Galveston Beach Vacation
 Galveston Island is a barrier island on the Texas Gulf coast in the United States, about 50 miles southeast of Houston. The entire island, with the exception of the little Village of Jamaica Beach, is within the city limits of the City of Galveston.
Galveston Island is believed to be approximately 5000 years old and has had an interesting history during the past 500 years. It is generally believed Cabeza de Vaca and his crew were shipwrecked here in 1520 and eventually made their way from the island to colonies in Mexico. The LaFitte brothers, fleeing the prosecution of pirates in the United States, established a government here in 1817, with visions of creating a "Manhattan on the Gulf." Commerce did thrive here, but major storms in 1867, 1871, 1875, and 1886 greatly slowed progress. The great storm of 1900 devastated the island, killing 5000 to 10,000 people, and prompted the construction of the seawall which protects the northern half of the island.
Galveston's East Beach is the coolest and biggest beach in Texas. Famous for its great beach parties, East Beach has major outdoor concerts, special events, promotions, bikini contests, live bands, and other activities that are described in the Galveston.com calendar of events.
Palm Beach at Moody Gardens offers soft white sand and crystal-clear fresh water lagoons and waterfalls surrounded by lush, exotic landscaping.
One of Galveston's premier family beach parks, Stewart Beach sponsors family-oriented events, such as volleyball tournaments and sandcastle competitions, throughout the summer season.
Wondering what to do while on the Island? Galveston is famous for its festivals - from Dickens on The Strand, to Epicurean Evening, to Mardi Gras! Galveston, to the Lone Star Rally.
Other than the beach, the top destination for Galveston visitors is the 242-acre Moody Gardens . Part theme park, part educational and rehabilitative facility, part pleasure garden, Moody Gardens is a vacation all by itself. Upon entering Moody Gardens, you are instantly wowed by the lush and other worldly environment created by the Moody family. Amidst the profusion of tropical plants gleam three glass pyramids – pink, blue and white – housing a 10-story rainforest, one of the world’s largest aquariums, and an educational Discovery Museum.
Galveston Island is about 27 miles long and no more than 3 miles wide at its widest point. The island is oriented generally northeast-southwest, with the Gulf of Mexico on the east and south, West Bay on the west, and Galveston Bay on the north. The island's main access point from the mainland is the Interstate Highway 45 causeway that crosses West Bay on the northeast side of the island. The far north end of the island is separated from the Bolivar Peninsula by Galveston Harbor, the entrance to Galveston Bay and the Houston Ship Channel. Ferry service is available between Galveston Island and the Bolivar Peninsula. The southern end of the island is separated from the mainland by San Luis Pass. The San Luis Pass-Vacek Toll Bridge connects the San Luis Pass Road on Galveston Island with the Bluewater Highway that leads south into the town of Surfside Beach.
Galveston Island Beach Vacation News
Records 1 to 11 of 11
 Galveston 4th of July Beach Vacation
|
GALVESTON, Texas — Galveston Island State Park, whose facilities were devastated by Hurricane Ike last September, has made a remarkable comeback and will once again offer beachside camping in time for the busy Fourth of July weekend. Beginning July 2, visitors will be able to choose from 36 beachside campsites situated on three loops.
|
HOUSTON — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has begun construction on two oyster reef restoration projects in Galveston Bay funded by multi-million dollar federal grants to restore hurricane damage. One project is in East Galveston Bay, an area hit hard by Hurricane Ike. The other project is located along the north facing shoreline of Eagle Point near the community of San Leon.
|
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department is seeking a top-notch architectural/design firm to come up with a state-of-the-art, sustainable design for rebuilding hurricane-ravaged Galveston Island State Park.
When planning and design costs are known and future monies become available, TPWD will redevelop the popular seaside state park as a flagship project. The 2,000-acre park, which features more than a mile of public beach access and camping, only reopened this summer after being closed for six months due to catastrophic damage from Hurricane Ike in September 2008.
|
AUSTIN, Texas — The Texas oyster season will open Nov. 1, but due to health risks there will be several areas closed to harvest. Recent heavy rains statewide and red tide events on the lower Texas coast prompted the Texas Department of State Health Services to issue closure notices for some shellfish harvesting areas, including the Galveston Bay area.
|
HOUSTON — Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) has received a $50,000 grant from the Southeast Aquatic Resources Partnership (SARP) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to continue and expand oyster reef restoration in Galveston Bay.
|
ATHENS, Texas — Texas fisheries biologists know their jobs are changing. On January 22 a trio of experts will give them a glimpse of what the future may hold at the annual meeting of the Texas Chapter of the American Fisheries Society.
The meeting will take place in the Richard M. Hart and Johnny Morris Conservation Center at the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center here.
|
AUSTIN — The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wants to make it easier for Texans to go fishing and this year has renamed and expanded its learn-to-fish initiative to include dozens of special springtime events being held at 13 state parks throughout Texas.
"Go Fish! Learn-to Fish Events at Texas State Parks" gets into high gear at Bastrop and Huntsville state parks on March 13, and March 16 at Buescher State Park just down the road from Bastrop, in a week when most kids are out of school on Spring Break. The "how-to" events are informative and fun, and often result in participants — both children and adults — landing their first fish.
|
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department has been awarded more than $3.5 million in competitive federal stimulus grants for solar installations as part of the Distributed Renewable Energy Technology Program. The program is offered by the State of Texas Comptroller as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and will cover up to 20% of the total cost of the projects.
|
AUSTIN — The Texas General Land Office (GLO) has made application for a permit to close Rollover Pass on Bolivar Peninsula due to its impacts on beach erosion and sedimentation within the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway. If the pass is closed, there will be loss of public recreational fishing access.
|
The Texas General Land Office has been sending this message across the state for twenty-two years, and Texans have responded. Since the first cleanup in 1986, more than 382,000 Texas Adopt-A-Beach volunteers have picked up more than 7,300 tons of trash from the Texas coast.
|
CWB Wakeboards
|
