48 Hours: Galveston, Texas

I’ve lived basically 30-40 minutes from Galveston my whole life and while I’ve been to the beach several times, I’ve actually never taken the time to explore the island in depth. I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to finally stay local and explore Galveston along with all my other Texas trip posts! Galveston has become notorious during the pandemic for its overly crowded beaches and raging beach bars, but there is so much more to the island than its touristy beaches and bars. In this post, I made an effort to highlight other areas of Galveston that I think are hidden gems and are worth a visit. I’m bypassing places like Moody Gardens, Stewart Beach (although I’m a huge fan of this beach because they have the softest sand!), Schlitterbanh, and Pleasure Pier because everyone already knows about those attractions and to be honest, those places aren’t the greatest to be while Covid is still around. Follow me on my adventures below as I explore the real Galveston!

Sugar Bean

Located in the most beautiful and idyllic neighborhood, Sugar Bean is a cute little coffee shop that serves all different types of caffeinated beverages and has a huge variety of syrups. Although the coffee was great and the cafe had plenty of tables for studying and outdoor seating, my favorite part was strolling around the neighborhood and checking out the adorable homes that surrounded the large lakes. I also loved the many bridges and gazebos because they made me feel as if I was somewhere completely different! There was barely any people in this area so it was easy to social distance and enjoy my coffee in peace.

Jamaica Beach

Jamaica Beach is located in Jamaica, Texas, which is the western end of Galveston Island. The beaches here are less crowded as most people who enjoy them are renting or own beach houses in the area. There aren’t that many day trippers, which means social distancing is possible and you can actually enjoy the beauty of the ocean! The best part is definitely getting to drive your car and park right on the beach.

Shrimp N’ Stuff Food Truck

Shrimp N Stuff now has a brick and morter location in downtown Galveston, but it got its start as a popular food truck roaming around the island. Now parked in a gas station parking lot, Shrimp N Stuff serves up some of the most delicious seafood in town.

The Bryan Museum

I only discovered this museum after doing some research on Galveston and I really don’t know why the museum is relatively unknown because it was an amazing insight into Texas history. The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from 11-5pm and entry costs $14. The building use to be the Galveston Children’s Home, which house abused and neglected children as well as children whose families temporarily could not take care of them. The Home withstood the 1900 hurricane that destroyed most of Galveston and killed thousands of its residents and not only saved its occupants (29 children included), but provided shelter for many evacuees. The middle of the building was damaged, however, and rebuilt into the structure seen today. It was eventually bought by the Bryan family and transformed into a museum. There are a lot of artifacts and information on Texas and Western history from Texas getting its independence from Mexico to Texas’ participation in the Civil War to the Wild West influence on the state.

Bishop’s Palace

I’ve driven by this beautiful mansion several times on my way to the beach and have always wanted to take a peak inside, but never got the chance. The mansion was originally built for the Greshman family (they had 9 children so I can see why they needed all this space), but later was bought by the Galveston Catholic Archdioese for their bishop and eventually purchased by the Galveston Historical Foundation who renovated it into a museum for the public. The mansion is open Wednesday through Monday and costs $15 to enter. On the third Saturday of every month, there are $30 guided tours of the entire house, including the third floor which normally is closed off to visitors. There isn’t a parking lot available for visitors, but I was able to easily get free street parking right in front of the house. While the house was beautiful, I felt that many of the gorgeous rooms were empty and overall the tour didn’t give that much information or insight into either the bishop or the family that lived there previously. I was looking forward to spending a few hours wandering though the house, but found myself finishing the self guided tour within an hour. I’ve toured so many historical homes over the course of my travels (its one of my favorite things to do) and I have to say the Bishop’s Palace can’t compare to the likes of the Breakers Mansion in Newport, Rhode Island or the Winterthur home in Wilmington, Delaware.

Moody Mansion

Moody Mansion is owned by the same family who also own Moody Gardens and are major philanthropist to various endeavors around Texas. My communications college at UT Austin is actually named after their family! I’ve driven by the mansion so many times over the years (its a giant imposing red brick house along Broadway so it can’t be missed), but I’ve never actually stopped to tour the home until recently.

Galveston Railroad Museum

The Railroad Museum was a great look into the past history of trains in Texas.

Island Bicycle Company

I love riding a bike and did so often along the Hudson River when I lived in New York. There are too many scenic bike trails in Houston, however, so when I discovered that many people rode bikes along the Seawall in Galveston, I put it on my to do list. Island Bicycle Company is located in a yellow wooden building along Seawall Blvd and rents single bikes out for $10/hour or $30/day. They also have tandem bicycles and 4 seater surreys for rent. I loved riding along the beach and seeing the shimmering water and sandy beach!

Suki Poke at the Sea

If you’re looking to support Asian businesses in Galveston, Suki Poke is a great choice. The cafe offers a variety of sushi rolls, noodle bowls, bubble tea, and poke bowls. My tuna and spicy salmon poke salad bowl tasted fresh and spicy- just the way I like it!

Teaside Tapioca

I saw Teaside’s adorable whale logo on Yelp and knew I had to support such a cute local business! Teaside is located in a small shopping plaza along the Seawall Blvd and has a variety of bubble teas and coffees on its menu. I went with the classic milk tea with tapioca and while it wasn’t the greatest drink I’ve had, it was still an enjoyable experience drinking tea among the salty air.

This was my first official trip of 2021 and I had a blast exploring Galveston. I’m so excited for everything that 2021 will bring! Fingers crossed this year is better than 2020!