19 Best Things to Do in Galveston/Crystal Beach (Part 2)

We recently visited Galveston and the Bolivar Peninsula and we had a blast! There were so many things to see and do that we had to make two blogs about it. Check out part 1 here: https://suitcasesandsalt.com/19-best-things-to-do-in-galveston-crystal-beach-part-1/https://suitcasesandsalt.com/19-best-things-to-do-in-galveston-crystal-beach-part-1/

Galveston

Galveston Bagel Company

Galveston Bagel Company is a delicious little restaurant. When you walk in, there is a counter to order at and several tables in the restaurant to eat at while there. There is also a nice patio if you prefer to eat outside. If you are wanting to order coffee, you will need to head to the other side of the restaurant where there is another counter for coffee service. 

My husband ordered the “Hot Mess” which come with their jalapeño cheddar bagel, eggs, bacon, sausage, pepper jack cheese, and spicy jalapeño cream cheese. He said it was amazing! I ordered the sausage and egg bagel with the Snickerdoodle flavored bagel. It was good with the sweet and savory flavors together. They have multiple bagels flavors to choose from and a decent amount of speciality bagel sandwiches to order. There will be a flavor here for everyone in your party! 

Check out their menu here: https://www.galvestonbagelcompany.com/menu#menu=bagels

The Strand

The Strand is a historic area of Galveston that offers shopping and several restaurants. We did not have a lot of time to spend here but we did pop into a few boutique stores and antique shops. All of the stores had a nice selection of trendy items as well as Galveston souvenirs that you could purchase at several of the shops. If you are traveling with a stroller or need other accommodations, this area is a bit more difficult to access. The intersections are usually doable but not the easiest to get from one side to the other and most of the stores we visited had steps when you entered the building. My husband ended up staying outside with our daughter at most of them just to make it easier. 

Fish Tails 

I have been to Fish Tails several times and I love the views from the patio and the feeling of being so close to the water. This restaurant is located across from Pleasure pier and makes for an easy walk to or from the beach. 

We ordered the fried pickles and strings (onions) and the blackened fish tacos. While the fried pickles and strings were good, the blackened fish tacos is the dish that will have me going back! The ingredients melded together into a burst of flavor as you bit into the tacos. I highly recommend them! 

Outside of the food, we enjoyed sitting and relaxing so close to the water in such a nice atmosphere. The wait staff was kind and helpful which allowed for a slower paced lunch to enjoy the surroundings. I could have sat there all day listening to the sound of the waves and seeing the views of the beach.

Check out all of their food options here: https://www.fishtalesgalveston.com/menus/

Murdochs

If you are eating at fish tails or find yourself on Seawall BLVD, I recommend visiting Murdochs. Murdoch’s is a huge souvenir store overlooking the ocean. If you can not find a souvenir that you like here, I think you will have a hard time finding one anywhere! It is a beautiful store with all kinds of things to look at while shopping. They also have crabs in all kinds of fun colorful shells that are fun to sit and watch for awhile. My daughter loved looking at these while I shopped! 

Another great thing about Murdoch’s is the patio! The store is split up into two parts connected by a good sized patio that overlooks the ocean. They provide rocking chairs for guests to sit and relax during their shopping trip. It’s a great way to enjoy the ocean and it is completely shaded from the hot Texas sun which makes it even better! 

Galveston Island State Park

My family and I have a goal to visit all of the state parks in Texas, so of course we had to visit the Galveston Island State Park while visiting Galveston. When we traveled to this state park, we ended up going to the beachside entrance and did not realize immediately that the hike we wanted to do was actually through the bayside entrance. It worked out though as the visitor center is at the beachside entrance and we were able to go in and get our state parks passport book stamp! You can get your own passport book by purchasing it here: https://texasstateparks.reserveamerica.com/posProductDetails.do?id=321262&contractCode=TX. You can also purchase one at the visitors center. There is one trail on the beachside entrance called the Swale trail and it is 1.3 miles. 

The bayside entrance has several more options with the prairie trail (3.3 miles), the Alligator Loop (1 mile), Jenkins Trail (1.1 mile), Eskimo Curlew Loop (.5 miles), Clapper Rail Trail (1.2miles) and Oak Mott Loop (.4 miles). Outside of these trails, there are several paddling trails for Kayaks and canoes that seemed interesting as well.  

When we visited, unfortunately the trail we were hoping to hike was closed off due to damage from a recent storm. We were able to visit one of the observation towers though and get a good view of the state park. 

Something to be aware of with this state park is the lack of signage. Most state parks we go to have been fairly easy to navigate, but this one did not have a lot of direction for guests. While there is some hiking to be done here, I believe this state park would be best accessed for those who wish to camp, visit the beach, or Kayak/canoe while visiting. 

Learn more about the park here: https://tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/galveston-island

The Spot

The Spot is a restaurant that sits right across the street from the beach and has 5 different “spots” or restaurants/bars in one. When walking up, we were slightly confused on where we were supposed to go to eat. There are 4 bars and one main restaurant, but I was told you can eat the full menu at any of the bars. The restaurant and one of the bars had patio seating facing the ocean both upstairs and downstairs. 

When we initially walked up, there were two lines. One was for 21 and up and the other was for anyone and everyone. When we got in the family friendly line, we walked up to a host who told us to walk in and order. The restaurant is fast casual. You go up to a counter to order, they have a self service beverage station, and then you are given a buzzer to place on your table. They serve you your food by bringing it to the table once it is ready. 

We ordered the Ralph Burger with sweet potato fries and the Diablo grilled shrimp. While the food was good, the portions felt a bit smaller than at other restaurants we had dined at in this area. The location was also nice but the patio was packed and very loud. It was not quite as relaxing of an experience as we had had at Fish Tails but it was still nice to dine at while looking at the ocean. The inside seating was a much calmer environment upstairs but it lacked the ocean views. We enjoyed the experience but it would probably be a bit more enjoyable during non peak hours. 

Check out their menu here: https://www.thespotrestaurants.com/wp-content/uploads/Spot_InHand_Menu_061626_GAL_Digital.pdf

Library

The Rosenberg Library in Galveston is a nice stop if you have children! They have a fun play ship with all kinds of fun activities on its side, reading nooks, places for coloring and other fun activities, computers for children to use, and even a skink for kids to observe and learn about. 

We were in Galveston during a rainy weekend so this was a great spot to play, read some books, and get out of the rain. We easily found street parking across the street from the library and the library is free to visit and enjoy!

Galveston’s children museum

We had so much fun at the Galveston’s Children’s Museum! While the majority of the museum was geared for children a bit older than my daughter (18 months old), we still had a blast and she loved getting to explore all the different rooms. This was the perfect activity for a rainy day in Galveston. 

The Museum has many different rooms and alcoves set up with all kinds of different things to play with including: A room specifically designed for babies, an arts and crafts room, make believe such as a fishing boat and kitchen, legos, lights, and a sand table room. These are just some of the fun activities they had at this museum. We spent 2 hours there and my daughter never got bored. If you have young children, this is a great place to spend a few hours! 

Galveston and the Bolivar Peninsula is such a fun and relaxing getaway! There is quite a bit to see and do and we still have things on our list that we want to explore! Have you been to Galveston before? What do you enjoy doing?

Visiting Galveston before you head out on a cruise? Check out this article on things to know about your first cruise: https://pepperandpassports.com/first-time-carnival-cruise-14-things-i-did/

Here are 18 reasons you should go on a cruise: https://pepperandpassports.com/18-reasons-you-should-go-on-a-cruise/

Love Texas? Check out 3 hikes I did at Big Bend: https://suitcasesandsalt.com/three-hikes-everyone-should-do-at-big-bend-national-park/

Check out Part 1 of our visit to Galveston and Bolivar Peninsula here:

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