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Stacy
Trip Date 06/17/2020 Posted On 06/20/2020 09:45:00 |
Camping | Texas | Galveston | Galveston Island RV Resort | Texas RV Resorts | Discounts | Good Sam | Getaway | Lazy River | Sunsets | Social Distancing
Since retiring just over four years ago, we have grown accustomed to traveling for over half of the days in most years. Although it was understandable, having planned vacations cancelled this year has still been disappointing. After over 90 days of sheltering in place, we decided that it was finally safe for a short, much-needed getaway.
To dip our toes into traveling again, we felt that a camping getaway at a Texas RV Resort was the perfect first step. We could drive to Galveston, Texas, less than five hours away from our Austin area home. We could stay in "RV There Yet?", our own accommodations (no hotels needed). We could bring along enough food to eat in our RV (no shopping or restaurants necessary). And, if there was ever a time when even small crowds were gathering, we could leave the area and hunker down in our home away from home!
After reading reviews and recommendations from others, we settled on Galveston Island RV Resort. The resort is a member of Good Sam, so we knew that we might be eligible for a discount. We had heard rave reviews about the onsite Lazy River and beautiful evening sunsets. It sounded like the perfect first step in beginning to travel again. Our getaway would also help us to decide whether or not we wanted to plan any longer RV trips for the coming months.
Our week away turned out to be even more perfect than we expected. We had an extremely relaxing week and we have now confirmed that social distancing is definitely possible in an RV resort. We now have the confidence to plan some longer RV journeys to help satisfy our desire to explore during the remainder of the year.
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Planning and Reserving Your Stay
The summer (or high) season at Galveston Island RV Resort runs from May through September. Stays including a Friday or Saturday require a two night minimum during these five months. Stays during popular holidays or special events throughout the year require three night minimum stays. Reservations for only one night are possible during all other times of the year - but you'll definitely want to spend more than one night!Reservations for a stay can easily be made online or by calling (409) 200-2745. (Online reservations include a $3.00 booking fee.) Depending on your requested dates, you may be offered an online discounted (but completely non-refundable) rate with no changes permitted. By using the Book Via Interactive Map option, although not guaranteed, reservations can be made for specific sites.
Discounts are offered for members of Good Sam, Texas Association of Campground Owners, Trailer Life and the Armed Forces. Weekly stays are offered at a reduced rate year round. Reduced monthly rates (excluding electricity) are available between early September and late May. No more than one discount can be used for a stay. (By reserving for a full week and choosing the non-refundable option, we paid a grand total of $352.00 for our seven night stay.)
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Check-in, Set-up and A Week of Enjoyment
Signage at Galveston Island RV Resort directs arriving guests to the Clubhouse / Office. There is limited parking for RVs during the quick check-in process. Since we had not requested a site when making our reservation, it was at check-in when we learned that we were assigned to site 22 for our stay. The recommended driving route to reach our site was indicated on our resort map.During check-in, guests receive wristbands, a map of the resort with rules and policies, WiFi password, shower codes and any additional information pertinent to their stay.
We had chosen a standard back-in site and parking was quite easy. The 151 sites within the campground are divided into three categories:
- 74 Standard sites;
- 50 Preferred sites; and
- 27 Pull-through sites.
All sites within the resort have large paved and level parking pads. Utilities include 30- and 50-amp electric as well as on-site sewer, water and cable. Additional amenities at each site include an uncovered wooden picnic table and a grill. Most sites within the resort had at least one palm tree. Nothing can be tied to or hung from the trees, so they can't be used to hang hammocks.
The grounds within the resort were clean and well maintained. All lawns were well manicured including individual campsites and all public areas. During daytime hours, it seemed that there was always someone doing some sort of maintenance! Centrally located dumpsters are available, as is a pet waste station stocked with plastic waste bags.
We had good cell and data service with Verizon and T-Mobile, our two service providers. The resort offered an adequate selection of cable television channels including a number of local and national channels. Internet service is also included in the rate. Although the service is definitely usable, in our experience it was intermittent and rather slow. Upgraded service is available for an additional fee.
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Resort Style Relaxation, On-site Activities ... and More!
If resort style relaxation is your goal, Galveston Island RV Resort is the place to be! The Lazy River (open 10:00 AM - 9:00 PM) is the perfect way to cool off on a hot afternoon. Just bring a pool noodle, inner tube or similar float and let the flow of the river do most of the work for you! (Not a day went by that we didn't spend a part of it floating on the river.)The swimming pool and hot tub (both open 9:00 AM - 9:00 PM) are the next most popular places within the resort. As the pool is shallow (3 foot maximum), it is also an excellent place to float and cool off. The hot tub is more popular in the evenings as the sun begins to set and temperatures finally start to subside - if only it were open for one additional hour!
For guests interested in more activity, the resort has two pickle ball courts, a basketball goal and several corn hole platforms. We were more interested in relaxing during our vacation (we didn't get enough during our three months stuck at home!), but we did see others enjoying some fun competition. (The map also indicated a horseshoe pit. Although the space was still open, the markers and stakes were not visible during our stay.)
For any anglers wanting some practice, a short hike in the resort will take you to a catch and release fishing pond. There's even an off leash dog park so all of the visiting dogs can enjoy some active time as well.
On the Saturday evening during our stay, the movie Sing was projected in the pavilion nearest the Lazy River. And while mentioning evenings, don't miss looking for a spectacular sunset during your stay. There's several places within the resort that have excellent vantage points - perfect for a sunset shot so that you'll always remember your stay!
During previous seasons, guests not staying at the resort could join in on the fun by purchasing a day pass. This would be a great option for RVers to spend time with family or friends who live near the resort. Unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this option was not available during our visit.
We did take advantage of the opportunity to "tour" several of the nearby competitor RV resorts. Based on all that we could see during a quick drive-through, we were very happy that we chose Galveston Island RV Resort for our week away. The roads were wider and settling into a site appeared to be easier than at some of the other parks. Although each campground offered different amenities, the two of us were completely satisfied with those that we had available.
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Modern Conveniences
Additional amenities at the resort help to ensure that you can enjoy comforts and conveniences similar to those at home! Individual shower rooms were clean and well maintained during our visit. Located on the second floor of the clubhouse building, each has an outside entrance and included a toilet, sink and shower. The nearby laundry room was well cared for and had modern machines. Washer loads were priced at $2.00 and the dryers were priced at $1.75 per load (credit card payment only - no cash).There's an on-site convenience / gift shop that is helpful for anyone who may have forgotten a necessity. The shop also offers beer, wine, snacks and an assortment of items to make your stay even more enjoyable. Wine based margaritas and pina coladas are available during office hours. If your tank is running low on propane, you can even save time by getting an on-site refill.
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Pizza Pirates, a local food truck, is located onsite and open for dinner on select evenings. Prices for 16" pizzas ranged from $14.00 to $24.00 plus the option to customize your own pizza at a per ingredient charge. A second food truck is also available (typically on Saturday nights) during many weeks.
In addition to the RV sites, there are 10 fully furnished cottages available for rental, making the resort a great place for family or group gatherings.
Walk (or Drive) to Galveston Beach
Just a short distance in either direction from the resort's entrance, you'll find easy access to Galveston Beach. There's a parking area at each of the two closest access points, making it convenient for bringing all of your beach supplies. There's also signage within the resort directing walkers to the "beach access trail". A short hike leads to the beach access crossing point on San Luis Pass Road (FM 3005).
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If you head out of the park to the right toward the Water Tower, make sure to look for the cows in the pasture!
Whether you prefer morning, noon or dusk, you won't be the only person (or group) on the beach. If you are more concerned about social distancing and wondering if that is possible on the beach, the answer is YES! We visited the beach multiple times during our stay and never had to worry about crowds. (If we would have encountered a situation where we felt that we could not stay more than six feet from others, we would have just returned at a later time.)
Depending on your interests, there are a number of options for spending your time on the beach. We enjoyed walking along the shore for some exercise in the mornings and early evenings when the temperatures were lower. People watching while sitting under beach umbrellas occupied another couple of hours. We saw people enjoying the water, playing various ball games on the sand, building sand structures, fishing, eating picnic style meals, jogging ... the possibilities are endless for enjoying your time.
More Fun in Galveston
If you are up for a bit of a drive, the historic downtown area of Galveston is only about 25 miles away. That's where you'll find The Strand, Pier 21 and the Pleasure Pier.
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Anyone interested in a meal will find plenty of local and popular chain restaurants from which to choose. (Next time we are in the area, we hope to dine at Mosquito Cafe. The restaurant came highly recommended but unfortunately is closed on Mondays, the day that we had planned to eat downtown.)
Be sure to check out the Calendar of Events to see what is going on during your stay. You may luck out and get to experience something that you hadn't planned on! (Our visit happened to coincide with the Gulf Coast Volleyball Association Beach Tournament. We enjoyed walking along East Beach and stood on the sidelines to watch the juniors volleying back and forth.)
When We Return . . .
In the case of Galveston Island RV Resort, it's not IF we will return, but WHEN, because we are sure that we will return!By using the Book Via Interactive Map option, the resort accepts specific site requests with the understanding that there are no guarantees. In our opinion, there are no "bad" sites in the resort. We do, however, prefer sites which are oriented so as to best reap the benefits of afternoon shade! (Site 22, our site, had morning shade but was filled with sunlight in the afternoons.) With that in mind (plus avoiding heavier traffic areas within the park), we would search for and select a site in the following ranges:
- Standard sites 78 - 84;
- Pull-through sites 51 - 63;
The orientation of standard sites 34 - 47 also provides afternoon shade, however due to possible street noise, these sites rank a little lower in our opinion.
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The park is currently in expansion mode. An additional 45 sites are in the early stages of development. Hopefully some of the sites in the new section will also be well positioned!
Rockport, Texas
If you have an interest in RVing along the Texas Gulf Coast, stop by later this month to read about our experience in Rockport, Texas. Although our stay was only four nights, we'll share all that you need to know about Circle W RV Ranch. As always, we'll include plenty of pictures, ideas for how to spend your time and of course, our impressions of "the ranch"!Camping on Galveston Island
What is your favorite campground / RV park on Galveston Island?Weather:82F Clear
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