CASA DEL MAR RESORT
When we planned our family vacation to Galveston we wanted to stay somewhere close to the beach, with a beautiful view, yet still affordable. With Casa del Mar we got all three, plus it was easy to find. All we had to do was drive into Galveston, exit on Broadway, turn right on 61st Street, then keep going until we got to Seawall. There it was on the right side at the corner. It was a beautiful location, right across the street from the beach. Every suite had a view of the Gulf from the balcony.
Traveling with 2 children, ages 3 and 8, was a challenge; but with a 1-bedroom suite with a full kitchen everyone was happy. The kids loved the bunk beds, tucked out of the way in the entry hall. But my husband and I relished the private bedroom all to ourselves. Before we got settled in, we made a quick trip to the supermarket just a few blocks away to stock up on quick meals and snacks. Then it was off to the beach; an easy walk across the street. After a couple of hours at the beach, it was back to our suite to clean up and head out to dinner. There were plenty of restaurants to choose from all within walking distance where we selected a tasty Mexican eatery. We were all exhausted from the long trip, so we watched TV in the living room, then sat on the balcony looking at the moon hanging over the Gulf.
The next day started with a quick breakfast from our kitchen, then off to the beach for a few hours. We decided to spend the afternoon at Moody Gardens, so after showers and lunch we set out for an adventure in the Rain Forest. With so many colorful birds, lush vegetation and waterfalls, we felt as if we had left Galveston and were in the tropics. Next door was the Aquarium with its huge tanks of fish and ocean plants and animals. Everyone was tired, so off we went to get some rest in our spacious suite. No one felt like going anywhere after that. We watched TV and cooked a frozen pizza in our kitchen. We went for a walk around the grounds of the resort and the kids saw one of the swimming pools. They had to go swimming. (Why is it that when you are at the beach kids still want to swim in the swimming pool?!)
Our last full day in Galveston started the same as the day before. We realized that we had to eat some seafood before leaving town, so for lunch we found a very crowded seafood restaurant. (We thought that if it was crowded it must be good!) After eating more fried shrimp than is humanly possible we went on to our vacation family tradition of playing miniature golf. For some reason we never play miniature golf any other time, only on vacation. Incredibly, the kids were starving after a couple rounds and would survive only if they got ice cream. We drove down Seawall Blvd. until we found an ice cream shop, luckily, just in time as the kids were about to expire! When we walked around the resort the day before, we discovered several grills on the grounds. We went to the supermarket for everything needed for burgers and fries and then proceeded to cook the best burgers in the world. At least that's what it seemed like at the time! The kids wanted to swim again, so we spent the rest of the evening in the pool.
It was our last day in Galveston and we wanted to go to the beach one last time. We were going to miss our new home away from home. The suite was extremely comfortable and everything we needed was provided, including a laundry room. Even though we stayed only 3 nights, I felt as if we could have stayed for a month. We knew as we were leaving that we would be back to stay at Casa del Mar another time.
This guide to Galveston getaways was brought to you by Julie Diaz.