Galveston
Located on the Gulf Coast of Texas, Galveston is a unique city full of history, culture, and natural beauty. Only an hour’s drive from Houston, Galveston is known for its stunning beaches; but its rich architecture, museums, and art galleries also make it a hub for cultural enthusiasts. Here’s some of the things that I was able to see and do on a day trip from Houston.
Our first stop was to see the East End Historic district. This district is one of the highlights of the Gulf Coast, responsible for preserving some of the oldest and most significant architecture in the area. Among the many historic houses within the district is Bishop's Palace, where tickets start at $15 per adult and is free for children under five; these tickets can be purchased on their website or in person.
Also not to be missed is the Moody Mansion, which is a classic example of Victorian architecture. Tickets for the Moody Mansion can be purchased online through Eventbrite. Both of these homes are part of the National Register of Historic Places and are definitely worth seeing.
Bishop’s Palace
One of my favorite homes was the Trube Castle. Unfortunately it is in disarray and is not open to the public, it is my hope that someday it will be restored to its former glory, but its still worth the stop, as the details of the outside construction of the home look like something straight out of an Adams family movie.
JC Trube Castle
Decorated Home in the East End Historic District
After our stroll, we headed down towards Fort San Jacinto Historic Point. Since it was a weekday in the middle of winter, there wasn’t as many people as you would expect but this suited us just fine, as I was able to set up and fly my drone around the beach. I imagine in the summer this is a great place to visit if you’re bringing the family for a fun day in the ocean.
East Beach
Later that afternoon we headed towards the Pleasure Pier, where we decided to have dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.; which to be honest, was a gamble since I have seafood allergies, but I was surprised to find out that they do cater to vegetarians and have a delicious veggie burger. As evening started to set, we were rewarded with a magnificent sunset, so out came the drone again!
Recommendation: Do NOT try to fly your drone underneath the pier, you’ll lose signal and probably your drone too, (speaking from personal experience, unfortunately).
Sunset over Pleasure Pier
We finished the evening by enjoying some of the rides at the Pleasure Pier which reminded me a lot of Santa Monica. Tickets for the Pier can be purchased in person, or you can reserve them online, a pier-pass ticket (which does not include any rides), starts at $11, however, if you’d like to enjoy everything the pier has to offer then an all-day pass starts at $29.
I will definitely be visiting Galveston again once I’m in Houston, as I know there are so many things that I did not get to see in just one day, but hopefully this has given you an idea of what to see and do while you’re there.
One thing is for sure, with its small-town charm and vibrant tourist scene, Galveston is a gem that's not to be missed.