What a strange summer this is, am I right? Like most of you I’m sure, our travel plans were cancelled due to COVID concerns. While there’s no option to travel right now, we can still dream! I’ve partnered with Mapiful this month to bring you a travel guide on one of my favorite easy holiday locations – Galveston, Texas!
Not only is it an affordable beach destination, but it’s also a very quick drive from Houston. It’s practically a staycation for us local Houstonians! There are tons of family friendly attractions as well as superb restaurants serving up fresh Gulf seafood, and of course, the beach! Let’s dive in.
A quick little history lesson about Galveston. The city was incorporated in 1839 and quickly became a very active port and the largest city in the state of Texas at the time. It was THE spot to live for the uber wealthy and was an important fixture in high class society (hence all the amazing Victorian architecture). As you probably know, Galveston was practically wiped out by the 1900 hurricane (The Great Storm), and you can still see the hundreds of funeral pyres throughout the city today. Afterwards the entire level of the city was raised and the famous Seawall was built. Post hurricane, the city was never able to return to its former glory, and even became a gambling and drinking resort town during Prohibition. In the early eighties the city began a campaign to revive the historic downtown district and it has since flourished!
I’ve been vacationing in Galveston since I was a child. We usually went every summer with cousins on a family vacation. Now Galveston gets a bad wrap from non-natives about its brown water. No, the beach isn’t going to look like Florida or the Caribbean, but the color doesn’t mean it’s polluted or “dirty.” And the science behind why is actually pretty interesting. The main reason behind the color is the Mississippi River, which feeds into the Gulf. That means A LOT of sediment gets emptied out into the bay system, and because the bay is shallow the sediment turnover is pretty high, making the water appear muddy. While it can be an eyesore for some, it actually gives Galveston bay a really unique and healthy ecosystem!
While there are plenty of resources online about the island, I’ve got a unique perspective from years of visiting! Here are my tried and true absolute favorite places to eat as well as things to do on the island:
Hopefully the above tips are helpful when planning your Galveston getaway. As you can see it really does hold a special place in my heart. I have SO many memories on the island and I’ve really enjoyed making new ones with my own children. When Mapiful reached out to collaborate I knew instantly that Galveston would be my destination of choice.
Pictured here is the Classic Mapiful in the color sky with the smooth theme. What I really love is these are fully customizable so you can tailor your Mapiful to fit your decor aesthetic. Also pictured is their new Text Art Mapiful! Text Art Mapiful lets you combine images and text together in a print made out of your favorite memory. The text is also customizable and you can see what I used for my photo of the beach that I took when we were in Galveston last year. This is a really unique product that kind of creates on optical illusion with your photo and text. Themes and colors are customizable, and I chose the Cloud theme to match my Classic Mapiful. You can order the prints on their own or you can choose to add on their frames or hangers. I used their poster hanger in Oak, and they are actually magnetized and snap together easily! Shipping was prompt and everything was packages securely.
I’m really happy with my Mapiful prints and know they will be a special part of my decor for years to come. Some places will always hold a special place in our hearts, and now you can create a map of that spot on the globe that means so much to you. And the best part is you can design your Mapiful to tell your story your way. All in all, I’m really happy with this product and it’s unique ability to capture the nostalgia you associate with special places.
Be sure to take advantage of their staycation offer and get 50% off your second print! SHOP NOW
If you have any other Galveston related questions feel free to drop them in the comments, send me an email or a DM on Instagram. I’d love to help share my love for Galveston!
This post was created in collaboration with Mapiful and the products were sent to me for free. However, all opinions are my own.
