Galveston for Toddlers: Rockin' Texas RoadTrip

We left Georgetown on Thursday morning for a 4 day weekend trip to Galveston and Houston.  Brian had a triathlon in Houston scheduled for Sunday so we decided to make the most of it and hit up the beach and also visit my grandparents in Houston.



My grandparents graciously endured us (as always) and fed us -and stored Brian's bike so we didn't have to tote it around all weekend.  Wilder truly lives up to his name.  In every way.
*Sigh and smile*



We stayed at the Howard Johnson (why do I find it extremely weird that they nickname themselves "HoJo"?  Just doesn't sound good...) in the Clear Lake area.  After unloading our gear, we packed back up and headed out to get some evening beach action!



We chose the family friendly Stewart Beach ($8/car) and the kids loved the clean beaches, easy surf, and warm water!  The breeze made the 98 degree weather incredibly tolerable and the water was so toasty you'd have to get out to cool off.



There are miles of free beaches along Galveston Island.  Of the two other stretches we ventured on (later) this was the cleanest and smoothest, but I'd take a free beach with some shells any day.  Can't go wrong here.



Honestly, this is the best area we've ever been to if you want a beach experience with toddlers.  Granted, we haven't been to ALL the beaches in the U.S. (or even close) but overall, we loved this place for the kids.



They loved swimming with Daddy.  You can walk out into the water forever and still only be hip deep.  Diving pelicans and jumping fish were highlights on the horizon.



Waverley exercising her independence, making friends with...uh...cones, and surfboards.

End of Day 1.  It was a good 'un.

Day 2 started with a long morning at the beach.  Had too much fun to pause for pictures, so see above and imagine variations of dirt covered kiddos and parents chasing them around to keep them from getting  permanently acquainted with the water.



We escaped the sun and took the FREE FERRY to Port Bolivar/Crystal Beach.  Very cool, very cool.
Once again, I was enjoying the scenery and serenity of napping kids to bust out the camera.  Google the area.  It's beautiful.



On the ferry ride back we popped on deck.  Dolphins leapt, pelicans dove, children squealed.  And this mother said, "It is good."



Okay, this part was NOT so good.  Wilder, who slept on the ride over, wanted to stay on the boat.  Kicking and screaming, he insisted that once the car exited the ferry that we were going the wrong way. Even though he was seeing all the landmarks he was familiar with, he was certain we were on the wrong side.  (He woke up the next day asking to go back on "My Boat.")



Beach time again!  This was one of the free beaches.  Loved it, folks!  Personally, I am a fan of seashells and liked that these beaches had oodles of tiny treasures.  We watched the live clams pop in and out of the sand as the tide washed over them.



Paradise for our dirty kids.



Building sand castles with Wilder was a highlight for me.  Of course crashing them was a highlight for him :)



As we drove back to the hotel we toured a bit and...I found my house!  Like it says, I call dibs.
Just needs a little bit of work.  Doable, right?


Oh, okay.  Now the story gets really exciting, but I'm going to make this short.  Because it's gross.
I got food poisoning and made REAL good friends with the toilet all night.
Day 3, we packed up and took the long way back around Galveston Island up to Houston.  Brian picked up his registration packet for his triathlon, the family dropped me off at my grandparents to rest while they found a playland to run around at.  We visited in the evening and then... it hit me -and Wilder- again.  We spent the night huddled together on the bathroom floor.  Besides labor, that was the closest I've felt to death. Ever.

Who wants a sandwich?



By the morning Wilder and I felt somewhat human and we visited and played at "Gamma Campaw's," as Wiley calls them.  Lunch stayed with us (hallelujah!) and we made our way home.

Oh, YEAH!  And Brian completed his 3rd triathlon this year.  Kind of a big deal (I was too busy puking, so we weren't "Ra! Ra!" -ing, more like "Ralph! Ralph!" -ing.)
I'm so proud of him.  His determination and persistence are qualities that I have always admired (and continue to learn from by example.)  I love my Superman!

So, that's our exciting road trip!  Told you it was going to be an adventure.
Now, it's back to work and I am so glad I had a break to get inspiration, brainstorm with Brian, and puke my guts out.  Now that's what I call a vacation.