Summer Vacation 2025 – Galveston, Tx

The weekend before a vacation, one often tries to get things done to avoid worrying about them upon return. My first major task was going to be the yard. The yard is important—you want your home to look occupied while you’re away. A well-kept yard attracts less attention than one left in a state of neglect.

I woke up and made a light breakfast, had some coffee, and watched the Weather Channel. The forecast looked favorable for our beach excursion. I needed to buy a new pump sprayer to tackle the weeds in the yard, so I took care of that before getting started. I knew I wouldn’t want to stop in the middle of the chore to go buy one, so it was best to handle it early. The yard work took a solid two hours.

I started off mowing, which is always a damn chore. I’ll definitely be getting a self-propelled mower if this one ever dies—not that I’m wishing for that. The damn thing was the cheapest mower I could find in town, under $100, and it’s lasted me over ten years. That’s a damn good bargain. It’s required very little maintenance, too.

I had to wage war on the fucking clovers once again. The bastards looked all but dead, but the recent rains must have invigorated them, because they came back with a vengeance. I sprayed and sprayed—hopefully, this will be the end of them.

After finishing up in the yard and cleaning up, Yvette and I went to meet my mom for lunch. We went to a fairly new Mexican restaurant—well, new to most of us. My mom and I had been once before, but it was Yvette’s first time. The atmosphere was really nice, and the food was stellar. It was nice having a small lunch with my mom; it reminded me of the old days, back when Yvette and I had just started dating.

It just so happened that one of my mom and Yvette’s favorite places to shop—The Carriage—was right next door. I was willingly dragged along for a bit of shopping. Yvette just browsed, but my mom walked out with a dress.

t was a fun little afternoon. Yvette and I drove around for a while, and I showed her a mostly deserted subdivision that never really took off—only four homes in the entire area. After that, we headed back home.

I ran a few errands before our trip and, as usual, ended up at the lily garden. Typical. I was a little let down—they’ve let it grow wild, and it really needs to be trimmed back. It’s still a sight, but I’m guilty of knowing what it once looked like.

I gathered up some groceries and grilled BBQ pork ribeye, beef sausage, grilled okra, and made jalapeño slaw. Everyone seemed happy with the spread. After dinner, Yvette and I went to Baskin-Robbins for a little ice cream date, followed by a nice 30-minute drive around the lake with the top down in my mom’s little VW Bug. It was a pretty night.

Sunday, we woke up early and made breakfast—chicken and waffles, a perfect blend of sweet and spicy. With a full belly, I took Hazel for a nice long walk on campus. The morning was pleasant, with a gentle breeze. I’ve missed our walks together, and I made sure to tell Hazel that, as long as it’s not too hot, we’re bringing back our Sunday walks.

I took Yvette’s car to Sam’s and filled up the tank for the trip. While I was there, I decided to check out the beer prices—and what do you know? I saved $10 on a 30-pack. Next up was cleaning out her car. Lots of water bottles—some not even opened. You want to travel in a clean car, especially since road trips only get messier, especially with a baby on board.

I met Yvette and Lola at Walmart to look for some beach gear. While there, I got an urgent low blood sugar alert. Damn, blood sugar. Rather than alarm my compadres, I tried to use mental exercise to stay calm. I didn’t have anything to eat, and I knew it wasn’t dropping much further, so I figured if I stayed cool, I could power through until we got back home. I might have been quiet and seemed disinterested in shopping, but I definitely made it through.

During the day, Yvette found some other college kids to take my couch. I liked that couch, but Yvette had a better one in the garage that just needed some cleaning. I spent a good while scrubbing that damn couch clean. I think her couch will grow on me—it’s a nice one.

My mom said she would take care of the pups while we were gone, so I loaded them up and drove out to her house. The dogs were excited for the drive and to see their friends. I was going to miss them, but at least I knew they were in good hands.

That evening, it was last-minute trip prep. I was tired, had a beer, and went to bed a little early. I was ready to get to the beach. Butterfly dreams, please.

To start the big day on the right foot, I picked up some Minie’s donuts and kolaches—always my preferred meal before hitting the road. It was 7 AM, and so far, we were looking good. I had my jet fuel and was ready for the long drive. I was taking the lead—at least until Austin. Yay!

We had a few bumps in the road. Just outside of Austin, I got pulled over by a cop for speeding—significantly speeding. Sixty-five in a fifty. Somehow, I only got a warning. No idea how. After Austin, I was on a roll, so I just kept driving. Everyone needed the rest, and I was in the zone.

Houston traffic is absolutely the worst. We made a quick stop at Buc-ee’s to get some gas and grub. What a hell of a place—a weird little circus disguised as a truck stop, known for its strange quirks and ridiculously nice restrooms. What a fucking trip.

We finally made it to Galveston after a brutal day of driving—the most I’ve done in years. We quickly made our way to the beach and played in the water. It was warm, as the Gulf of Mexico tends to be from my experience. I’ve been spoiled by the cooler Atlantic Ocean beaches, but I have to say, the Gulf is beautiful. I think we need to make more trips here.

After playing at the beach, we headed into the main part of town and found a restaurant my brother Keith recommended—the Black Pearl Oyster Bar. I was really craving oysters. The place was pretty damn fun—not fancy, just a dive with good seafood. I think I might start to grow fond of this town.

We arrived back at our getaway and made some drinks. The boys played corn hole, and Yvette and I played too. She kicked my ass, as she tends to do. It was a relaxing evening.

There was talk about waking up for the sunrise, but I guess everyone was just too tired from the trip because we all slept in. I was the only one awake, so I decided it was a good time to read. Our own little private balcony was the perfect spot. I grabbed my book and sat down—only to have my ass fall right through the chair. Someone had broken the damn seat and just placed a cushion on top. Well, there went my peaceful reading session on the balcony.

Once people began to stir, Yvette and I made some biscuits and sausage to make little sandwiches. I fired up the golf cart and decided to check out the pool. Damn the luck—it’s closed on Tuesdays for cleaning. I took the opportunity to explore the neighborhood and found a little spot on the bay side that might be fun for Teegan and Joseph to do some fishing.

It was time to hit the beach, so we chose a spot further down the line to have a safe place to park without worrying about getting stuck in the sand again. Who wants to deal with that? The beach was nice and calm, though a bit more crowded. I was having a great time on this vacation with the family.

A nice thing about this spot was that it just so happened to have a bar and grill right on the beach—the Tipsy Turtle. I’d already looked it up before our trip, and it was also a place my brother recommended we try. The vibe was straight-up beach bar: all wooden planks and benches, plus outdoor showers to rinse the saltwater off.

The beer was nice and cold after the swim, and the food was fantastic. Might have been some of the best fish tacos I can remember having—or maybe it was just because I’d worked up such an appetite after 2-3 hours of swimming. Either way, it was a great outing. Afterwards, everyone cleaned up and took little naps.

While everyone was out, I decided to drive around the island looking for other beaches to check out. I found a really cool, isolated one, but it required a long walk—and the people there were partying. With no beach houses nearby, it didn’t seem suitable for the little lady.

Eventually, everyone woke up and we made a little trip to the beach. Everyone was pretty tired. I was the only one who got in the water. Actually, I take that back—I took Alaya in with me. Everyone else walked along the beach and played catch. The little sand crabs started coming out, and we tried to catch them. I managed to grab one. You have to be delicate with those little guys.

That’s a day’s wrap. We ordered pizza and wings locally from another spot I found and my brother recommended—Mario’s. Fantastic. A few beers outside on a cool evening, and we were all done.

Getting the boys and Yvette to the pier for the early fishing expedition at 5:30 in the morning was something else. They needed to be there by 6:30. A little panic set in when the GPS started acting wacky, but it turned out Yvette hadn’t really looked at the map to see where we were supposed to be going, so it all worked out. I wish I could handle boats, but experience has taught me I get seasick like a motherfucker. I really didn’t want to risk it—I just wanted them to have fun.

After the drive back, I made some breakfast and coffee and just enjoyed a little time to myself before the baby woke up. It wasn’t clear skies on Wednesday, but oh well—that was actually expected. I did get to see the sunrise on the way back, so that was a nice little moment.

It hit me that Wednesday was really the end of our little trip. How fast time flies. Lola and Alaya went to the Moody Gardens aquarium, and I was dropped off at the main pier to begin my walk through downtown Galveston. The first thing I noticed were the cicadas. My lord—it had been a long time since I’d heard them like this.

The walk was pretty nice, if a little hot. I guess I was out on the streets for about two hours. The historic buildings were a sight to see, as were the art and the little shops. I saw a few turtles—Galveston has turtles like San Angelo has sheep. I stopped for a beer and a place to cool off and use the restroom. When I talked to Yvette, they had already docked, so I started walking toward the harbor. Turns out, I had no idea I’d walked across the entire damn island.

Once I met up with Yvette, we needed to find ice for the shark they caught out on the boat. Lola and Alaya joined us, and we all went to a Cuban restaurant called Habano’s Cuban Cafe. I ordered the Picadillo. Yvette had been excited for me to try some authentic Cuban food, and I’m happy to say I was impressed. The kids’ father is of Cuban descent, so they’re pretty familiar with the cuisine. I’ve had a little here and there and always enjoyed it.

We went back to the house, and I lounged around. Yvette did some laundry, Lola took a brief nap, and the boys went fishing a little longer. Eventually, we all got together for one final outing at the beach.

Teegan cooked up some of his fresh fish, and damn, was it amazing. While everyone got cleaned up, I took an order to pick up some carryout—an eclectic mix: burger, mahi tacos, green chicken enchiladas, and chicken strips. I think after a long day doing our own thing, some basic food just appealed to everyone. We went to a Mexican restaurant called Venados Cantina, a place we’d driven by so many times and was always packed. It was amazing.

We took some family pictures that I’m really proud of. We ate and enjoyed our last night in Galveston. Reflecting on the trip, it was a blast—I couldn’t have asked for more on a first family vacation. My biggest regret is that Noah wasn’t with us. All good things had to come to an end. Galveston is a fun town—laid back, great food, and beautiful beaches. We lucked out with some damn fine weather. Seriously, what an amazing time I had.

Thursday, I woke up to thunder and rain. On our final morning, we really just needed to load up the car. Cleaning and packing had mostly been taken care of the night before, leaving us with minimal things to do. I made eggs and enjoyed my final breakfast and coffee on the patio before we hit the road—the long road.

On the way out of town, we had to stop for souvenir shopping. I guess that’s something most families do? It’s not really my thing, but it definitely ate up some time trying to get out of town. As long as the kids had fun, that’s what mattered. I was just ready to knock out this dreadful drive back. My back was already starting to cramp—and we hadn’t even made it out of Galveston yet.

By the way—fuck Houston traffic. Good lord. It took us over an hour to get through that beast. We saw some reckless-ass driving. I swear we witnessed a car chase. I don’t know what it was about, but one car was clearly trying to get the hell away from another, and they were driving like absolute maniacs. It was honestly scary. Houston Hades, for sure.

Once we got out of that mess, we exited in Columbus to grab a quick bite—Whataburger! Some much-needed fuel for the empty tank. After that, it was back on the road. Next stop: Austin.

In Austin, we stopped by the mall—my favorite place in the world. Malls. I was tired, and my back was killing me. Unfortunately, I was all out of pain meds. What I really needed was some Aleve and a Red Bull. The mall did have one thing going for it: solid people-watching. Teegan was set on picking up some stuff for back to school, and I get it—there are a lot of stores we don’t have back home. I’ve never been one for fashion or worrying about how I look, so most of it was way over my head.

So I sought out a Red Bull and found myself a little spot in the food court to nurse some life back into my exhausted soul. It’s a happening mall with a lot going on. Damn shame I wasn’t hungry—some of the food actually sounded pretty good. I decided I’ll just wait until we got home to eat something, though what that something would be is anyone’s guess. I sure survived. . Still, damn shame the trip had to end.

What amazed me most about the mall—once boredom forced me to actually look around—was that only one store caught my eye: a rock and crystal shop. I guess I’m either totally out of touch or I just really hate malls that much. Honestly, I wanted to leave the second I stepped through the doors. Not exactly a high point of the vacation. It was definitely a test of my patience—and my sanity.

After the mall, I didn’t stop once—I just wanted to get off the road as soon as possible. I hate driving at night. I managed to avoid the curvy roads in the dark, but then I had to contend with the sun blasting me in the eyes. I know they had fun shopping, but damn, that delay really made the drive home feel that much harder.

Around 10:30, we finally made it back home. I found some food in the freezer, and Lola grabbed a frozen pizza for her and the kids. I was still wired from the drive. Noah and his friend John came over for a bit—I really wish he could’ve come along on the trip. We talked for a while, and eventually everyone but me went to bed. I couldn’t sleep. Probably a mix of caffeine and getting home so late. Like I said—wired.

It was a damn good trip. I was happy—but also a little sad—to be home. I’m glad everyone had a good summer vacation. Wait a minute… I might be home, but I’m still on vacation! What a deal!

I slept in Friday until 9:30 and still woke up tired. My mom dropped off my babies, Hazel and Owen. Good dogs—I missed them. She gave me a ride to pick up my car from the mechanic. Ouch. Damn mechanics. From here on out, I’m going to baby that car.

I came home and made everyone some basic omelets—sausage, green chilis, and cheese. Yvette’s tire pressure light came on while we were driving back, so I took the car to get it checked. Just what we figured—the sensor was the problem. She has a recall on it, and this wasn’t the first time we’ve dealt with this.

Since I was still on vacation, I figured I should go see a movie—a comedy. A true comedy. The Naked Gun. Liam Neeson is a favorite of mine, and I loved the originals. I grew up with those movies, and if anyone could fill those big shoes, I couldn’t think of a better choice. The movie itself was fucking GREAT! I was just happy to laugh at something stupid. Pamela Anderson surprised me—she was pretty hilarious. Don’t get me wrong, it had its cheesy moments, but so did the old ones. It was a short, sweet movie that I thoroughly enjoyed every one of its 85 minutes.

I started some pork ribs before the movie to slow cook, and that was our evening—a good, simple meal with minimal work involved. I had no idea how many people might show up, so I bought almost eight pounds of ribs. Cooking felt good—I was glad to be back home doing that. I was still tired, but that’s expected after a long trip like ours.

Happy Friday!!

Galveston Sea Turtles: