La King's Confectionery

Talon became a devotee of LaKing's, another Galveston tradition. LaKing's is an old fashioned ice cream parlor with a soda fountain and candy factory.

Website: http://www.lakingsconfectionery.com/

Ahh, the memories of cooling off on hot summer days with a refreshing cherry phosphate! I know a few of you readers have fond memories of LaKing's as well. Eight feet of saltwater from hurricane Ike did lots of damage and the store was closed for months but finally reopened good as new-- almost.

The gorgeous old cash register is gone. Such a shame! I really wanted Talon to see it.

Cherry Phosphate!

Scrumptious! Aren't the displays beautiful?! Visitors can watch the candymakers in action too!

Oh, this sneaky boy! Finished his malt, then each time my back was turned...

He swiped sips of my soda!

and laughed about it! He had a co-conspirator too! You can probably guess who!

Next time, I won't wander around taking so many photos! NO, I take that back! Next time, I'll order two cherry phosphates!

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At the hotel...

I want a Texas shaped waffle iron!

View from our balcony

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At Moody Gardens...

We spent our cloudy chilly day in Galvestion at Moody Gardens.
Website: http://moodygardens.com/

Half of it was closed but we still had fun. Can't wait to see the rainforest pyramid when it reopens!

Funny glasses for the 4D Special FX Theater. The movie was a cold air blowing, water spraying and cocoa smelling
12 minute speed version of Polar Express (Talon's favorite Christmas movie). Too Cool!

The penguins were Talon's favorite exhibit at the Aquarium Pyramid! We went back to it at least 6 times during the day. Of course, Jim narrated the action with vocal impersonations of the Penguins of Madagascar.

Penguin Racing! So fast that all you see are their bubble trails! Talon about wore holes in the knees of his pants trying to keep up.

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Another Beach Day!

What a beautiful day! Sunny with temps in the mid 70s! Perfect for soaking up some warmth to tide us through a cold winter.

Our hooty owl kite flying high!

Don't think we'll be winning any contests but Talon absolutely loved our sandcastle! He decorated the towers with shells and filled the moat about 50 times. Talon could not stop talking about the moat--- He has been yearning to build a sandcastle with a moat since Max the bunny built one on an episode of Max and Ruby. Later, I added a canal that let water flow in to fill the moat just like on Max and Ruby. Too cool!

Preparing to jump waves...

Wheee!

Guess these kids learned a valuable lesson: Never throw a scrap to a lone seagull.

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Coconut Sorbet!

Shrimp & Stuff is a yummy and inexpensive little lunch spot that the locals in Galveston frequent. It is located away from the tourist areas at 39th and Ave O.

Here is their website: http://www.shrimpnstuff.com/

The fish tacos and oyster po-boys are delicious and the coconut sorbet is 'out of this world'!!

The sorbet is served frozen in a coconut shell. It is rock hard until it thaws a bit. Talon couldn't wait! He worked and worked...

What a sweet boy! Offering his mama a bite of sorbet...

What a trickster!

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Free Ferry!

Riding the ferry at Galveston is a tradition! The Texas Department of Transportation operates a 24 hour free ferry between Galveston and the Port Bolivar Penisula. We always walk on for the hour long roundtrip voyage. Great views and dolphin spotting make this a must-do when in Galveston!

For more info: http://www.galveston.com/galvestonferry/

Walk-ons ride on the upper deck but we checked out the views from the vehicle deck as well. The ferries are always full. I wonder if they are full at 3:00 in the morning!

Interesting to watch the docking and loading/unloading of vehicles. The crew directs all the vehicles 'just so' to balance out the weight.

Dolphins frolicked all around the ferry for the whole trip. We had a blast spotting them. Dolphins are very fast so this is the only shot I got. An old man told us that the prevalence of dolphins meant a clean healthy ecosystem with plenty of food. Didn't think the gulf was particularly clean with all the refineries and factories along the coast. I don't remember seeing dolphins back in the 80s so maybe it is getting cleaner.

View of Seawolf Military Park. We plan to tour the sub and battleship on our next trip.

Pelicans at rest


Enjoying the view

Mostly asians fishing off the rocks next to the dock. Could they be sushi purveyors?

This bird perched near us and wouldn't fly away.

Avian escort: must've been a good catch!

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First Time at the Beach...

Talon has been asking to go to the beach since he was age two. Last week, he finally made it to the beach at Galveston.

Talon was ecstatic! Of course, he didn't mind that Galveston isn't known for beautiful beaches. Can't wait to take him to Hawaii or the Caribbean!

(the Galveston beaches are much cleaner since Hurricane Ike, though)

Reflection...

This was the first afternoon. Didn't even stop to change into trunks...

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