Things to Do

Tour Texas Coastal Waters in Style Aboard an Old-Fashioned Paddlewheel Boat Cruise

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Tony Maples Photography

 

With a number of boat tours available throughout the state, it’s tough sailing (pun intended) when you set out to provide a similar service with the hopes that you’ll offer something unique to keep folks coming back. Well, in Galveston, just such a thing ventures forth in Offatts Bayou, and you’re going to want to grab a ticket and come back for multiple trips!

The Colonel Paddlewheel is an old-fashioned boat that not only takes its guests out of Galveston for a fun and fancy cruise but also offers a delicious dinner in the process. On board this behemoth, one can take in the beautiful scenery of the Texas coastal waters and be treated to an extravagant buffet, coupled with a cash bar and a dance floor that’s made to shimmy across.

Tour Texas Coastal Waters in Style Aboard an Old-Fashioned Paddle Boat Cruise

Photo: Facebook/Vadim Troshkin

The boat is an exact replica of a model from the 1800s, and although you may not be dressed in period costume, the Colonel Paddlewheel is decked out in the finest replica Victorian décor elements, making you feel like you’ve gone back in time. The dinner cruises are available monthly, on a schedule that’s available at the link provided here. Docked at Moody Gardens as a part of their fantastic tourism options, locals can also book events on this masterpiece of nautical nostalgia! With the ability to host parties of up to 240 people, it could make the perfect sea-faring venue for a memorable Texas soiree. Dinner and private tours are also available for smaller groups (weather permitting), and the opportunity to tour Texas coastal waters in style is one that’s affordable for everyone!