Having just moved to Texas in July 2022, my boyfriend, Kyle, and I are always counting down the days to the weekends when we can explore what this incredible state offers.
Jessica and Maser are two of our best friends from Washington and they made the trek down to Texas in October. We took them on a whirlwind adventure to Galveston – and none of us had been there before. The below is certainly not going to be a comprehensive list of places to visit in Galveston in the fall, but by all means, please send me suggestions for future visits!
Places to Eat
Number 13 Prime Steak and Seafood | https://number13steak.com/
7809 Broadway, Galveston, TX 77554
Words cannot describe Number 13. Lucky for us, Jessica turned another year older and we celebrated in the most decadent, luxurious fashion possible. Number 13 was absolutely DIVINE. We started off with The Amuse to share, which features East coast oysters, cocktail shrimp, lobster tail, Alaskan Red King Crab, Smoked Salmon Rillettes , and yellowfin tuna poke Petite.
For my meal, I ordered the center cut filet mignon and it was like cutting into pure butter perfection. Number 13 is very expensive, so just fair warning on that part. But if you have it in your budget to treat yourself, you must go here.
Places to Drink
Texas Tail Distillery | https://www.texastaildistillery.com/
2416 Post Office St Galveston, TX 77550
Whiskey has been my drink of choice to sip as I sit back and enjoy life. I have also been learning that Texas distills some incredible whiskey and Texas Tail Distillery is no different. Texas Tail offers Texas Tail Vodka (which I did not try this time around) and their Coastline Whiskey. Their whiskeys are pot distilled in small batches, which they say represents the secluded inlets that sit nestled along the Gulf of Mexico.
I tried a flight of their OG, Double Barrel and Honey. It was hard to decide which one was my favorite, but I would probably go with the Double Barrel just because my palate prefers that type of taste. They also offer a plethora of fun, mixed cocktails that I’m going to have to come back and try. If you enjoy a great whiskey, I highly recommend visiting Texas Tail. Its right downtown and you can just find a place to park and walk around to visit all the shops after your whiskey tasting.
Galveston Island Brewing | https://www.galvestonislandbrewing.com
8423 Stewart Rd, Galveston, TX 77554
Between the water and Scholes Airport, you’ll find Galveston Island Brewing – an awesome brewery to visit! The Coconut Samson in a Barrel and season Smashing Pumpkin were so darn tasty. It’s a fun brewery to sit outside and enjoy time with your friends. Maser loved the Bada Bing! pilsner, Kyle gave an almost 5 star rating to their Third Eyeland Haze, and Jessica enjoyed her flight, including the Pit Pat porter and Oktoberfest. Pardon all the middle fingers in the photos, it’s just a thing the four of us do.
Galveston Bay Brewing | https://www.galvestonbaybrewing.com/
Places of Interest
Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig Museum and Education Center | https://www.oceanstaroec.com/museum/
1414 Enclave Parkway, Houston, TX 77077
The Ocean Star is retired jack-up drilling rig that operated in the Gulf of Mexico from 1969 to 1984 and drilled over 200 wells during that timeframe. In 1995, the OEC purchased the Ocean Star, and after lengthy refurbishment, opened it as a museum in 1997. The museum is designed to be a self-guided facility with videos, information, interactive exhibits throughout, and takes most visitors about 1.5 hours to tour completely.
Both Jessica and I used to work in the offshore drilling industry in very different capacities. I used to work for the government entity that regulated it, Jessica used to work in offshore rig imports. To say we geeked the F out at this museum is an understatement. I even saw names of previous colleagues on plaques around the museum and sent them photos. If you have any interest in offshore oil, gas and mineral extraction, I highly recommend visiting the museum. Even if you’ve never worked in the industry before, you will learn a lot, and it’s right on the water and within walking distance to a bunch of shops and restaurants!
The Beaches of Galveston
Duh……
Since we were visiting Galveston in October, the beaches were almost empty. We also had sun and rain for a couple of days and then one beautiful day. Even on that gorgeous, sunny day, we walked around with almost no one else in sight. The waves, the birds and all the little tiny crabs that I watched in the sand had my heart. Since its the Gulf of Mexico you won’t get the huge waves that an east or west coastal city get (unless a storm is brewing!).
There are some oil rigs and platforms off in the distance but I still found my surroundings serene and peaceful. Next time we visit, we want to get an AirBnB or VRBO right on the water. I’ve never stayed in a house on stilts before. The beaches are a must visit of course, just drive along Seawall Blvd and pick your spot.
