“You don’t have to be a beachcomber to like Galveston,” I told my sister recently.  We were talking about our plans for summer vacation. I had said I was visiting Galveston Island. She did not like going to the beach, she had retorted.

“The beach is way too hot for me. Even when I use a sunscreen and take an umbrella, I burn while shooing away the birds,” she said. Her reaction hit a nerve with me. Suddenly, I found myself sounding as if I represented the Galveston Chamber of Commerce.

“Galveston is not just an island with 32 miles of sandy beaches and seagulls. It has so many restaurants, boutiques, and entertainment that it’s been called the “Playground of the South” for more than a century,” I said defensively.

Situated 50 miles south of Houston, Galveston Island attracts more than a million visitors annually. I love people-watching from the shoreline on Seawall Blvd. I also like paddle-biking on the promenade. But this island paradise offers something for everyone.

Having spent my vacation in Galveston several times, I blurted out, “I’m not surprised the Travel Channel named Galveston Island State Park one of the top 5 “Best Gulf Coast Beaches” in the country.”  I must have sounded like a TV commercial, but it was all true.

“Forget that you don’t like beaches for a moment,” I demanded. “You’re a bird-watcher who loves bike riding and picnicking. So the state park would be a perfect alternative to the beach for you.”

I must have sounded convincing, since my skeptical sis plopped into a nearby kitchen chair intent on learning more about one of the Lone Star State’s most popular and multi-faceted vacation destinations.

If you are an American or Texas history buff, Galveston is the place to visit. It has one of the largest concentrations of perfectly preserved Victorian-era and Greek Revival-style homes in the nation.         

Houstonians are used to driving past the stately homes that line Broadway Blvd. But for uninitiated tourists, a glimpse of these two and three-story single-family palatial homes is often jaw dropping.

Bishop’s Palace, an opulent home built in 1892, offers daily tours. The other stately home is the Moody Mansion Museum. The rich and powerful Moody family built the home in 1895. Moody Museum and Bishop’s Palace are both on Broadway Blvd, the main entrance to the island by car.

An important port city on the Gulf of Mexico, Galveston was once a financial center that led the state in banking and commerce. Moreover, it was the “Ellis Island of the South” with regard to European immigration. Stroll Galveston’s downtown epicenter, The Strand, and you’ll see vestiges of a bygone era everywhere you look.

That’s where you’ll find fashionable boutiques, art galleries, cafes and souvenir shops. While you’re on The Strand, stop at La King’s Confectionery Old Fashioned Ice Cream Parlor and Candy Factory.

Candy maker Ernesto Torres will demonstrate how La King’s famous salt water taffy, peanut brittle, and divinity are made. Jack La King, son of James H. King, the original store owner, came to Galveston in 1976 to open La King’s. Since then, business has been booming despite hurricanes.

While walking up and down an actual street called the Strand, you’re likely to spot a horse-and-carriage carrying happy, sightseeing tourists. Unlike other small towns, Galveston is as alive at night as it is during daylight hours.

Opening up to Carnival, Royal Caribbean, and other major cruise ships in 2004, with Disney being the latest to drop anchor here, may be one reason Galveston is now a city that never sleeps. Passengers disembark or board at Pier 22 and trek up to Pier 21 in search of food and nighttime fun.  Both piers are visible and within earshot of The Strand.

Anyone taking a cruise can easily explore The Strand or get a bite to eat before boarding. Restaurants catering to a variety of tastes abound. Check out the popular Olympia Grill at Pier 21 for an authentic taste of Greece.

Larry and Tikie Kriticos are Greek Americans born and reared on the island. So even though they learned how to prepare the mouthwatering dishes of their Greek immigrant families, they serve a variety of American fare.

When I visited Olympia’s in early spring, I wanted Greek food for lunch. I ordered moussaka, which was as delicious as the one my best friend, Maria, makes. And that speaks volumes when you consider that Maria is from a village in Greece. 

Last time I visited Galveston, I also walked from The Strand to Rudy & Paco Restaurant & Bar. It’s right next door to the Grand 1894 Opera House. The food was exceptional, but the dessert called Chocolate Eruption was to die for!

“This was the last place I thought I’d see a famous movie star. But my companion spotted Hal Holbrook at the next table as we were leaving. Edwin, our waiter, said Holbrook dined there prior to his Mark Twain performance next door,” I told my sis, whose eyes widened in disbelief.

Rudy & Paco, specializing in South and Central American cuisine, received the Diner’s Choice Award for Best Service nationwide from Open Table, Inc. in 2012. R&P is also Zagat-ranked as one of the best in the United States.

With a population of some 50,000 residents, Galveston is home to several fine restaurants. Gaido’s, an iconic seafood restaurant, has been a fixture since S.J. Gaido opened its doors in 1911. If you see an enormous crab on a rooftop business, that’s Gaido’s. It has survived more than three hurricanes, including Hurricane Ike in 2008.

Being my wise older sister, she said “You’ve got my attention now, but what should I do with my two kids while I’m down there?”  A lot of folks like her don’t realize that Galveston has always attracted families with children of all ages.

Moody Gardens, a giant entertainment complex, part zoo and part museum, is but one example. Its glass Pyramid Rainforest can be seen for miles. In addition to a massive aquarium, a big Moody draw is Palm Beach, complete with natural sand hauled in from Florida.

Schlitterbahn Indoor Waterpark is a 26-acre, 70,000-square-foot complex that is always a magnet for children of all ages. This indoor entertainment venue, whose headquarters is outside of San Antonio in New Braunfels, boasts all manner of water sports, including a lazy river and surfer’s pool.

As if the indoor waterpark were not enough, the newly resurrected Pleasure Pier is another high activity option for kids. The Pleasure Pier has 16 Midway rides, including the Texas Star. The giant Ferris wheel suspends riders over the Gulf waters. Pier Pleasures extend to food items such as old fashion funnel cakes - and the first Bubba Gump Shrimp seafood restaurant in Texas.

The Pleasure Pier is perched out on the water above the Gulf of Mexico. But the Flagship Hotel, decimated by Hurricane Ike in 2008, prompted Texas millionaire, Tilman Fertitta, to demolish the hotel and resurrect the iconic Pleasure Pier in its place. Last May, with the opening of the hot entertainment venue, his vision became a reality. 

Galveston is filled with visionaries who have weathered several storms, including modern-day ones such as Hurricane Carla in 1961 and Hurricane Ike-the most recent- in 2008. Most residents rebuilt their homes or businesses. And they say that in spite of the certainty that another hurricane will strike again, they’ll rebuild.
“Make sure you visit the Sunflower Bakery & Café when you go down. Owners Lisa and Harry Blair not only weathered Hurricane Ike in September 2008, but reopened before Christmas that year,” I explained. They opened on 14th Street in 2006. He’s the chef, and Lisa makes the pastries from scratch daily. 

Galveston’s vintage hotels are as resilient as residents. Take Hotel Galvez & Spa, a Wyndham Grand Hotel on Seawall Blvd. The Spanish Colonial Revival-style hotel opened in 1911, a testament to survival from a 1900 hurricane that decimated the island. It’s now listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Hotel Galvez & Spa is also a Texas Historic Landmark which celebrated its centennial in 2011. Among the festivities marking its 100 years, the hotel underwent an $11 million renovation. It also teamed with Galveston County Historical Museum to create a “Hall of History” exhibit.

The hotel exhibit features a one-of-a-kind display of the hotel’s historical artifacts, and those of the Galveston Club, an old 1920s speakeasy. A spokesperson for the hotel said you don’t have to be a hotel guest to see the free exhibit.

And while the history of Galveston doesn’t begin with its near demise from a hurricane in 1900, it’s a fitting place to begin chronicling its tenacity to overcome adversity that’s still evident today. 

By the way, the East End Historical District Tree Sculpture Tour is further evidence of the resilience and determination of Galveston residents to not only survive, but to rebuild.

Hurricane Ike destroyed countless oak trees that lined this neighborhood. But homeowners turned destruction in to beauty by creating whimsical tree sculptures as a reminder of the human spirit and its ability to overcome adversity.

Now tourists flock to the EEHD to see unique artworks made from 100-year-old trees. The artworks include The Tin Man & Toto, a Geisha, a giant dog, and many other tree-sculpted animals. Galveston Island Tours offers daily tours on an open-air electric shuttle.

My passionate defense of Galveston spurred my sister to suggest our families travel there together on our annual summer vacation. “Now that I’ve seen Galveston through your eyes, I can’t wait to go. But you’re going to be our personal tour guide,” she said.

For information on Galveston, go to: www.galveston.com 

Information on hotels, tour companies and other businesses discussed: 

www.galvestonhistory.org 

olympiapier21.com

Galveston Island Tours of Tree Sculptures: www.galvestonislandtours.com

gaidos.com

rudyandpaco.com 

wyndhamhotelgalvez.com

moodygardens.org

schlitterbahn.com

thesunflowerbakeryandcafe.com

lakingsconfectionary.com

Rosie Carbo is the Lifestyles Editor for Wandering Educators, and is a former newspaper reporter whose work has appeared in newspapers and magazines nationwide. Some of those publications include People magazine, The Dallas Morning News, The Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News. Some of her features were redistributed by The Associated Press early in her career as an award-winning Texas journalist.   

All photos courtesy and copyright Rosie Carbo.