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?

Have You Tried The Best Shrimp On Earth?

Galveston is full of so many places to explore which include the beach, the island, and the food.

Thanks to Fisherman's Wharf for inviting us to their restaurant for a complimentary lunch.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

Fisherman's Wharf is located right at Pier 21.  A waterfront seafood restaurant with great views of the bay.  You can't get fresher than this, right? 

2200 Harborside Drive
Galveston, TX 77550
Phone: (409) 765-5708
Fax: (409) 765-7074

Hours of Operation

Sunday - Thursday: 11am - 10pm
Friday & Saturday: 11am - 11pm

In the 1940s, this was a shrimp and fish “factory”.  Fun fact-Shrimp from this very place was served to President John F. Kennedy at the White House.  Many have said that this is the “best shrimp on Earth.”  Shrimp Po-boys have been served here since 1970. 

So of course, we had to try them.

Shrimp Po-boy

Grilled Chicken Po-Boy

Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

My husband loves Shrimp Po-Boys and he said, "it was one of the best tasting ones he has ever tried".  We all enjoyed our food.  It was very flavorful.  The portion size was great too.  The ambience was amazing.  You can dine in and outside.  The restaurant is kid friendly.  And the staff was great too. 

To check out the menu and find out more information, go to www.fishermanswharfgalveston.com. 

Travel Tuesday-Bucket Brigade #LoveGalveston #BeachesFam

I am a water baby and so are the members of my family.  We love to head South to Galveston, TX, where it is always island time!

There is always so much to do.  Every time we go to Galveston we discover something new that we have not seen or done before.  At the beach we get to disconnect.  I always find things to learn in every adventure we take and the beach is always a place of discovery for us.  You can use all your senses when you dig your feet in the sand.  Find a shell; touch it, feel it, collect it.  There is beauty everywhere.

On this adventure, we took a tour with the Galveston Bucket Brigade. 

Bucket Brigade offers free interpretive tours to beach-goers on Galveston Island.  Their objective is to increase the public's understanding of the positive role of sargassum and turbid water in our marine and coastal ecosystems.

Tours are available from March to October 2016. They last approximately one hour.  It is a unique hands-on activity that the entire family can partake in.  Bucket Brigade highlights the impact we can all have on coastal ecosystems through marine debris and pollution. 

We learned that Galveston's beaches are not "dirty" beaches.  Galveston water is actually very clean but full of sand.  Our water is sandy brown, the same color as our sand.   

Check out some of the cool items found in Galveston:

 Lighting Whelk Seashell

 Moon Snail

Mermaid's Purse (shark egg)

Do you go on beach walks?  We love to go on walks on the beach.  We are always finding cool things, not this cool.  Or maybe we didn't know what it was? 

The Galveston Bucket Brigade has 6 free tours that are held at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.  They are offered at a variety of locations along Galveston beaches including Stewart Beach, 21st Street, 37th Street, 53rd Street, 61st Street, 63rd Street, and Dellanera Dunes RV Park.  If you want to participate, you can sign up for a tour at the lifeguard station at each tour location.

For more information, go to galveston.com/bucketbrigade

World's Tallest Roller Coaster-Schlitterbahn Galveston

***Disclosure-I am a USFG blogger.  I am sharing this in exchange for complimentary passes for my family.

Have you ever been to Schlitterbahn Galveston? 

Did you know Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Indoor Waterpark has been around for 10 years now.  It was built in 2006.  This waterpark is located on historical Galveston Island and has been voted as the World's Best Indoor Waterpark for 8 straight years. This park features more than 33 attractions and a mile long Transportainment River system.

There are different types of waterslides.  There are different variations but most fall under these 3 -

1)  Gravity-which is a traditional water slide like the Screaming Serpents or Cliff Hanger

Travel Tuesday-Schlitterbahn Galveston Island

2)  Blasters-that can have drops, used with tubes or rafts.

3)  Water Coasters-To celebrate its 10 year anniversary, Galveston will be unveiling a new ride, which will be the world's tallest water coaster - MASSIV!

What's a Water Coaster?  A water coaster is a water ride that has multiple uphill sections, uses a ride vehicle (boat, tube, or raft), and has other ride elements (spirals, fish ladders, water screens, etc.) to deliver a thrilling and fun filled ride.

Head on over to Schlitterbahn.com to plan your next visit and make sure to follow online and enter any of the contests on Schlitterbahn Waterparks, Schlitterbahn South Padre Island, Schlitterbahn Galveston, or Schlitterbahn New Braunfels Facebook pages.  Your next visit could be FREE.

2015 Festival of Lights-Moody Gardens

***Disclosure-I received complimentary passes.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience. 

The holidays are time for celebrating traditions with loved ones.  Some families travel from far but no matter the distance, they make it to their loved ones.  Where they are no traditions, make some.

A Christmas tradition that many families celebrate are driving in neighbors checking out the lights.  I remember my parents taking us for drives to see the pretty lights.    So this year we are hitting one of the largest light display, Festival of Lights at Moody Gardens in Galveston.

There are more than 1 million lights within 100 sound-enhanced animated light displays and nightly live entertainment. 

Festival Admission: $10.95 (includes ice skate admission)

Arctic Ice Slide Admission: $7 for one slide, $20 for 10 slides and $25 for all day

Hours: 6 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Tips to Festival of Lights-

1)  Wear a sweater.  It can be a bit chilly at night.

2)  Bring your own skates. 

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

Ice Land-Moody Gardens

***Disclosure-I was invited to a media event.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experience.

Heading down South for the holidays?  Galveston, TX?  Have you been to Moody Gardens?

Have you ever seen 2 MILLION POUNDS of ice?  I have!  A team of 30 professional ice carvers from Harbin, China have created Bikini Bottom Iceland. 

Your kids will love to see SpongeBob, Patrick, Sandy, Mr. Krabs, and Squidward.

I had so much fun.  I really felt like I was there with these ice sculptures.  They even have a slide!

It is an experience you have to experience yourself.  

Tips to visiting Iceland:

1)  Wear gloves.  I forgot my tech gloves.  I had to keep taking them off and putting them back on.

2)  Wear socks and tennis shoes or boots.  I wore my Mary Janes with slip on socks that did not keep my toes warm at all.

3)  Bring a camera.  You will want to take several pics and selfies.

Everyone who enters will be given a parka to use in Iceland.  It is a full length hoodie that zips up.

Admission:  Adult: $26.95  Senior (65+)/Child (4-12): $21.95

Save $5 on Value Days:  Sunday-Thursday: Nov. 15 - Dec. 17 (Excludes Thanksgiving)

For more information, go to www.moodygardens.com

Travel Tuesday-Fort Travis

This Summer we have decided to go on adventures discovering familiar places but learning new things we never knew about the places that are so close to home.

On the other side of Galveston Island is Bolivar Peninsula.  Take a ride of the Galveston Bolivar Ferry.  Right when you get off the ferry on the right hand side is Fort Travis Seashore Park.  It is open from 8 am to 8 pm.

This is a beautiful park with so much history.  History to our kids is boring.  I remember being younger.  I actually love History.  It tells us our story.  We all come from somewhere.  Imagine the people who have been here in this place.  Visiting and touring this place was a great experience for our entire family.  We walked around visiting the entire fort.

This place has been a shelter to many, even from hurricanes.  It has seen many hurricanes.  And now it is a place for families to enjoy picnics, fishing, and the great outdoors.

We found something to add to our bucket list-bird watching.  At Fort Travis, there is this map with information of the different birds that can be spotted in the area.

Wordless Wednesday-In The Palm of My Hand Photo Shot

Point Bolivar Lighthouse on Bolivar Peninsula, Texas

Travel Tuesday-Galveston Bolivar Ferry

Our family adventures now are taking us on the water.  Have you ever been on a Ferry?  We traveled South to Galveston Island.  There is always is so much to see and do in Galveston.  It is a beautiful place, if you have never visited.  Living so close, we get to enjoy it.  Today's adventure takes us on The Galveston Bolivar Ferry.

Rewind....let us go back to before we got on the ferry.

So I have learned that we always go on adventure unprepared.  I have heard of the ferry taking hours, the backs, and many more things that I should have paid attention to before getting in line to get on the ferry.

Tips to enjoying your Galveston Bolivar Ferry experience:

1)  Go online and check the schedule, wait times, and even watch the cameras.

Riding the ferry is FREE.  But it is a form of mass transportation between an island and a peninsula where people live, work, and play.  So wait times can get ridiculous.  We did not check and guess what, we were waiting in line for more than an hour.

2)  Fuel Up.  Make sure you have gas in your vehicle.  Planning a day trip or a short visit, no matter what, bring snacks and drinks for the wait time.

3)  Potty Break.  Make sure to take a potty break before you get in line.  Remember wait times could be long.  We did notice a port-a-potty but who wants to use that.  

4)  Patience.  You get in line on the left side of the road.  You will follow that lane all the way until they allow you to board the ferry.  There is no line cutting.  There are police officers watching.  And trust me when I say, they are watching.  We saw a car cut in line and then saw the police car come, light them up, and make them get out of the line.  Come on now, it is no fair.  Wait your turn in line like everyone else. 

5)  Enjoy the view.

Once you board the ferry.  You will be ask to turn off your car.  So get down and go enjoy the 2.7 mile ride.  You can go to the front of the ferry or you can climb up the stairs and get a beautiful view from above the deck.  

Riding a ferry, check.  Riding the ferry is always a treat for the kids.  Fair warning, if you go to the front of the ferry, you may get splashed.  Or you may get to see the dolphins.  We saw dolphins on both of our rides.

Travel Tuesday-Schlitterbahn Water Park Safety Tips

***Disclosure-This is a sponsored post through USFG.  I received complimentary tickets for my family.  All opinions expressed all my own based on my personal experience.

It is hot outside.  Are you heading to a water park anytime soon?  We head South every Summer to Schlitterbahn Galveston.

 It is important to talk to your children before you head to the park.  Once you get to the water park it is important to go over Water Safety.  We recently took our first trip this year.  Here are some tips we went over with our kids:

1)  Meeting Spot.  If this is your first time to the water park, check out the map with the kids.  Even if your kids will be with you the entire time, it is a good idea that you talk with them in case they get separated from you.  While we ate lunch, we noticed a little boy around 4-5 years old who was being carried to Guest Services.  He lost his parents.  He was crying.  He looked so scared.  The employee was reassuring him that they were looking for his mommy.

Do you know where kid's are taken when an employee finds them?  Kids wander off.  Imagine losing your baby in a crowded water park.  They will panic and you will too.  Talk to them about what to do if they get lost.  I have a 3 year old.  I don't take my eyes off of her but you never know.  I would freak out.

Back to the lost little boy, they found his mommy.  Shortly after being taken to Guest Services, his mother came to find him there.

2)  Buckle Up.  There are life jackets all over the park.  You can find the right one for your child's size.  Life jackets are recommended for children under 48" or for weak swimmers.

3)  To tube or not to Tube, that is the question.

Go over tube safety with your children before they get on the water.  The tubes have handles for them to hold on to.  The tubes also are labeled telling you how to be in them.  If you have smaller children, they can ride along in the double tube that has a clear seat.  They have the double tubes that don't have the seat too.

Schlitterbahn has tubes all over the park for your use, free of charge.  If you need help finding the right one for you, find an employee and they will show you where to get one.  I have found that if you head up the ramp towards the castle, on the left, that is where we always find the double with the seat tubes.

  4)  Supervise your children.  The life guards are not paid to babysit your kids.  They are there in case of an emergency to save a life, or prevent someone from drowning.  They can also help if someone in your family gets hurts.

While we were in the Treasure Island Play area we noticed how fast, a life guard came to aid a hurt child.  A little girl scrapped her foot and was bleeding.  The life guard was quick to get First Aid to assist.  I had noticed an employee walking around checking on the life guards.  He was carrying around a First Aid kit.  He assisted the parent with their hurt child and the other life guard was back at his post.  Always be aware of the nearest life guard.  Just in case.

Remember things are going to happen regardless.  They will just be stories to tell later, right.  The point is to prevent something bad from happening.

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