Galveston Texas is an awesome and affordable family vacation located in Southern Texas, an hour south of Houston. Whether you're driving or flying, make sure to stop by the visitors center to get some coupons for attractions and restaurants. Plan to make it a relaxing family vacation. In the morning, spend your time by the beach or swim in the pool. It's a fun way to start the day with kids. Then do a couple of activities for the rest of the day so there's always something different to do. Galveston is a small island so it's better to spread out your activities especially if you're staying for a week.
WHERE TO STAY:
There are plenty of beach front hotels or houses for rent in Galveston. When we were there, we had a condo at Seascape Resort (http://www.galvestonseascape.com/) which is at the west side of the island. This property has a warm outdoor pool and whirlpool which is great for swimming even if it's cold outside. Most of the rooms have gulf view and it has a private beach so no need to pay for parking somewhere else.
WHAT TO DO:
1. Beach
Free in our resort but other beaches charge $ for parking. Plan to spend your morning at the beach. Run or walk along the shore, pick up some seashells, look for sea creatures on the shore, swim in the ocean and make sand castles. Bring some bread and feed the seagulls (check out my perfect shot below). Watch the sunrise or sunset. Setup your blanket and do some stargazing at night. Constellation app is really fun to have with this activity. If you plan to fish, make sure to get a fishing license before you do it.
2. Ferry to Bolivar Peninsula
Free. You can load your car in the ferry and it will take you to the other island. I recommend bringing a car so you can explore the place. When you're in Bolivar peninsula, drive around to see the beautiful beach houses and the Laguna Harbor. In the ferry, you can get out of your car and go up on the 2nd floor to have a better view of both islands and if you're lucky, you might be able to see some dolphins.
3. The Strand
You can walk along the Strand Avenue and check out some shops for souveniers, have an ice cream or beer, play the floor chess game, or just take cute pictures in the plaza. I also recommend Buster's Old Time photos because they have different selections for portraits and they also have deals from Groupon. Take carriage ride for $25 to stroll along the historic buildings in the Strand area.
4. Tree Sculpture
Free. Take the map from the visitor's center along Broadway Avenue and follow the path to look for the 21 Tree Sculptures. This is also a good game for the kids because they feel like they're doing a scavenger hunt.
5. Victorian houses and mansions
Free. Drive around town to see the beautiful houses in Galveston if you're already doing your tree sculpture tour.
6. Walk along Seawall Boulevard
Whether you're heading to the beach, restaurants, pier, fishing, or boardwalk , this long street is a nice spot to walk around and just enjoy the view of the ocean and the town.
7. Rent a bike
$25/hr. There are plenty of bike rentals along Seawall Blvd. This is an alternative to the above activity especially with kids who doesn't want to do the long walk. 
8. Other recommendations
$$$. Other places to go in this Island are Pleasure Pier and Moody Gardens.Also, if you like to cook your own seafood, you can buy fresh shrimps, crabs or fishes at Katie's Market.
* Since we were in Southern Texas for 5 days, we also opted to drive 45 minutes north to visit The Space Center in Houston (http://spacecenter.org/). I recommend this place especially for kids because there's a lot of hands on activities and information in NASA. They also have a chance to see or meet the astronauts, tour the facility, and try different equipments that they used in their planes or rockets. Tip: you can get a $5 coupon for each admission if you stop by the visitor's center. Plan to go early and book your timed tram tour online to avoid waiting for long lines.
WHERE TO EAT
If you have a kitchen in you're resort, I recommend at least eating 2 homecooked meals to save money. Here are my restaurant recommendations from my most to least favorite restaurant in Galveston:
1. The Spot
Go for happy hour (3-7pm) to get an awesome deals for alcoholic drinks and starters. Make sure to try Shrimp Cocktails and Shrimp Kisses.
2. The Gumbo Diner
I love their Shrimp and Crawfish Po Boy and Crawfish Étouffée. They also serve Seafood Gumbo and Beignets. Open for breakfast, lunch and late nights.
3. Salsas
Craving for some TexMex food? This is a place to eat with a view of the ocean. Check their daily specials and happy hours as well.
4. Shrimp N Stuff
This restaurant has different selections of tacos, Po boys and seafood dinners. Try the crab balls.
If you check my Photos on Galveston Album, you can see a lot of our pictures during our #springbreak2016 #texasvacation #roadtrip. Enjoy your next getaway!!!
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