Recently, RJ took a week of his vacation time & we strayed from North Texas. The thought of the beach sounded good so we headed straight for Galveston. When I was little, my grandparents took me & my sister to Galveston every summer from the time I was about 6 until I was in my late teens. We'd stay 1-2 weeks at the Galvez Hotel and we'd have the best time. I have wonderful memories of doing all sorts of stuff at the hotel, having great meals there and around the island - Gaido's, Jack Tar's, John's, and the Dreamland Cafe that was built over the water. A lot of things have come & gone since then- Dreamland Cafe was washed away when Hurricane Carla hit in '61 and I guess Jack Tar's was torn down. John's is still there but has been several things over the years and when we were there last week, it was empty and fenced off- I suppose it's set for demolishment too.

But Gaido's is still going strong and one of our very favorite places to dine there. The service is first class and the food is even better. You can get entrées a la carte but they also offer 'complete meals' that are served with a salad, soup, entrée and dessert as well as fresh baked cheese bread and French bread. You can get a 'half complete meal' too- which is what we got- we can only stuff so much in sometimes The cheese bread came with dipping oil and reminded me of fresh bread we used to buy at a small bakery in Weatherford. It was soft, warm and wonderful and I could have been content with just that! But, of course, I had to forge on

I got a garden salad with Gaido's homemade Bleu Cheese dressing- olive oil and vinegar with chunks of bleu cheese tossed in. To die for. Shrimp Gumbo was my choice for soup. I'm not big on soups but this was terrific....full of veggies and pieces of shrimp. And, as if I couldn't get enough shrimp, I ordered the Charcoal Grilled Shrimp entrée. Hey, we're only there once in a while and when we are, we have to go for the gold. As if all that wasn't enough food, our excellent waiter brought the dessert tray by. Yes, the dessert came with the meal, so..... He showed us cheesecakes of all flavors, mousse, puddings, creme brulee, fruit parfaits, chocolate cakes, vanilla cakes and then I spied Gaido's famous crustless pecan pie. A thin slice served was plated with a dollop of fresh homemade whipped cream and a small scoop of Bluebell vanilla. I didn't want to offend the fine folks at Gaido's so naturally I had to finish it off. You can order those famous pecan pies online too: https://store.gaidos.com/category.asp

Check out the Gaido's menu at: http://www.gaidos.com/menus/index.htm

Gaido's Famous Seafood Restaurant  3900 Seawall Blvd.  Galveston, TX 77550

Another fine place we tried for the first time on this trip was called Seaside Bistro. It's down on the West Beach. We had seen it while driving around one night, checked it out and decided we wanted to go. It was well worth it and we were so happy we did. It's a small eatery that offers seafood, American food and German fare. We saw regulars there plus newbies like us and everyone was enjoying the atmosphere and their meals.

Both of us got ribeye  steaks - perfectly cooked. They came with salads- extremely fresh greens & veggies with a wonderful house dressing. Our steaks were also accompanied by German fries and sautéed zucchini strips. We splurged and got their bread pudding. I don't know how they make it like it is but it's lighter than most- almost fluffy and was excellent - some of the best we'd ever had. Service was good too - our waitress was friendly & attentive.

Seaside Bistro   11128 San Luis Pass Rd.  Galveston, TX 77554

Next stop was Fisherman's Wharf. We've eaten there a few times now and it's also become a 'must' each visit to Galveston. Located right on the harbor, sandwiched in between the cruise ship terminals and the 1877 tall ship Elissa, it's got an incredible view. We stopped in for a light lunch and got half dozen oysters on the half shell along with the Cold Combo (grilled rare tuna, shrimp ceviche and peel'n'eat shrimp). This along with a couple of ice teas was more than enough for the two of us to share and feel full. And again, we were happy with out choices. First time I'd had grilled rare tuna (it had a nice wasabi sauce drizzled over it) and it was tasty. The ceviche was very good and the boiled shrimp and cold oysters were out-of-this-world great. But, you gotta know I'm a shrimp & oysters freak

We sat right by the windows overlooking the Elissa, watched the other tourists and just enjoyed the afternoon. If you're down that way, GO!

Fisherman's Wharf   Pier 22   Galveston, TX 77550

Our fourth dining experience during our stay was another repeat restaurant, Willie G's, which is just around the corner from Fisherman's Wharf. It's got a killer view too! While it's more upscale and you probably won't feel comfortable wearing an old t shirt and shorts there, but put on something a little nicer and be in for a treat.

RJ ordered a steak topped with crab and shrimp in a creamy wine sauce, accompanied by fresh grilled asparagus and sautéed veggies - it was a special that night. I got the Seafood Platter which normally comes fried but the waiter asked if I might like to try it broiled instead. Sounded good to me, so I went with it. The platter consisted of two stuffed crabs, a few crab balls, oysters, shrimp stuffed with crab, bacon-wrapped shrimp and a catfish fillet. Other than the catfish (which is just not my thing), it was unbelievable great. I wish I had that platter here in front of me right now

Willie G's is a beautiful restaurant - lots of dark wood, clean, crisp white table cloths and soft lighting. You can eat in or out on the patio right by the water. It's a lovely place.

Willie G's  Pier 21  Galveston, TX 77550

Well, other than eat, we actually did do a lot of swimming & sightseeing. Yes, there ARE things to do besides swim in Galveston. We've always ridden the Galveston-Bolivar ferry, and the best part, it's FREE! You can catch the ferry down towards the East Beach (go along the seawall heading east and follow the signs, they'll show you where to turn) and you can either drive on with your car or walk on. We always just walk on because we usually are just along for the ride and don't want to venture off on Bolivar and then come back. The ride takes about 20 minutes each way, with about a 10-15 minute layover as they re-load and is always enjoyable, seeing the gulls following the vessel, spotting dolphins, seeing Seawolf Park and the remains of the sunken ship, the Selma.

http://www.txdot.gov/services/maintenance/ferries/default.htm

Another destination we always try to get to is the Lone Star Flight Museum. Much like the ones in Dallas & Addison, it's chock full of amazing history. It's home to one of the finest collections of restored aircraft and aviation exhibits in the nation with Over 40 restored displayed aircraft (unless they are out flying!) The collection includes WWII Fighters, Bombers, Liaison Trainers, and Executive Planes.

As well as the aircrafts, they've got a fantastic area called the Texas Aviation Hall of Fame with displays and information about all of the inductees. While we were there, a film was showing with CSI: NY actor Gary Sinise. He brought his uncle down for a ride on their B-17. The film was short but powerful, telling about his uncle's experiences as a former B-17 navigator and a little about the Lone Star Flight Museum's programs.

This is a family-friendly place and if you are the least bit interested in aviation, warbirds or American history, please go. Admission is reasonable - Adults (18+) $8.00 Seniors (65+) $5.00 Youth/Students (5-17) $5.00 Children under 5 Free.

Lone Star Flight Museum   2002 Terminal Dr.  Galveston, TX 77554

Galveston offers a couple of tours around the island too and of all the times I have been down, I've never been on one. So, this trip, we had to try the Duck Tour, the bright yellow and blue DUCW, a six-wheel-drive amphibious truck originally designed by GM during World War II for transporting goods and troops over land and water. This intriguing vehicle carries you around the island for sightseeing and then into Offat's Bayou for a 15 minute 'sail' before it hits land again and heads back. Our tour guide was very informative, lively and humorous and made the experience even better. Price for adults is $14.00, children $8.00 Duck Tours   25th and Seawall Blvd   Galveston, TX

We stayed at Moody Gardens Hotel- it's our third time there and we enjoy it. The times we've tried other places, we were disappointed. I loved the Galvez when we used to go back in the 60's and 70's and have been inside on later visits to look around and reminisce. It's a beautiful hotel and very classy. But we like to stick with Moody Gardens for whatever reason. Our room was perfect, overlooking the Schlitterbahn Water Park and the whole island, for that matter. They have all the amenities- great pool area, nice restaurants, bars, a full service spa and salon, internet connections, game room, etc. plus Moody Gardens also offers the park area, just right across the parking lot. 

Moody Gardens features a 10 story Rainforest Pyramid offering an incredible tropical environment. The Aquarium Pyramid is one of the largest aquariums in the world, There's also the Discovery Pyramid, which currently has a Titanic exhibit, plus there's the exciting IMAX 3D theater. Palm Beach offers a white sand beach with a blue lagoon and lots of fun for kids. Colonel Paddlewheeler, an authentic replica of an 1800's paddleboat, cruises Offats Bayou daily for an hour long ride. Moody Gardens has recently added the 4D Special FX Theater and they have the Ridefilm, where each 18-passenger ride is surrounded by a seamless 180° wraparound screen that fully encompasses each viewer's peripheral vision. Sounds like fun, huh! Prices vary for each attraction or you can also purchase a one or two day pass that allows you to go to each.

Moody Gardens  One Hope Boulevard   Galveston, Texas 77554

Hope I've made you want to take a trip down to Galveston. It's about a 5 hour drive from Dallas and not bad (if you can avoid Houston rush-hour ). The Galveston.com web site is full of information about everything you can do while there plus you can even book your hotel thru their site.

What else but Glen Campbell singing Galveston