Galveston is a thin strip of island that’s located within the Gulf of Mexico. The island plays big sister to the beach playground of Houston, a year-round coastal destination fifty miles away. Many of Texas’ first public buildings were constructed here, including a bank, hotel and post office, although most were destroyed by the 1900 Great Storm.
The structures that endured are well-preserved, and the Victorian character of the shopping district and surrounding neighbourhood remains evident. To the northeast is the island’s Galveston Bay side, marked by quaint cafés and shops in old buildings near harbour-front eateries, the cruise-ship terminal and a museum. To the southwest is the Gulf of Mexico side with its restaurants and resorts lining the boulevard.