After a conversation with a stranger at the market, encouraging us to visit Galveston (and stay away from Port Arthur), we decided to make an impromptu trip to The Island. Although the GPS told us it would be a 2 hour trip through Houston, local travel advised differently. Instead, we made our way west to Winnie, then cut south and jumped the ferry.
In NYC, bringing your car on the ferry could be as much as $50. But here, it is free. Once we got on the ferry, quite an ordeal, and the ferry departed, we walked to the front of the boat. Within seconds we saw a small pod of large, black fish, possibly sharks, breaching the surface before disappearing beneath the water. Standing 10 feet from the nose, we commented on why people were standing directly at the tip and acting shocked when they were splashed. Then a giant wave came and soaked us anyway, so we returned to the car.
The Strand is where all the excitement and tourism happens. It was only a short drive from the ferry station, and we found it pretty quickly. The strip was full of people, but still comfortable. The cobblestone road hinted at a deep historic value, and I was just itching to explore.
La Kings Confectionary
After stopping for coffee and getting sucked into an interesting conversation about orcas, island life, and eating clean, our first stop was La Kings Confectionary. It was exactly like you would imagine an old soda fountain. There was the sundae counter, the snack counter, and a long counter up the side filled with various candies. It was like stepping back in time.
We filled a back with some saltwater taffy, that was stretched right there on the property.
Yaga’s Cafe
We walked up the Strand, stopping to admire some local artwork and breath in the fresh air, when we started to hear a love band. They were playing outside Yaga’s Cafe, and we suddenly realized we were starving. Where better to stop for dinner?
We chose to sit inside, where the music was muted but the open windows still let in the bright air. The waitstaff were so fun, the walls were eclectic, and the atmosphere made you want to sit back and drink a beer. Well, I had a root beer for pregnancy reasons. But Jon had a local brew, and raved after every sip.
The ferry ride back wasn’t as enjoyable, because it was late and dark and the wait time was nearly an hour. But all in all, our first visit to Galveston was great. I can’t wait to go to the pier, and stick my toes in the sand.