You bet it is!
There are so many reasons to visit Galveston Island, but are you looking for a place where you can experience rich history, shopping, and delicious food while taking a break from the beach activities? Why not come down to The Strand Historic District?
Here, you’ll experience never ending fun as the number of activities goes on and on. You will never be bored then you visit The Strand. The oldest buildings on The Strand date back to the 1850s and some even survived the 1900 Storm!
The Strand was originally known as Avenue B but was later changed to make businesses appeal to folks of a higher-class. The Strand was named after a street in London that was a popular recreational district for the upper class. The word ‘Strand’ comes from an old English word strond, which describes a shore or the mouth of a river.
Today, we are going to talk about the best places to experience history, eat, and shop. Hopefully this article shows you that there’s more to Galveston that beaches and thrill rides.
Let’s Eat on the Strand
Let’s start with places to eat. Luckily for you, The Strand has a variety of restaurants from Indian to Italian to traditional American.
My personal favorite restaurant is Mario’s Seawall Italian Restaurant. My favorite appetizer would have to be the Hot Artichoke-Spinach Dip served with delicious crostini bread. If you’re going to order pizzas, you should definitely get a deep-dish pepperoni pizza.
The wait may be a little bit longer, but the taste will be worth the wait, I promise! For desert, I would recommend the Fresh Homemade Italian Gelato & Sorbetto. It is the best gelato I have ever tasted. It will not disappoint!
Another wonderful restaurant is Black Pearl. The restaurant focuses on its oyster bar, but you shouldn’t count out its grilled meats, Gulf seafood, and thrilling steaks.
Their top oyster entrees would have to be Oysters Haelen topped with crab meat, cheddar, and bacon; and Oysters Diablo with spicy diablo sauce, shrimp, and cheddar. Both restaurants will have you craving for more!
Shopping on the Strand
Shopping areas include bookstores, clothing, home decor, gift shops, etc. The Witchery is a brick and mortar store located in the center of Galveston’s historic district.
Owners, Clyde and Kimberley Wood have created a “feel good” environment for customers to discover themselves. They achieve this by carrying over a thousand book titles with a majority of different subjects.
They also carry many religious books from Hinduism to Christianity, so there’s something for everyone. The Witchery also has a vast selection of herbs and essential oils. The oils are taken from herbs all over the planet that are known to provide medicinal benefits. Island Silver is a store with thousands of products ranging from $5 to $2,000.
They have products such as Uminox watches, Stuller, Silvex of Italy, and much more. It is located along the Galveston Island Trolley route at 25th & Mechanic, as well as near the Galveston Cruise Terminal.
All I can say is that there is something for everyone to enjoy here!
History Lesson
While there are many attractions and restaurants, the Strand has a lot of history behind it as well. One of my favorite historical sites is the Galveston Railroad Museum. It has many historic facilities and unique attractions. It is one of the largest restored railroad collections in the southwest.
The museum contains numerous railroad exhibits, including over 40 pieces of locomotives and rolling stock. My favorite part about this place was seeing the restored locomotive trains and riding the “Harborside Express” train.
To conclude The Strand has activities for everyone to enjoy. Most people overlook Galveston’s history and just come here for the beach, but the truth is there is so much more to it than that.
A visit to The Strand is completely worth it if you want to see Galveston in a way you’ve never seen it in before. Galveston has so much rich history that everyone should learn about. It’s truly fascinating!
More information can be found at: http://www.downtowngalveston.org/