Lifestyle

Chevy Texas Summer Road Trip Series: Chevy Takes On Galveston

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Tony Maples Photography

 

Welcome to our third and last installment of the Chevy Texas Summer Road Trip Series! So far we’ve taken detours to Dallas and Austin aboard the Chevy Equinox and the Chevy Bolt. In this third part, we take a trip further south to the beachside city of Galveston. A family trip to the beach is best made in a safe and comfortable vehicle. Something big enough to transport luggage, beach chairs and lots of sand toys. With a third row, the Chevy Traverse was big enough to comfortably seat four adults and two car seats. Our back seat passengers were particularly impressed by the rear seat air vents. Keeping everyone comfortable with space and cool blowing air was no problem in this ride!

Photo courtesy of Scarlet Begonia

Of course, the Traverse had many of the key features we enjoyed in the Equinox, but on a larger scale. This vehicle is ideal for families that need space but want to have some luxury. This is not your mama’s minivan! The Traverse is a sizable but much more stylish option. We were pleased to find we seldom had to fill the tank with gas. While not an electric Chevy Bolt, it did seem cost effective for a larger vehicle.

Our first stop on our trip to Galveston was Moody Gardens. While there we took in the aquarium and Palm Beach. Both attractions were fun for both the kids and adults. Palm Beach is the perfect, small water park for toddlers and younger children. With several winding slides, a wave pool, and a lazy river, we spent an entire day there. The Moody Gardens Aquarium allows children and adults to gently touch stingrays and jellyfish. If you time it right you can even see the penguins getting fed! While there be sure you walk under the aquarium as pictured below. For a moment you can imagine what it feels like to step into the ocean.

Photo courtesy of Donald Minnis

We then spent a day sitting seaside building sand castles, swimming in the gulf, and taking the ferry, which is free! While on the ferry you can often see dolphins and fish. And if you bring a bag of bread, you can feed the birds. They are an eager crowd and will follow behind the boat and dive for any bits you drop. It is quite a scene to watch them all swoop and dive!

Photo courtesy of Donald Minnis

For dinner, we ate at Little Daddy’s Gumbo Bar and it did not disappoint. The small gumbo is so large it can be split by two people, and they will even put it into separate bowls for you.

Photo courtesy of Donald Minnis

After dinner, we took a stroll along The Strand. This area of town is accessible by car or trolley. We opted to drive since the Traverse would fit all of us, then took advantage of the trolley car so the kids could enjoy the ride. Best of all, in the summer months, the trolley is free!

Photo courtesy of Donald Minnis

Finally, it was time for our Chevy trip to the beach to come to an end. We loaded up in the Traverse and made our way to the Rain Forest Cafe for one last Galveston meal. A kid favorite, the adults also enjoyed seeing the animals and watching the tropical storms that take place throughout each visit. The Galveston location even has a riverboat ride you can take part in. We found the ride worth the ticket cost and will plan to visit again.

Photo courtesy of Donald Minnis

We enjoyed our trip to Galveston so much and were so sad when we learned Hurricane Harvey would make landfall the very next weekend. We are sending our thoughts and prayers to Galveston, Houston, Port Aransas, and all of the coastal cities impacted by the hurricane and flooding.

We also want to thank Chevy for letting us test drive each of the vehicles highlighted in the Chevy Summer Road Trip series. Your brand deserves the loyal following it has enjoyed for so long.