Car rental rates will continue to skyrocket. There are some smaller, lesser known car rental companies you may want to look for, such as EZ Rent a Car in Dallas for instance.
You will eat only in local Texas restaurants. Break to chain.
Southwest Airlines will most likely begin charging for bags (once they see how much the other airlines have made on baggage)
The highest room rates will be in San Antonio, so if you see a deal, grab it.
Once you find a hotel where you want to stay, look on their website to see what rate they have. If you feel it’s too high, call the hotel, ask for the manager, tell him or her you will be visiting the area several times in 2010 and you would like a lower rate. Example. If the lowest rate is $100, ask if they can extend a rate of $75. The worst that can happen is they say no. They may say I can give you an $80 rate. You just saved $20/nt. (and you may just get an upgraded room). You can also use the accommodation search feature on TourTexas.com to find the best prices on Texas hotels by booking directly with the lodger.
If you have to rent a car, try not to rent it from an airport location as it usually costs more.
Book a tour package. They will save you time and money.
Galveston, Texas continues to make music. There are a few band members missing, but the beat goes on.
This was my first visit since Hurricane Ike and my first impression as I drove over the Causeway was things are looking good. The mighty Seawall did its job. It kept Galveston as safe as possible. Just about all the hotels and restaurants in Galveston are open and doing well.
One of the best things to come out of Hurricane Ike is the new Galveston Beach. I could tell you how much new sand they brought in, but you just have to see it to believe it.
Moody Gardens (in my opinion it's the place to stay and play in Galveston)
The hotel is as good as ever. The only thing missing are the fish in the lobby pond. They were having a special on Sushi the day I was there, but that may have just been a coincidence. As for the attractions, they're all open.
What can I eat on the Island?
You can smell the fresh seafood as you are driving along Seawall Blvd. Once you enter certain restaurants such as Casey's (Gaido's casual cousin) most of what you smell is fried seafood.
A few suggestions. Don't order the Fried vegetable combo. It's not worth the calories. Also if you like Louisiana Po-Boys, stay away from the Po-Boys at Casey's. The grilled anything is the way to go, and the menu is priced right.
Go Mediterranean on Pier 21. The Grill at Pier 21 opened in June and is right on the harbor. The restaurant is beautifully designed, but make sure you dine al fresco. Now here's a tip for dining al fresco. Never turn away from your food. Why you ask? You want to make sure nothing drops in it from above. Is that a caper in my salad? Now if you are dining with Al Fresco, you have nothing to worry about. The food is top notch and the prices are reasonable. They even offer you 3 free hours of parking. Oh by the way. If you dine (al fresco) Friday or Saturday night there is live music and belly dancers.
The Strand
Is everything open? No. But renovations are everywhere. Is there enough to see, eat and drink? You bet your Tequila there is. If you liked Galveston before, you'll like it now. Don't wait to visit. Visit Galveston now. Not because they really need you to, but because you'll have a great time.
Where to Stay
Moody Gardens Hotel, Hotel Galvez, San Luis Resort, Hawthorne Suites at The Victorian and The Tremont are all top notch and ready to swipe your creditcard.
What to Eat
Soooo many restaurants, but the only tip I'll give you is go seafood. Now that being said it doesn't have to be your typical seafood restaurant. There are great Italian, Mediterranean, Asian and BBQ Restaurants. OK, here is another tip. Don't eat the seafood at a BBQ restaurant.
What to Do
Moody Gardens, horse drawn carriage rides, Bishops Palace, Duck Tour, Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig Museum, The Strand and The Schlitterbahn waterpark to name just a few.
Here are 2 audio clips you may enjoy:
Gallivantin' Galveston Gal (Gene Autry)
Quick As I Could (Billy Bourbon)
For more information or to order a free travel brochure, visit Galveston on TourTexas.com. Go ».
Make the most of your travels through Texas, the Lone Star State with the help of TourTexas.com. Everything you need to plan your Texas vacation in one place. View Texas travel and tourist information on popular Texas city destinations, attractions, events, Texas city maps, book your accommodations, and even order free TX travel brochures, visitor guides, maps, and more.
A Blog about Texas travel? Why not? What will be different from other Blogs about traveling in Texas? You'll just have to keep reading to find out.
Now I'm not a native Texan, but I'm a Traveler. I've lived in Texas since 2005 and have had the opportunity to see just a small part. My goal is to visit every corner of this great state to find the good, the bad (I'm not looking for the bad, but I know it's out there) and the ugly. I'm also very opinionated. So you'll hear about the good things and the bad. Are my opinions right? YES. Will you have different opinions? Sure. Will you have an opportunity to refute my opinions? Yes. I dare you. I'll also give you some helpful travel tips, not just for Texas.
Topics you'll be seeing on a regular basis:
Places to eat and places not to eat.
I'm searching for the best Chicken Fried Steak (I've stocked up on Zocor)
Travel bargains
Websites to check out
Tell me where to go (I know you want to)
Travel Tip: When searching for the lowest hotel rates and you don’t want to use an online travel agency like Travelocity, Expedia, etc, go to a specific hotels website (or a chains website) and check out their rates. They should be the lowest available. You can also go to the destinations Convention and Visitors Bureau website and if you see a search box that says “BookDirect” you can view the lowest rates of all the hotels that are available with just a few clicks.
So keep an eye on out (old joke) for my Blog, and let's have some fun.
Check out this video clip from The David Letterman Show about Blogging
Make the most of your travels through Texas, the Lone Star State with the help of TourTexas.com. Everything you need to plan your Texas vacation in one place. View Texas travel and tourist information on popular Texas city destinations, attractions, events, Texas city maps, book your accommodations, and even order free TX travel brochures, visitor guides, maps, and more.
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There are a few band members missing, but the beat goes on.
Go Mediterranean on Pier 21. The Grill at Pier 21 opened in June and is right on the harbor. The restaurant is beautifully designed, but make sure you dine al fresco. Now here's a tip for dining al fresco. Never turn away from your food. Why you ask? You want to make sure nothing drops in it from above. Is that a caper in my salad? Now if you are dining with Al Fresco, you have nothing to worry about. The food is top notch and the prices are reasonable. They even offer you 3 free hours of parking. Oh by the way. If you dine (al fresco) Friday or Saturday night there is live music and belly dancers.
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