Galveston, Oh Galveston! 10 Things to Do for the Ignorant Traveler

August 17, 2024 paperbacklou Americas 0

“Galveston, oh Galveston!” sang Glen Campbell, one of the great guitar players and singers in history. And a great actor in True Grit.

Campbell was a “Session Musician” before he became famous — part of the famous “Wrecking Crew” of Session Musicians. A Session Musician is a musician’s musician — the elite guys behind the scenes in music recordings.

Campbell got his big break on the Smothers Brothers show in 1967, and then played an incredible role as a Texas Ranger in True Grit. Campbell grew up dirt poor picking cotton in Arkansas, but close enough to elicit a real south Texas drawl.

So when Glen Campbell sang about Galveston, Texas — he seemed to be singing from the heart. Jimmy Webb wrote the song — Campbell was great at many things but was not a songwriter. Webb — currently touring at this writing — was born and raised in Oklahoma.

The song is about a soldier waiting to go into battle who thinks of the woman he loves and his hometown of Galveston, Texas. Please take a listen to the song and have it in your mind as you read the rest of this article.

Charles Barkley & the Galveston Beaches

Galveston is on the Gulf of Mexico — 45 minutes’ drive south of Houston via I-45. It has a deep natural harbor, but has a history of being wrecked by hurricanes every 40 or so years. Galveston is built on an island and has 8 miles of beach front — although former NBA star and TV analyst Charles Barkley ragged on Galveston’s beach water in April 2024. More on that below.

Take the 45-Minute Drive South from Houston

If you are reading this article and are not from the United States — note that people in the US do not regularly go to Galveston on a vacation despite it being an island city with natural beaches; it is more of a regional vacation spot that people from the middle of the country go to — Texas, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Arkansas, and Alabama for example. It is similar to the way the Catskills are to New York.

Glenn Campbell romanticized Galveston — to the point where if you are in Houston, you HAVE TO drive 45 minutes south to the town. Not that many Americans choose Houston as a vacation spot — they don’t — but are often there on business.

So you will get many families on vacation traveling from the region, and young people there to party, and business people there for a day trip, or an evening after work in Houston.

The drive from Houston to Galveston will pass you by the big NASA facility in Texas. You will see the big NASA buildings and signs — which is a bit of a thrill.

Galveston Is On 2 Islands

You pass over a causeway to get to Galveston, which is on 2 islands just off the Texas coast in the Gulf of Mexico: Galveston Island and Pelican Island.

Galveston Island is the main island containing most of Galveston; Pelican Island is a small island featuring Seawolf Park, Galveston Naval Museum, and Texas A&M Galveston.

The causeway carries you over the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway and Galveston Bay. The original causeway was built in 1912, and served both train and automobile traffic. The current causeway for auto traffic was built in 1939 — with train traffic relegated to the old, historic bridge.

To Fully Enjoy Galveston — Understand Its History

Before you bounce into Galveston, its worth understanding its history — it will make you understand and appreciate the town more. Galveston offered a deep, natural port — so became of strategic importance. Control of Galveston was imperative.

a. Under Spanish Control

Galveston was named after Bernardo de Gálvez — a Spanish military and political leader who lived from 1746–1786. The name means Galvez’s Town. Galveston originally belonged to Spain.

b. Under French Control

French pirate Louis-Michel Aury built the first European settlements on Galveston Island around 1816 to help the fledgling country of Mexico fight for independence from Spain.

c. Under Mexican Control

By 1825, Mexico declared its independence from Spain and Galveston became a Mexican port.

d. Under Republic of Texas Control

Galveston became part of Texas after the Texas Revolution from Mexico in 1836. Texas later joined the United States as a state on December 29, 1845.

e. Under Confederate Control

At the start of the Civil War, Galveston was under Union control. But in January, 1863, Confederate forces under Major General John B. Magruder attacked and drove out the Union troops from the city in the Battle of Galveston.

f. Juneteenth

Two months after the Civil War ended, on June 19, 1865, General Gordon Granger of the Union Army, while stationed at the Ashton Villa mansion in Galveston — announced to the last enslaved African Americans that slavery was no longer legal. This event was celebrated for many years in Texas, and was nominated by President Donald Trump to be a national holiday — now Juneteenth — to bring all Americans together with something they should be jointly proud of, as the US was one of the first nations in the world to outlaw slavery.

g. The “Wall Street of the South” in Late 1800’s

By the late 1800’s, due to its important port, Galveston became Texas’ largest city, known as the “Queen City of the Gulf”. Galveston’s “The Strand” was considered the primary business region of Texas — called “The Wall Street of the South” — led by entrepreneurs such as William Lewis Moody, Jr. and Isaac H. Kempner.

h. The Great Hurricane of 1900

And then disaster struck — the city was Devastated by the unexpected Galveston Hurricane of 1900, which hit the island with a huge storm surge and flooding that killed an estimated 6,000 to 12,000 people. It is still ranked today as the deadliest natural disaster in United States history.

Many buildings were destroyed — including huge, magnificent hotels. Some buildings — especially the iron-front buildings in The Strand — survived.

i. Galveston Developed a Tough Reputation

Galveston never quite recovered from the Hurricane.

  • The city was rebuilt, higher — but construction of the Houston Ship Channel brought the Port of Houston into competition with the natural harbor of the Port of Galveston for sea traffic.
  • Galveston was hit with another major hurricane in 1913 which killed 400 people and caused $30 billion in damage.
  • To top it off, erosion killed the beach and its tourist trade — in a 20-year period, Galveston’s beach lost 100 yards of sand. In the early 19oo’s (as early as 1907) people were watching automobile racing on the wide Galveston beaches — but according to what we’ve read online, by the early 1920’s Galveston’s wide beach turned into a narrow strip of sand at low tide.
Picture provided by https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth704073/
  • According to several books written about the period, the people of Galveston developed a “F you” attitude to the rest of the world and outsiders, including people from other parts of Texas. This became Galveston’s reputation — a unique port of call.
  • Galveston instead became a center of illegal gambling and prostitution during Prohibition in the 1920’s and 1930’s.

Finally, when the automobile caused travel to all parts of the US in the 1950’s, Galveston was opened up to the outside world.

With all of that as the precursor, here are 10 things we recommend you doing in Galveston.

1. Walk ‘The Strand’ to Get an Old West Feel

Today, Galveston’s historic “The Strand” district — once “The Wall Street of the South” — is a gentrified area of cafe’s and antique shops housed in majestic iron-front buildings of the old west.

One of the first and most memorable things you will notice about “The Strand” are its sidewalks with high curbs — elevated a foot and a half to 2 feet off the street. This was done a century ago to allow people to walk around without getting their feet wet — as Galveston, being on an island — often gets downpours which flood the streets and that water has little place to go.

And here is why those sidewalks are so high — The Strand after a typical storm:

The high sidewalks give you an aura of how horses must have been tied up to hitching posts by these sidewalks — the whole thing really makes you feel like you have jumped into the old west of John Wayne, Glenn Campbell, and Kim Darby’s “True Grit.”

2. Enjoy the Beach!

In 1902-1904 a great Sea Wall was built to protect Galveston from future hurricanes and erosion. The Sea Wall has been a great success and Galveston these days offers over 8 miles of some very terrific beaches on the Gulf of Mexico.

The ‘Dirty Brown Color of the Water’ Controversy

In April of 2024, former NBA star and tv-analyst Charles Barkley — who is from Alabama — jokingly crucified the beaches of Galveston for their dirty water.

After the break, Barkley continued:

A few weeks later, he apologized, then doubled down.

Barkley was born in 1963 in Leeds, Alabama. In his youth he no doubt visited Galveston, back in a day when cars were still allowed on the beach.

Today, cars are no longer allowed on the beach — and the sand and water are clean.

Galveston Water Isn’t Dirty — Reflects Color of Sediments

“Galveston water isn’t dirty,” explained The Salty Dog, Galveston. “The color just reflects the color of the sediments. And sometimes it’s even blue.”

The Galveston Beaches

Galveston has 8 miles of beach. As you travel down Galveston Island via Seawall Blvd, you will encounter a number of beaches, Northeast to Southwest down the island as follows:

  • East Beach
  • Stewart Beach
  • Galveston Beach
  • Sunny Beach
  • West Beach
  • Bermuda Beach
  • Jamaica Beach
  • Terramar Beach
  • San Luis Beach

East Beach

East Beach is on the Eastern-most tip of Galveston Island. It is the only beach that allows alcohol. It features a pavilion, boardwalk, entertainment stage, restrooms, showers, umbrella and chair rentals, and food concession stands.

Stewart Beach

Stewart Beach is considered a family-friendly beach — aka no alcohol or partying teenagers.

These days the Galveston beaches are gorgeous; irrespective of Charles Barkley’s comedy routine.

Here is some drone footage of the Galveston beaches by David James, who is a professional photographer and drone pilot in Galveston — and does a tremendous job photographing the area:

3. Take the Port Bolivar Free Ferry

There is a free ferry that takes you from Galveston to the Port Bolivar peninsula — an 18-minute ride across the water that takes about 20 minutes. The ferry crosses 24 hours a day — the schedule is posted at the ferry’s website. and you can also check out their very active Twitter account. There are 2 boats during the day and they depart based on traffic volume. The ferry holds cars and has restrooms.

Swim, Fish, Golf

On the Port Bolivar peninsula you can do the same things you can do on Galveston Island — enjoy the beach, fish, etc. There is a Golf Course on the Port Bolivar peninsula.

4. Take a Harbor Boat Tour: Ride with the Dolphins

If you have a few days in Galveston, you should get out on a harbor boat tour.

There are 3 boat tours to choose from at Pier 21 — you’re likely to see dolphins on any one of the tours, and all offer a full glimpse of the bustle along the waterfront. The rides are of different lengths and on different types of boats so offer a different experience — click on the links below for more details.

5. Visit the Railroad Museum

The Galveston Railroad Museum features full locomotives, boxcars, passenger train cars, and model train layouts. This fellow does a pretty exhaustive job touring the museum:

As seen in the video — which was posted in May, 2024 — the model train layouts may be out of action due to recent hurricane damage — so if you are primarily interested in seeing their model train layout, call them first.

6. Stroll & Take Rides on the Historic Pleasure Pier

Galveston offers a historic Pleasure Pier for rides and entertainment on the water.

The history of the Pier mirrors the history of Galveston itself — a tremendous place to have fun until a strong hurricane comes by every 40 years or so and knocks it out:

  • In the early 1900’s Galveston promoted itself as the “The Coney Island of the South,” with its Electric Park Galveston which featured thousands of incandescent bulbs, a roller coaster, carousel, theater, and The Aerial Swing.
  • The Pleasure Pier replaced that park in 1940. It was originally built as a recreational facility for the United States military during World War II. After the war it was transformed into the Galveston Pleasure Pier and became the largest of its kind in the country — with America’s top dance bands routinely filling its mammoth Marine ballroom, while outside, in an open-air stadium, patrons watched movies under a star-lit sky.
  • However, in 1961 Hurricane Carla severely damaged the pier, forcing its closure.
  • In 1965, the Flagship Hotel reopened the pier — and the hotel on the pier became a destination for 40 years.
  • But on September 13, 2008, Hurricane Ike knocked out the pier once again.
  • The current Pleasure Pier reopened in 2012. It features 16 amusement rides, and Texas’ first Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.

There is a charge for the pier: an all-day pass for adults is currently $30 at this writing; for children (or anyone under 48″ tall) it is $24.

A live pier cam is provided here:

https://www.pleasurepier.com/piercam

7. Go Fishing

Galveston is of course a great place to go fishing.

Need a Fishing License by State of Texas

You do need a fishing license for the state of Texas to fish — even if you are fishing in the Gulf of Mexico (unlike, for example NY State — where you do Not need a fishing license to fish in the Atlantic Ocean — just lakes).  You can get a fishing license at Walmart’s and Academy.

Fishing Off the Piers

There are two terrific fishing piers on which to fish on:

  • 61st Street Fishing Pier
  • Galveston Fishing Pier at 91st

You can catch the following types of fish:

  • Croaker
  • Speckled Trout
  • Sheepshead
  • Sand Trout
  • Bull Feds
  • Flounder — especially at Seawolf Park on Dolphin Island, which is known for some of the best flounder fishing on the Texas coast.

Fishing Off the Beach — Not Allowed by Seawall

You cannot fish off the beaches up through where the Seawall is built — the idea is that you don’t want to interfere with bathers. You can fish on the beach west of the Seawall, which is unregulated.

Charter Boats to Fish in the Deep Water

You can also rent a fishing charter boat and take to the deep water of the Gulf of Mexico. A charter trip is usually an all-day event where you can catch:

  • Red Snapper
  • Mackerel
  • Dorado
  • Ling
  • Shark.

8. Eat Gulf & TexMex Dishes

Galveston, being by the Gulf, is a great place to find the following types of food:

  • Gulf Oysters — local catches fresh from the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Shrimp — local catches fresh from the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Crawfish — local catches fresh from the Gulf of Mexico.
  • Texas Blue Crab Cakes.
  • Shrimp and Grits.
  • Cajun Boudin.
  • Brisket.
  • Fajitas.
  • Chorizo Breakfast Tacos.

At the Pier

Pier 21 offers a number of restaurants with terrific sunset views, such as:

In The Strand

The Strand has a number of nice restaurants.

For a view of the entire downtown area, and almost the entire island, it is recommended to go to the Rooftop Bar on the roof of the historic Tremont Hotel — for drinks and appetizers.

Also recommended is LaKing’s Confectionary, an old-fashioned candy shop.

Along the Beach

There are numerous eateries along the beach on Seawall Blvd.

9. Listen to Live Music

In the name of Glen Campbell, take in some live music! Local favorite live-music joints include:

During summer months, you can catch free live music on the second Saturdays in Saengerfest Park.

10. Spend a Night (or 2, or the Week)

You can find many good hotels to suit your taste and budget on Expedia and other travel sites.

Stay in a Non-Moving Passenger Car in the Railroad Museum!

One interesting thing you might consider that is unique to Galveston is booking a night in a non-moving passenger car in the Railroad Museum! You and your family can book a night in either a New York Central “Bonnie Brook” passenger train, or an Amtrak Silverfoot passenger train. Virtual tours and details are provided on their site at this url.

Rent a House on the Beach

You can also rent a house on the beach.

A shoutout to The Salty Dog which is a vacation house rental on the beach and runs a terrific twitter channel with lots of latest info on Galveston.

Comments?

That’s all we’ve got to say about Galveston this time around. Please feedback below with questions or comments, and let us know where or if we got something ignorantly wrong.

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