While I love the beach at Galveston, so much that my husband and I were married there, I also appreciate the history of the island. There are sooo many fun tours you can take in Galveston, and we have taken alot of them! But for the money, I think one of our favorites is the Galveston Duck Tours!
Of course, what everyone loves about a duck tour is that you get to go in the water! The Galveston Duck Tour takes you into Offat’s Bayou, not the beach, off of 61st Street. The duck drives around while a friendly and funny tour guide informs you about the birds and boats inhabiting the water around you! My kids just loved it! Young brown pelicans were everywhere as we descended into the water, and barely moved as we slid through their ranks! Occassionally, we would see a pelican dive into the water, and reemerge with a fish! Seagulls harass the pelicans, even landing on their backs as they try to win the plunder!
The guides, which are all Galveston natives, also give some terrific restaurant advice for where the locals eat, such as Darlene’s Shrimp Shack on 61st!
Although we didn’t see any on our tour, we were told that often dolphins are sighted while on the tour. If you have your heart set more on seeing dolphins, I recommend Baywatch Dolphin Tours.
Following the water, the Duck, which is actually a modified and painted DUKW, a six-wheel-drive amphibeous vehicle built by General Motors during World War II, takes to the East section of town. The guide discusses many of the town’s cemeteries, mansions, monuments and markers before reaching The Strand, and then finally the harbor. The tour last about an hour, and is in my opinion well worth the money.
My Mommy Tips:
- The Duck doesn’t stop, so be sure you and your kids “go” before you go!
- Be sure and take a bottle of water for each person. The open air and Gulf breezes are really nice, but on warm days you still need to stay hydrated. I was parched after our tour!
- During the tour, take as many pictures as possible. I took lots of pics of places I want to return to visit or sight see, restaurants they recommend, and I also nearby street signs to help us find our way back, once we were on our own.
- Everyone waves at you on the Duck Tour, and encouraging your child to wave back, especially your young child, gives them an interactive activity that allows other visitors to hear the guide.
- The best seats are at the front of the Duck!
On our most recent tour, we had such a laugh as our guide realized that a mustang convertible driving next to us had a purse sitting on the trunk! We all leaned out the vehicle yelling at the couple in the mustang until they realized and pulled over to get it!
