the kiddos and headed out of Cowtown for a quick late summer getaway to Galveston. Our oldest requested a trip to the beach sometime in June, and I--a beach girl, for sure--was happy to oblige.


We stayed in a tower room at the Hilton with a great view of the Gulf and the pool area. The kids were having so much fun that they even kindly shared elevator button-pushing privileges with one another. That was worth the trip right there. We spent part of the days at the pool and part building sandcastles on the beach. The little lady actually cried when we left the beach.

I hadn't been to Galveston since I was a teenager, and I was impressed! It has recovered well from Hurricane Ike. Family-friendly nightlife is abundant, from the Pleasure Pier to something as simple as the multiple ice cream shops and snow cone stands along the sea wall. You can't turn the corner without spotting great seafood, and we especially liked The Spot with our preschoolers. The Strand has quite a few fun shops (boutiques and souvenir stands), and we made a stop at la King Confectionery for a piece of fudge.

Maybe I have my Lone Star goggles on, but if it weren't for the muddy water, this beach town would rival any other in the Gulf region. Well done, Galveston.

All in all, we had a great first big Texas family road trip. We even convinced Jack to try shrimp, and he requested it a second meal. It has Mr. G and I excited about all the possibilities to show them the great state of Texas for the next 14-16 years we have them at home!


A little review about our lodging with info moms might like that I couldn't find online:

The Hilton Galveston Island Resort was a lot more hotel and lot less resort, but the location was perfect. Our room was in the tower, and it had a small refrigerator. The staff was friendly and helpful.

Sandwiched between our hotel and the San Luis was a Landry's, Rainforest Cafe, and IHOP, with the beach directly across Seawall Blvd. Even with our small kiddos, this was in wonderful walking distance, and there were great family-friendly activities outside the Rainforest Cafe. We utilized the beach across from the San Luis, which had chairs and umbrellas set up and available for rental for $30-40 a day.

If we planned a longer stay, we would likely opt for a condo and perhaps prepare some of our own meals, however, I was not interested in cooking this trip. This was perfect for the purpose of a short family trip, and we would probably stay there again.