50 miles E of Houston
Galveston is a port city on a barrier island opposite the mainland coast from Houston. Its main attractions are the downtown historic district with its Victorian commercial buildings and houses. Parts of the town are beautifully restored and ideal for just strolling around. The beaches are another attraction. They draw crowds of Houstonians and other Texans during the summer. The city is only an hour's drive from Houston and is a good destination for families; it's a quiet town with many points of interest, including Moody Gardens and the tall ship Elissa, and it's not far from NASA and Kemah. Galveston is not a boomtown like Houston. Its population of 60,000 remains fairly stable.
