Tips for surviving Lone Star Weekend for non-bikers

The Lone Star Rally is an annual Galveston event, drawing thousands of biker enthusiasts from all over. Part of the Seawall and most of the Strand are blocked off for vendors. Its not my favorite weekend to be in Galveston but when one of our daughters, her husband and 2 year old and 2 month old sons wanted to come down, there is only one answer: YES!

Mike and I came down on Friday and encountered few bikers on Highway 6 and the causeway. We saw more on Broadway and Harborside but traffic flowed freely. We noted the road closures along the way to eliminate surprises later. Our place is on the East End of the island and there were almost no bikers staying there and only the occasional sound of cyclists enjoying the perfect weather.

If you want to access something on the Seawall, drive down Broadway and then come up the back way. Part of the Seawall was blocked off so if you are trying to go to the area near the Pleasure Pier you will have difficulty parking on nearby streets.

We were able to go downtown, but not the Strand area, and ate dinner at our favorite Trattoria restaurant just off Postoffice. Parking wasn't impossible but prices had been jacked up at the lot behind the Grand Opera House. Few patrons were at the restaurant--so we felt like we almost had it to ourselves.

Which leads me to another tip: some businesses closed during this weekend, like Kitchen Chick and the Galveston Historical Society's historic homes. I assume that is due to parking issues and the experience of having few patrons show up that weekend.

With such young grandsons in tow, we weren't touring or eating out. The 2 year old is perfectly happy playing in the pool, the playroom and the playground while Dad and Poppa enjoyed multiple college football games on TV.

Final Tip: avoid the island if you aren't a biker unless you will be happy avoiding the Seawall and the Strand area. You can still have a great time if the weather cooperates--we did!