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!

RESTAURANT REVIEW: 
MAMA THERESA'S FLYING PIZZA

With the two grandsons in tow, ages 5 and 3, we decided it was time to try out this little pizza place which moved from Bolivar, where it was in business for 25 years, to the Strand area (intersection of Postoffice and 21st streets) after losing its venue to Hurricane Ike.

The interior is reminiscent of a Manhattan area hole-in-the wall pizza place with the exception of a giant cutout of the state of Texas in the colors of the Italian flag and a star indicating Galveston. This elicited questions from the 5 year old. We decided the message was "Texas loves Italy."

This is a great place to take the little ones. The waiter immediately brought a booster for the 3 year old and both boys were fascinated with the "flying pizzas". The kitchen is open so they could watch the dough being expertly tossed high in the air! The pizzas arrived quickly so no one got restless. And they were delicious--plain cheese for the boys and Mike's favorite Mama Meaty Pizza. I would love to try some of the other offerings--like Greek pizza, Tuscan Chicken or the Sombrero.

The menu is broader than pizza so you can indulge in traditional Italian fare if you like, but I just went with the pizza program Saturday night. Afterwards I recommend a short walk down Postoffice Street to Hey Mikey's Ice Cream. They have very small 2 ounce cups of ice cream just the right size for the little guys!

Spectacular Sunset over Galveston Bay Friday, September 23

Review of Waterman's Restaurant

So Mike and I left our comfort zone in Galveston's East End and drove to the West End to sample the offerings at Waterman's restaurant. Waterman's is right by the Galveston Country Club and is an older place with an awesome view of the sunset over Galveston Bay. The decor is Driftwood Chic.

What were the odds it was a seafood place? (100 to 1).

We seldom drink a cocktail but were intrigued by the Lafitte Splash, a rum/triple sec/fresh strawberry/lemonade concoction that was light and refreshing. I had their lobster bisque which reminded me of Gaido's Watkins bisque but more lobster-forward and Mike had their gumbo which was dark and just as it should be.

My entree was the Southwest Snapper which is coated with tortilla crumbs and topped with lump crab, pico de gallo and avocado. Delicious and perfectly cooked! Mike seems to be on a fry-kick so he had fried shrimp which were chicken-fried style with a substantial coating but he pronounced them excellent.

It was well worth the drive down the island--funny how it seems a long way when you are in Galveston but you would think nothing of it in Houston!

UPDATE: This weekend we recommended Waterman's to friends who were in Galveston. They tried it and liked their fish entrees, but Jenny, who is a self-confessed creme brûlée snob, thought their version was too watery

Taps at Sunset: Corner of Postoffice and Moody Streets

Every evening at sunset an old Marine veteran plays taps at the corner of Postoffice and Moody Streets. Last Saturday night Mike and I were fortunate to be at that intersection at the right time so I filmed the video above. The event begins with a constable driving up sirens blaring and lights flashing. He blocks the intersection with his car, gets out and salutes. Then the bugler begins to play. A crowd has gathered and most put their hands over their hearts or salute. After he finishes the crowd applauds and disperses. 

Spectacular Pink Sunset Over the Gulf

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2016

This is NOT retouched or photoshopped in any way. The beach, water and sky were just this dramatic shade of pink at sunset. The effect lasted about 5 minutes. So awesome!

Review of Shy Katz Deli and Bakery

The word "bakery" tempted Mike and me to venture over to the Shy Katz Deli and Bakery for lunch. It's located in the East End residential area between Broadway and the Seawall and is clearly a popular spot for the neighborhood.

Inside the decor is eclectic/hippie/Christian and it's a good thing there is so much to look at on the walls because Shy Katz operates on Island Time. It's a very friendly and homey atmosphere.

Mike had soup and salad and reported the tomato basil soup was good but not as good as Sunflower Cafe's version and his egg salad and bacon sandwich was done well. I had their chicken salad sandwich on croissant since it is a speciality but found it too bland for my taste.

Bakery offerings are slim (a couple of different varieties of cupcakes, cake slices and scones) but looked good. We didn't try any on this trip in the interest of our waistlines, though. 

Breakfast is served all day and I think that is probably the place's strong suit after seeing what others were having and the interesting breakfast items on the menu. We will be back to try those.