Galveston

May 2020

It's Island Time! Tom and I recently went back to Galveston for a little summer vacation and it brought back so many great memories. For those who don't know, we lived on the island for a little over a year while I was going to PA school at UTMB. While there, we picked up on the best local spots for food, long walks, and quiet beaches! Can't wait to share with you all!

Check out our other pages for the highlight video!

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Galveston, Texas

Best Eats

• Sunflower Bakery & Cafe: great lunch spot by UTMB's campus

• Farley Girls: great lunch spot by UTMB's campus

• Mosquito Cafe: great lunch spot by UTMB's campus

• Pho 20

• The Original Mexican Cafe: I dare you to try the Pink Diamond Margarita

• Stuttgarden Tavern

• The Tremont Rooftop Bar

• Sugar Bean: quaint, airy neighborhood coffee shop with outstanding seasonal flavors. This place was my go-to study spot! Check out their lavender lemonade for something refreshing for summer! Make sure to get a punch card - you'll be back!

• Nick's Kitchen & Beach Bar: good casual food with great beachfront atmosphere

• Gaidos

• Fish Tales

• Gumbo Diner: great beignets

• The Spot: touristy but a classic Galveston spot for beachfront burgers

• Galveston Island Brewing

• Jimmy's on the Pier: best ocean-view restaurant in all of Galveston

• Beerfoot Brewery

• Brunch at Hotel San Luis

• Gypsy Joint

• Shrimp N' Stuff

• Fisherman's Warf

Pier 21: Fisherman's Warf & Willie G's

Must do, Must see

• Moody Gardens Pyramids: check out the aquarium & the rainforest pyramids

• Pleasure Pier

• Schlitterbahn

• Tin Cups

• Moody Gardens Golf Course

• East Beach: pay per car

• Stewart Beach: pay per car

• Palisade Palms: park on east side of condos, public beach access on east side. Beautiful free beach with private-like feel between the bust East & Steward Beaches

• Tour Galveston Island Brewery

• Run along the seawall

• Ghost Tour: Galveston continues to be ranked in the top 10 most haunted cities in the country! If haunted mansions & ghost tales are your thing, check out on of the many haunted tours on the island.

Tips and Tricks

• Galveston Island Trolley: $1 rides with multiple lines (Seawall, Downtown, Historic)

• Uber is available on the island as well!

• The Courtyard by Marriott was always one of my favorite hotels there - budget friendly.

• If you're looking for a more luxury experience, consider staying at the San Luis Resort or the Hotel Galvez!

• And if you truly want a beachy get-away experience, consider an AirBnB or VRBO rental further down on the West End!

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Jamaica Beach, Texas

Best Eats

• Shrimp N Stuff Food Truck

• The Oaks Bar & Grill

• Waterman's Restaurant

• Sandbar Grille

• West End Marina

  
  

Sunset at Galveston Island State Park

Must do, Must see

• Stroll through trails on Galveston Island State Park

• Galveston Island State Park Nature Center

• Camp at Galveston Island State Park

• Public Beach Access Point #16

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Surfside, Texas

Best Eats

• Dorado's Dive Club

• Seahorse Bar & Grill

• On the River Restaurant

• Beach Bums Bar & Grill

• Pier 30

  
  

Must do, Must see

• Drive onto the beach

• Boogie board

• Rent jet skies/speedboat

• Go fishing

• Sea Center Texas

Tips & Tricks

- A lot of the beaches on this side of the island are drive-on beaches. This makes it super easy to load everything up and set up camp for the day. The sand is pretty flat & hard but be sure you have a vehicle that can handle the terrain!

- Beach Packing List:

• towels, blankets, chairs, tent

• games: bocce ball, corn hole, paddle ball, frisbee, volleyball, football

• boogie boards, pool noodles, blow up tubes

• coolers with food, water/Gatorade, beer (don't forget to bring cans, not bottles!), coozies

• speaker, camera, goPro, phones

• sunscreen, bug spray, aloe vera, hat & sun glasses, vinegar (for jellyfish stings)

• doggies! water bowl, gallon jug of water, leashes, tennis ball, treats, dog towels

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Galveston is often underrated, and we have found to have some awesome beaches & eateries for a vacation right here in our own Texan backyard. It definitely helps satisfy that summer getaway craving! We hope you, too, can make great memories in Galveston!

XOXO,

Tom & Katie

"The Wandering Olivers"