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Beach Day Bundle Up — Galveston Island Daytripper

Looking for some weekend fun? Visiting nearby Galveston Island during the off-season is an unexpected delight with cooler weather, uncrowded beaches and a plethora of things to see and do.

To celebrate, The Woodlander put together a Winter Galveston Daycation Itinerary, rich in Texas and Southwest American history, delicious Gulf Coast cuisine and old-fashioned sweet treats for you to enjoy.

MUSEUM MORNING

8:30 a.m.: Bundle up and depart The Woodlands for the approximately 1 hour and 45-minute drive to The Bryan Museum in Galveston, Texas.

The Bryan Museum is located in the old historic Galveston Orphans Home, which proudly houses The Bryan Collection, one of the world’s largest collections of historical artifacts, documents and artwork relating to Texas and the American West. With 20,000 square feet of exhibit space and lush, manicured grounds, there is a lot to discover, including the story of Texas and the Southwest from its earliest stirrings, exploration, settlement, Revolution, the Republic, statehood, discovery of oil and into present day. Make sure you find the 3 Andy Warhol artworks, The Battle of San Jacinto miniatures display, Spanish ship replica, the surprise secret basement and under-the-stairs treasures from the building’s orphanage days.

SEAFOOD LUNCH

12:45 p.m.: It’s time for lunch! We tried and loved The Cajun Greek Restaurant, which serves a mouth-watering eclectic fusion of fresh gulf coast seafood, Cajun and Greek cuisine. Standout items include the hummus/feta cheese plate and boudin balls appetizers, red snapper and crab cakes entrées and tasty shrimp topped Bloody Marys! They also have burgers and more traditional fare to keep the kids happy.

BEACH STROLLING AFTERNOON

It’s time to walk off lunch with a long stroll on Galveston Beach or a decadent seaside nap on the sand. Park along The Seawall (literally a concrete wall with a sidewalk atop it) anywhere from 6th to 69th street or 81st to 103rd Street to enjoy this 10 mile stretch of beachfront recreation excellent for walking, running, biking and people watching.

SWEET DRIVE HOME

3:30 p.m.: Stop by La King’s Confectionery in the historic Strand area to pick up some sweet treats for the car ride back home. La King’s is an old-fashioned confectionery (making chocolate and taffy on site), a soda fountain bar serving malts, shakes, ice cream sodas, sundaes, splits, floats and a vintage candy store. The delectable ice cream and Texas-size peanut butter cups are two of our family’s favorites!

And speaking of family…

6:00 p.m.: Around this time, you should be passing by The Family, a beloved art sculpture by artist Charles Pebworth, as you take The Woodlands Parkway flyover from I-45—the beauty of the piney woods forest welcoming you back to your hometown.

We hope you had a great day exploring nearby Galveston Island! To learn more about other things to see and do like taking the Polar Express Train Ride and/or attending Dickens on The Strand visit Galveston.