Always Want To Go

I do, seriously, always want to go, but I cannot go on a transatlantic cruise every day, I cannot fly off to Italy every day, and I cannot drive off to North Dakota every day, but there are a zillion nearby trips I can experience with little to no planning or expense. So, I went on a day trip to Galveston!

For example, I CAN go to the beautiful island of Galveston, Texas, whenever I want to. It’s a quick drive over the Causeway bridge, and there I am. Recently I was able to enjoy a mini-mini-vacation in Galveston with my girlfriends – just for the day.

A quick text to friends was the only planning required to make this trip happen. The only cost involved was the cost of items purchased at the shop and the cost of lunch, transportation costs didn’t even register. This Galveston outing was an excellent trip for me.

Galveston is a terrific vacation destination for anyone that loves the beach, history, nature, music, shopping, and great food. Doesn’t that cover just about everyone you know? A vacation in Galveston can mean a crazy party scene or a serene, peaceful respite from the real world, or a combination of both.

The Strand Historic District in Galveston, on the opposite side of the island from the beach, is very near the harbor and the cruise ports. This section of Galveston is a destination all by itself.

The Strand is the location for festivals throughout the year, Mardi Gras, Dickens on the Strand, Artwalks, Gumbo Festivals, Shrimp Festivals. The oldest buildings in the Strand District were erected in 1855 and 1858. This District at one time was referred to as the “Wall Street of the South.” The

1900 hurricane in Galveston destroyed much of Galveston, including buildings in the Strand area. As a result, many businesses moved away from the harbor. The restoration of this area began in the 1960s and very successfully continues today.

There is always something fun going on in the Strand Historic District, however, on an ordinary, non-festival day, this area of Galveston is still teeming with clothing shops, souvenir shops, antique shops, and gift shops, restaurants, and bars that can provide a full day of entertainment.

On this particular day we were time-limited, but we managed to entertain ourselves spectacularly at only two of the multitude of venues Galveston has to offer.

Salty Southern Chic

I learned from social media that this shop had just opened in Galveston in the Strand District and coerced my friends to meet me here. All five of us met there to take a look, shop a bit, laugh a lot, just spend some time together and later enjoy a fun lunch together.

There are too many interesting shops on the Strand to count. Salty Southern Chic is highlighted here because it happens to be the only one we visited on this trip. I encourage you to take some time meandering around this area visiting all the shops, restaurants, and bars; see all the Strand has to offer.

Isn’t that an attractive-looking store? See the accent wall with the metal fish display? We have tin sculptures similar to that all along our interior fence at home. I expect I’ll be purchasing one of these soon.

You enter the store by walking up several steps from street level, as is the case in many store entries in the Strand area. The Strand District is very near the harbor, and although flooding and storms do not happen every day, it makes sense to give mother nature a few feet of her own, just in case.

The buildings along the Strand were built up this way many years ago. Once you reach the floor of the store, you can see an easy walking path throughout to all the good stuff. This is a great place to shop for women’s unique clothing at a price in line with other shops in the Strand area.

I’m sure this will be a popular stop with cruisers for those specialty cruise items they sell. Who doesn’t need a sun hat that rolls up to fit in a tiny corner of an overpacked suitcase?

All five of us looked at everything at least twice, I think. We tried on some clothes, some bedazzled sunglasses, and even some jewelry, all the while laughing and enjoying each other’s company. It was a great shopping expedition, and purchases were made. (Secret hint: lots of special gifts to purchase here.)

This was a great adventure, especially since shopping is really not my thing. I do most of my shopping online, as I am sure you guys may also do. Every once in a while though, you need to venture out into a store and be able to see and touch AND have a fun time shopping with your friends.

Gypsy Joynt

Next stop on our day trip – lunch! There are so so many choices in Galveston for lunch, but we finally all decided on Gypsy Joynt, a delightful and popular restaurant, a brief ride from Salty Southern Chic for some of us old folks, but really just a half-mile walk.

Gypsy Joynt has crazy decor, eclectic, and a sort of hippie vibe that I recognize from my life during the 70s. It feels like a party the moment you walk in the door. This is a grab a menu at the door, stand in line, and order at the counter place.

The wait to place an order takes a minute or two, so we had plenty of time to read through the menu to discuss and make our food choices.

This was a great lunch spent with good friends, a lot of fun conversations, and a whole lot of laughs. As I said at the beginning, this was not a big deal vacation or trip but such an enjoyable afternoon escape in a premium vacation location and so affordable!

am fortunate to live so near this beautiful, fantastic, and fun island.

• Where to stop on your way to Galveston?
• Are you cruising out of Galveston?
• Day trip to Galveston
• Surprises in Galveston
• Galveston, Texas one-day cruise