Galveston, an Acquired Taste

For those recently moving to Houston, and in some cases, those who have been here a while, you will get mixed reactions when you ask people about Galveston.  If you compare Galveston to the beaches in the Bahamas, yes, it doesn’t compare.  But perhaps that’s not the right metric to  measure against.

Galveston, is an acquired taste.  It took me 30 plus years to “get it”.

As a child, my family often went to Galveston.  Living in Houston or nearby areas, it was an easy getaway on a Saturday.  We typically went to Stewart beach, rented a raft, spent the day riding the waves, picnic lunch.  We had some good times.  The rough part was the ride back home and all the sand from the day all over you. Sleeping that night still feeling the waves.  Good stuff.

As I got older and riding a raft in the waves wasn’t something I was keen on, I moved on.

After trips to the Caribbean and other places, Galveston just wasn’t what it was when I was younger and did not know about these other places.

Flash forward about 30 years.  I finally get it.  Galveston is an amazing place.

Galveston is not just the beach and beach houses on stilts.  We come down here from time to time and never stay in a beach house once we discovered the “east end’ of Galveston.

The architecture, the tree lined streets, the walkability, local coffee shops and restaurants, art galleries, the pace of life compared to the big city where we live, the friendliness of the people and the list goes on an on.

Every time I go there I say the same thing – “Why don’t we visit here more often”.

So if you are new to Houston or have been here for whatever length of time, give Galveston a chance.

You might be surprised.