On the Road

Life's a beach in Galveston, where history comes alive on the shores

Life's a beach on Galveston Island.

Photo courtesy of Visit Galveston

Road tripping on island time really only requires one destination: Galveston. The cool breezes, sparkling Gulf waters, and massive dose of “vitamin sea” are all the justification you need to head to the coast, but here are a few more reasons that Galveston Island is the place to be.

Beach, please
With 32 miles of coastline, Galveston Island has a beach for every mood.

Start with the Seawall. At more than 10 miles long, it’s the longest continuous sidewalk in the United States and it's perfect for a stroll or bike ride while stopping off at beaches, unique shops, restaurants, and attractions along the way.

The expansive, scenic East Beach is home to special events (like the AIA Sandcastle Competition) and concerts throughout the summer, but you’ll also love it for the beachcombing, volleyball, and horseback riding.

Stewart Beach is the family-friendly beach park that has activities like volleyball, cornhole, giant Jenga, a playground, and more.

Nature lovers will gravitate to Galveston Island State Park; it’s the region's go-to destination for swimming, fishing, bird watching, hiking, paddling, and more.

And for more serene surroundings, head to one of the West End Pocket Parks for a dip in the sea, a picnic, and watching the sunset.

Get Moody
On your must list should be Moody Gardens, a destination in its own right with a 4-diamond hotel, spa, convention center, and an 18-hole, seaside-links golf course.

That’s in addition to its world-class aquarium, living rainforest, and Discovery Museum — each recognizable by their respective glass pyramid structures. They even have a ropes course and zipline onsite along with a 3-D theater, 4-D Special FX theater, and the 20,000 Leagues Interactive Adventure.

Satisfy your seafood craving
If seafood’s your favorite thing on the menu, Galveston has your order covered. Savor an island-fresh meal overlooking the beach or head to a local seafood market and cook a meal at your home away from home.

Pro tip: Dine at the iconic Gaido’s Seafood Restaurant, which was founded in 1911 and is located right along the Seawall — and don’t leave there without trying the grilled shrimp and blue cheese grits and their famous pecan pie.

Get an A-plus in history
Galveston's early days are peppered with characters such as explorer Cabeza de Vaca and infamous pirate Jean Lafitte, along with a robust history of immigration from Germany, Italy, Greece, and more. Galveston was once the second-largest immigration station in the country behind Ellis Island!

Before the 1900 hurricane, the barrier island was even considered the second richest city per capita in the U.S. and was even dubbed the “Wall Street of the South.”

Learn about the fascinating immigrant experience in Galveston through an immersive experience at Ship to Shore, which features hands-on and interactive exhibits based on authentic and documented personal stories of immigrants landing in Galveston.

At the Bryan Museum, you’ll find one of the world's largest collections of historical artifacts, documents, and artwork relating to the American West.

And go back to a time when the world traveled by rail at the Galveston Railroad Museum, which shows off steam engines, locomotives, passenger cars, freight cars, and more.

The museum also features a re-creation of the Gulf, Colorado, and Santa Fe depots with 31 plaster statues in early-1930s dress, each telling a story of railroading history.

Celebrate Juneteenth all year long
Perhaps the island’s most profound historic claim is being the birthplace of the Juneteenth holiday. To learn more, you can take a self-guided Freedom Walk to see five historic sites and their importance to Juneteenth.

You’ll also want to swing by the5,000-square-foot Absolute Equality mural, which was unveiled in 2021 and illustrates the journey of Black Americans out of slavery into freedom and the present day.

Created by Houston-based Reginald C. Adams, it’s located on the side of the Old Galveston Square building downtown and was an initiative of the Juneteenth Legacy Project, an organization that raises awareness and contributed to a growing push to make Juneteenth a national holiday.

Learn more and plan your island time at Visit Galveston.

Life's a beach on Galveston Island.

Photo courtesy of Visit Galveston

Life's a beach on Galveston Island.

texas vacation museums promoted nature

Your Expert Guide

Oak Cliff: The underestimated historic and culturally rich 'hood

Photo courtesy of Briggs Freeman

Kay Wood

There are so many great places to live in Dallas that it helps to have an expert on your side. The Neighborhood Guide presented by Briggs Freeman Sotheby's International Realty gives you insider access from the agents who live and work there, providing in-the-know info about your possible new community.

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Bishop Arts is a huge attraction, but Realtor Kay Wood wants people to know that Oak Cliff is a lot more than just Bishop Arts.

"Oak Cliff has a really rich and complex history," the Briggs Freeman agent says. "I think it's one of the most underestimated neighborhoods in Dallas."

Wood has lived in Oak Cliff with her high school sweetheart-husband since 2008, but she's been helping people buy and sell homes there for the past 15 years, currently with her business partner Brian Davis.

"The neighborhoods here are close to everything but still relatively affordable compared to other areas of DFW," she says. "I love all the historic homes with their architectural interest and variety, the strong sense of community engagement, and how there's so much to explore. Whether you're looking for the best new restaurant, the most authentic taco, film festivals, the zoo, the best public high school in Texas, parks, nature preserves — I could go on all day!"

Wood offered up a few of her personal favorites about life in "the Cliff." Here's her guide to the area:

Where to eat & drink
The list is long: Nova ("you have to get the hummus," Wood says), Encina (pro tip: don't skip the blue cornbread), Cibo Divino for pizza and wine on the patio, coffee from Peaberry ("my husband swears their Vietnamese coffee is the best in town"), oysters at Boulevardier, the Perfect Picnic at Eno's Pizza Tavern, tio's elotes next to El Si Hay, the pistachio ice cream at Joy Macarons, and the spicy lobster ramen at Ten Ramen.

Wood advises picking up a great bottle of wine from Neighborhood Cellars and some steaks from Cooper's Meat Market. And, of course, there are tons of taco options in the neighborhood: "We can't get enough of Maskaras, Trompo, and Taco y Vino," she says.

Where to play
Marvel at the best skyline views in town while playing a round at Stevens Park Golf Course, take a walk through Twelve Hills Nature Preserve, bike along the Trinity River, or play disc golf at Founders Park.

The Kessler Theater is "such a great and intimate venue" for concerts, while the Texas Theater adds a touch of history to movie-watching. Escape to The Wild Detectives for books, music, and poetry, or head to the Dallas Zoo for a wild day out — "our whole family loves to feed the giraffes," Wood says.

What to see
Oak Cliff is home to the Stevie Ray Vaughan Memorial at Kiest Park and the La Reunion Monument at Stevens Park Golf Course that honors some of Dallas' earliest settlers.

On Jefferson Boulevard, you can pop into the Oak Cliff Cultural Center for regular art shows, and "my daughters love to walk down the street and look at all the quinceañera dresses in the shop windows," she says.

Where to live
A few years ago, Wood helped her buyers purchase 626 Rainbow Dr., a rare, two-acre midcentury modern estate that's wrapped on three sides by a babbling creek.

"When you're there, it's really hard to believe you're less than four miles from downtown Dallas," she says. The buyers hired local architect Eddie Maestri to update some aspects of the house while carefully preserving its midcentury style. There was an original barn that had been previously converted to a studio, but the buyers reinvented it as a guest house and added a pool and outdoor kitchen.

"It's hard to say what a 'typical' Oak Cliff house would be, because we have some of the very best examples of almost every architectural style in town," Wood says.

"In Winnetka Heights, you'll find Craftsman architecture (four squares, bungalows, Sears catalog, etc). Kessler Park has Tudors and Colonials and Texas eclectics from notable local architects like Charles Dilbeck and David R Williams. Stevens Park has all of these, as well as Spanish Revival and Dutch colonials. Wynnewood, North Kiestwood, and Wynnewood Hills have some of the best midcentury moderns in Dallas, as well as wonderful ranches. East Kessler has cutting-edge contemporaries that take advantage of the rare-to-DFW hilly terrain. You could teach a pretty comprehensive architectural history of Dallas without ever leaving Oak Cliff."

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Kay Wood lives, works, and plays in Oak Cliff. For more information on buying and selling a home in the area, click here, email kwood@briggsfreeman.com, or call 214-908-5442.