This post contains affiliate links
The best travel decision we ever made occurred recently as we turned a staycation into a vacation. Our decision was made last minute as we had already paid for two nights at a local resort that has its own indoor waterpark. In lieu of kids’ birthday parties this year, we decided on a family staycation. However, when the day of the staycation arrived, my kids were disappointed to learn that the indoor waterpark had changed its rules since our last visit. It now requires anyone under 48 inches to wear a life vest in all areas of the waterpark, even the baby pool.
I stayed home to finish packing while Derek took the girls to use the waterpark. They told him they didn’t want to wear the life vests and that it was too loud inside. Derek called me to inform me that he was thinking about asking for a refund since the hotel wasn’t necessarily cheap and the primary reason we selected that one was for the waterpark. I knew it was a long shot considering the refund policy wouldn’t allow for refunds since Derek had already checked in but I began to pray anyway.
When I was on the phone with Derek I asked what he thought about heading to Galveston instead. The hotel was considerably cheaper and we would earn cashback on our stay through TopCashback. Traveling there would also mean our girls could do the things they love like playing at the beach, swimming in the pool, and watching endless Bluey. Derek called me back a few minutes later and told me that the local resort had given us a FULL refund.
I wasn’t surprised because I know that God is so kind (and He would have remained that way even if our refund was denied). Although we would have to travel quite far, we knew the trip would be totally worth it. I don’t usually prefer anything last minute, especially travel, but since I had been packing anyway, I figured why not? Having been raised in southern California, there are often times when I greatly miss the ocean and although Galveston isn’t quite the same, I still enjoy going there.
I finished packing and a few hours later, we were on our way. We arrived in Galveston in the evening so we headed up to our hotel room and ordered room service. The girls quickly made themselves at home in their queen size bed and turned on Disney Junior. The next morning, Derek rode on his Onewheel to grab coffee for us from Starbucks.
We weren’t as thrilled with the options included in the hotel breakfast so we let the girls enjoy it and then Derek grabbed us some burritos from Bronco Burritos. If you are ever on the island, you must stop by! The fresh tortillas alone are worth it. We also loved that they have Scripture on a letterboard near the counter where customers order.
We then traveled to the beach where we played in the sand and water for about an hour. Derek and I took turns holding Owen because Derek was nervous about him getting sand in his eyes. We had our pop up play pen with us which made for a great hang out space for me and Owen. After the beach, we rested in the hotel room for a bit.
We’re always hopeful that our younger two kids will nap but it didn’t happen. One of my anxieties as we travel is whether or not our kids will stick to their sleep schedules. I was really encouraged that although consistent naps didn’t happen, Owen still slept through the night both nights. This encouraged me that perhaps we could travel more often in the future.
However, since naps were not happening, we figured we’d head to Kemah Boardwalk which is about 30 minutes from Galveston. I first found out about Kemah as I searched Groupon for discounted activities in Galveston. At one point there was a discounted pass for Pleasure Pier and Kemah Boardwalk. The drive to the boardwalk was honestly very ugly. We passed multiple industrial worksites and the landscape seemed to be consistently grey and dreary.
It was a bit surprising to see the boardwalk at the end of such a dreary drive. The boardwalk is beautiful and includes an inn, games, rides, shops, restaurants, a playground, and a Starbucks shop. In many ways, it reminded me of the beach I grew up going to, and our whole family was excited upon seeing it. We decided to explore it and I knew we were having fun when we decided to delay the kids’ bedtime a bit.
Derek and the girls enjoyed some of the rides and I spent way too much money on bubble wands when we learned that Ava didn’t meet the height requirement for one of them. It was totally worth it. We enjoyed a few hours in Kemah and are considering staying there the next time we travel. On our final morning on the island, we packed up and headed to Bronco Burritos once more. We then went to Menard Park which we always make a point to stop at.
It has two playgrounds, a community garden, a tennis court, a skate park, splash pad, and it’s right across the street from Pleasure Pier. It has something for everyone. While our kids played, Derek asked if I would take pictures of him riding his Onewheel, and although I had Owen in the Ergo and he tried to grab the camera a few times, I’m pleased with how they turned out! I was thinking we wouldn’t spend too much time at the park so we could begin traveling home but we ended up being there for about an hour. Overall, our trip was really sweet and we’re already anticipating returning soon.
