Let The Good Times Roll at Galveston Mardi Gras

Happy Fat Tuesday!  According to Wikipedia, Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday", reflecting the practice of the last night of eating richer, fatty foods before the ritual fasting of the Lenten season. 

This past weekend, we headed South to Galveston to check out the children's parades on Sunday.  We did not have to go too far.  My kids had never been to a Mardi Gras parade.  When I was younger, I participated in the parades with our high school marching band.  It was always so much fun to perform.  The music gets the people going.  Believe it or not, it had been over 20 years since I had been to Mardi Gras in Galveston. 

If you did not know, there is a children's parade that is very kid friendly.  I did not know there was also a pet parade.  On Sunday, there were three parades that were perfect for the kids.  There was plenty of parking and we got a perfect spot right at the front.  We did arrive early.  There was people throwing beads from a second story building even before the parade started.

My favorite parts from this parade were:

Clowns-Very friendly

Animals-There were so many animals that you could pet during the parade.  From little dogs to cats, ferrets to a big snake, and of course, my daughter pet them all.

Parade De Ja Vu-We thought the first parade was over but it was not.  It came around twice.

Beads Galore-The best of all was collecting all the beads.  One warning, when the beads are getting tossed they could hurt.  Even though it is fun for the kiddos to catch them, be careful they could get hit by falling beads.

Now what to do with all those beads?

Moody Gardens-Holiday Top 5 Things To Do #LoveGalveston

Just because the weather gets a little chilly does not mean you cannot have fun.  The weather here in Houston changes.  Winter break is in one week.  I try to keep my kids busy with fun activities but some times we just need to hit the road.  Galveston is not too far of a destination so it is always the perfect spot for us to head to.

Thanks to Galveston Island CVB for sending my family complimentary passes.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

1)  4D Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer-So real, ask my daughter!

2)  Movies-You can watch the entire Finding Nemo in 3D or the Polar Express in 2D.

3)  Iceland-The wonderful creators bring beautiful images to life in the ice.

4)  Festival of Lights-We love to see all the lights.

5)  Artic slide-The entire family will have fun sliding down.  

We had a blast.  All the activities are perfect for the entire family, even grandma and grandpa.

For more information, go to www.moodygardens.com.

A Caribbean Christmas #LoveGalveston

Christmas break is coming.  Your kids get 2 weeks off.  What are your plans?  How about a Caribbean Christmas with the family? 

Thanks to the Galveston Island CVB for sending my family complimentary passes to Moody Gardens.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

Last year, Moody Gardens Ice Land was fun, whimsical and took you on a trip to Bikini Bottom on an adventure with Sponge Bob.  This year they are bringing the Caribbean to you.  See ice transformed into creations that include schools of beautiful tropical fish, eagle rays, turtles, dolphins, hammerhead sharks.

Iceland highlights:

Ice Slide-My daughter's favorite was the slide.  You can slide as many times as you want.  My daughter slid with each of us and finally braved it, and slid on her own.

  She is not the only who liked the slide.  My son captured this fun moment of me coming down.

Photo Op-Are you still looking for the perfect Christmas photo?  Have fun posing with the family or taking selfies.

Shivers Ice Bar-Girls' Nite, Guy's nite, or Date nite? 

Admission:

November 12, 2016 - January 8, 2017

Adult: $26.95

Senior (65+): $21.95

Child (4-12): $15.95

Children 3 and under do not require a ticket.

Value Days:

Sunday - Thursday: Nov 13 - Dec 15, Jan 1 - 5

Adult: $21.95

Senior: $16.95

Child: $10.95

Add this stop to you Christmas break list, your kids will have a blast and so will you. 

Discover The Elissa #LoveGalveston

There is so much beauty everywhere.  Sometimes small treasures are all around us.  Stop to smell the roses, close your eyes and open them to see all the things you never noticed before.

Thanks to the Galveston Island CVB for sending my family VIP passes.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

There is a tall ship from 1877 over on Pier 21.  ELISSA is not a replica, it is the real deal. 

Fun Facts about this beauty:

1)  ELISSA is fully-functional and still sails today.

2)  ELISSA's name was taken from the epic Roman poem The Aeneid, a Phoenician Princess.

3)  ELISSA was dramatically rescued from the scrap yard.

4)  ELISSA has and is on going restoration by volunteers.

There are hundreds of volunteers who keep her seaworthy and train each year to sail her, ELISSA.  You should see them in action.  You can go on deck, go down below, see the captain's quarters, and even ring the bell.  Which apparently means break time and is pretty loud.

Admission includes self-guided tours of the Texas Seaport Museum and Elissa, a theater presentation and access to the Galveston Immigration Database. 

Admission:
Adult [Age 19 yrs and up]: $12
Youth [Age 6 through 18]: $9
Child [Age 5 and under]: FREE

Hours of Operation
Summer Hours:
Open daily: 9am - 6pm
Last ticket sold at 5 pm

Winter Hours:
Open daily: 10am - 5pm
Last ticket sold at 4pm

Closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, and during annual Sea Trials.

Note: Hours may be seasonal and subject to change.

Galveston Historical Foundation is committed to bring history to life.  It is so worth seeing.