2-3 hours in Galveston/Houston post-Magic?

[carpeperdiem]

I posted this in the Gulf Coast Departures forum:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1693775

 

Looking for local knowledge re: debarkation from Magic in Galveston, and what to do before our 4:30pm flight from IAH?

 

We'll have about 2 or 3 hours.

 

Thx

 

J

[jonbgd]

Do you have a car? How are you getting to the airport ?

[carpeperdiem]

Do you have a car? How are you getting to the airport ?

 

Yes. We have a rental car. All the details here:

 

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=1693775

[firefly333]

There are several places .. but with so little time it would be a waste of money to pay to get in.

 

Moody Gardens is wonderful .. but it would be a all day thing to be worth going.. so much to see and do.

 

Maybe wander over to the pier where they have rides and its like a carnival?

 

Eating lunch alone will take a while of the time you have.

[txmom11]

I'd wander down the Seawall. The beach isn't pretty, but it's fun and the people are nice. Moody Gardens is nice, but a little pricey. You could also drive through the historic district and look at the beautiful old buildings.

[firefly333]

Id enjoy eating at The Spot and getting a great hamburger and watching the ocean.

[RYPERO]

We went to the Houston Spacecenter after our last cruise and then had some BBQ before heading to the airport.

 

 

http://www.spacecenter.org/

[Paul Bogle]

Since you have a car my suggestion is to head for Kehmah Boardwalk after you leave the ship. It's about half-way to Hobby airport or a third of the way to Bush airport. You will find plenty of restaurants and enough amusements to entertain yourselves for an afternoon and everything is ala carte.

[mom4mom]

My friends and sister from NJ came on our last Magic cruise and I took them to Space Center Houston. It's the kind of museum that is not available most anywhere in the country so it's pretty unique. They had a great time and then we took them to Hobby for a 4:30 flight

[Holders3]

Shop the strand, find all the post hurr. Ike carved tree stumps in the neighborhood nearby, head out to the sea wall and grab a burger at the Spot or a pizza at New York Pizza or really good Tex Mex at The Original.

 

That should fill your 2-3 hours and give you time to get to the airport without rushing.

[carpeperdiem]

Thanks guys.

 

Great suggestions.

 

I did the math on the other thread (see link above) and I don't think we'll have time for more than an hour or so at the Space Center to get to IAH (with car rental return, and traveling with 2 young girls).

 

I'm gonna print out a bunch of options and hopefully we'll meet some locals on the Magic as well -- this will be a gameday decision upon debarkation.

 

Thanks for all the suggestions. Keep 'em coming if you think of anything that's non-touristy.

 

(for example, if someone asked this in NYC, I'd send them to a very cool playground in Central Park - then a rowboat on the pond, then lunch at the boathouse. These are things that locals would do).

 

Thanks.

 

J