Green in Galveston | Lone Star Looking Glass

This past weekend, my parents came to visit us and we packed in quite a bit of sightseeing and restaurant eating.

More of the latter though. (Hey, when in Houston … you go out to eat!)

One thing we really wanted to do during their visit was head down to Galveston to explore the town and see the ocean. I’ve heard so many mixed reviews about Galveston, which is why after living here for almost a year now we still had not made the 45 minute journey to the Gulf of Mexico.

Having my parents in town was the perfect excuse to make the trip.

As well as the perfect excuse to pull out some summery clothes before it’s officially “official” fall.

This green embroidered and sequined sun dress came home with me from Anthropologie at the beginning of the summer and I’ve been able to wear it on so many different occasions since I bought it. From beach trips to rehearsal dinners, this sundress has been incredibly easy to dress up and down.

It’s sold out unfortunately, but Asos has a few green sundresses that are somewhat similar that I thought I’d share. Also, these Rebels sandals are now on major sale at Nordstrom Rack. They are ridiculously comfortable and easy to throw on with about anything in my closet.

But enough fashion for now……back to our day trip to Galveston.

One of the things we quickly discovered as newly Texans, was everyone here’s obsession with Shipleys.

How could a donut shack be that delicious that people seem to talk about it all the time?

Well you’re just going to have to try it for yourself. Because it IS that delicious. So therefore, we were pretty much required to stop at Shipleys for our morning meal before we headed out.

Road trips usually do not feature the most healthy of eating….

Several bags full of donuts and kolaches later ….. (and a pit stop at Buc-ees) … we arrived to our destination: The Strand in Galveston.

The Strand is Galveston’s historic district and it’s dotted with Victorian buildings dating back to the late 1800s. Today this well preserved street is filled with touristy beach shops that cater to the passengers of the cruise ships docked less than a mile away.

Not about to embark on a cruise ourselves, the vacation-ware boutiques didn’t really entice us too much.

But we did turn a corner and found probably the most amazing antique shop I’ve ever been in to.

In my life.

Nautical Antiques and Tropical Decor, anyone?

Can you imagine the things you could do in a beach house with these treasures? The shop sold remnants from many old ships, cruise lines & fishing boats, among plenty of other nautical things.

Little nick-nacks filled the aisles such as glass fishing buoys, maps, flags and mis-matched cruise ship china sets.

The shop was also filled with many mermaid related paraphernalia … and I have a not so secret obsession with mermaids. Oh how I would love to take this statue home with me…but where on earth would I put it?

If I can’t take a mermaid statue home, then at least a nautical flag?

And then Patrick found just the right souvenir, a very small and indistinguishable mermaid figurine that could easily be hidden somewhere in our home.

After having our fill of strange and unusual nautical keepsakes, we skipped back to The Strand in search of more unique shops and hidden gems.

I had so much fun chit chatting with my Mom along the way! We soaked in every moment together, not knowing if we’d be lucky enough to have another family visit before the holidays.

We certainly were over the touristy beach shops so when we visited La King’s Confectionery, it felt like a breath of fresh air, literally. (AC was pumping!)

This old-fashioned soda fountain looked like it hadn’t changed too much since the 1920s, when it was established.

We ooohed and ached over the chocolates, ice creams, and treats lining the walls.

As I was about to place my order, I was kindly reminded that lunch was in the next thirty minutes or so. Did I really want to spoil my appetite?

Yes. Yes, I did.

But I gave into peer pressure and was dragged out of the shop in search of more distinguishable food.

A friend recommended Jimmy’s on the Pier, for its scenic views of the ocean. And away we went.

The food wasn’t what we expected, to be polite, but their view was certainly worth the visit.

We sat for a long while looking out onto the ocean, catching up on each others lives, and discussing what Galveston must have been like in its glory days back of the late 1800s.

It was then time to scuttle away back to Houston for a relaxing evening at home before our next day of family adventuring.