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There's a lot to see and do on Galveston, Texas. There are many museums, parks, and other attractions that are worth experiencing at least once. But in truth, there are two things I most look forward to seeing when I visit Galveston: The Strand and the Seawall.

The Strand, also known as Avenue B, is lined with shops full of curios and bric-a-brac. There's also a handful of coffee and candy shops. One of my favorite stops here is La King's Confectionery, a candy store that also serves drinks from an old-fashioned soda fountain from the 1920s. You can even watch them make fresh salt water taffy on the weekends. It's hands-down the best taffy I've ever had: Soft, yet chewy and tasty. I could eat the stuff all day.

The paved Seawall is noteworthy not just because it overlooks the Gulf, but also because it's a historical structure. It was built a couple of years after the Great Storm ripped through Galveston in 1900. At least 6,000 lives were lost in the hurricane; some official records say the death toll was even higher than that. To put these numbers perspective, consider that just over 1,800 souls were lost when Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. The Seawall was built to protect Galveston from similar hurricanes.

The Seawall is 17 feet high, but fortunately there are stairs at intervals leading down to the beach. There you can hunt for broken shells, hermit crabs, and dead jellyfish. I once found a very dead purple jellyfish lying in the sand. Unless you're very careful, I advise against going barefoot.

If you're lucky, you might see Galveston on a day when the waters are blue and clear. Normally the Gulf waters here are murky and dark, which unfortunately leads people to think it's polluted. The water looks the way it does because dark, muddy rivers such as the Trinity and San Jacinto empty into the Gulf.

After exploring the beach, I usually visit the gift shops along the Seawall. I couldn't tell you the difference between the shops, since they all seem to carry the same T-shirts and seashell paraphernalia, but my favorite always has a pirate-dummy sitting out front. That crusty old captain has been grinning at tourists for years.

There are dozens of other things to see and do in Galveston. I could go on about Moody Gardens, Bishop's Palace, the Texas Seaport Museum, and even the Railroad Museum. All these places are worth seeing, and I recommend them. However, my memories of the Strand and the Seawall stand out the most.

Learn more about this author, Victoria Neely.
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