Galveston, TX

Address:Galveston, Texas

Less than an hour down I-45 from Houston, Galveston, Texas is an historic coastal port with great shops and beaches. On Galveston Island, facing the Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is not hard to find some great places for fresh gulf seafood, including some Cajun styled restaurants. After recovering from some hurricanes and some urban blight, Galveston is not quite a resort town, but it definitely is a laid back town that knows how to have a good time. The city has taken lessons from New Orleans in Mardi Gras and general fun and has a pretty wild Oktoberfest, as well.

Besides the pubs and restaurants, Galveston places of interest are mainly related to the beach and to the architecture. The beach is a major feature in the city, laid out so that you are never really more than a mile from the beach. Before (or instead of) heading on to the sand at Stewart Beach park or East Beach, take a stroll along Seawall Blvd, built atop a 17 foot high wall to keep destructive hurricane surges out of downtown. Speaking of hurricanes, the 1900 one was one of the worst in US history with 6000 people killed. At the time Galveston was the largest port in Texas and one of the most important cities in the state. After 1900 the city went into a period of decline, eclipsed by the other Texas cities, but the architecture remains and has been restored, so that many of the places of interest in Galveston, Texas are in stately old mansions and buildings. On a final note, if you are fortunate enough to visit during the annual Lone Star Rally, you will see upwards of 100,000 motorcycles, a nice dose of patriotism and lots of cool tattoos.