Like two kids in a candy store

in Chocolate, Wine

Galveston Candy Shop

I love summer; an admission that comes from someone who:

1) Is not a student or a teacher
2) Hates our Seventh-Circle-of-Hell-Hot weather
3) Has had one too many slices of chocolate cake to wear a bikini
4) Cowers in a corner in the fetal position after the electricity bill comes in

Still, even in spite of the heat, we’re far more motivated in the summer to take an impromptu weekend day trip than any other time of the year.

The Strand

One of our favorite things to do is to spend the day in Galveston. I don’t mean “the beach” (see #3 above) even though Galveston is the home of our closest beach; I mean The Strand – a shop-lined street in the historic district, filled with plenty of places to fill your belly and empty your wallet.

Caramel ApplesStrawberries
Chocolate trufflesPeanut Butter Buckets

The Strand is home to a couple of our favorite places to eat and drink. For breakfast a chocolatey treat, we usually head over to the chocolate shop. Don’t worry about the selection, I assure you – there are plenty of options to drop on your new white capris: Softball-sized caramel apples, Acme bricks of fudge, monster rice krispy treats, gigantic peanut butter cups, and dark chocolate-raspberry truffles are a few of our favorites.

Luckily, you can drown your chocolate-stained-white-pants sorrows on the very next block. All that chocolate can sure make a couple thirsty!

D

D’Vine Wine (now closed) is probably our second-favorite stop on The Strand. They’re housed in a fantastically old building (the architecture in the historic district is another bonus).

For $5, we enjoy the air conditioning and a mix-and-match tasting of some of the house specialties: Lone Star Garnet (a blend of cranberry and shiraz), a Peach Chardonnay, and a great cab. They have a pretty good port – it’s not as good as our port, but it’s still good 🙂

Sand Castle Competition

No trip to Galveston is complete without at least a brief stop at the beach. There’s something incredibly unsettling about standing in ankle-deep water and not being able to see your toes so I prefer watching the dingy waves crash from the sand.

East Beach was home to the the AIA Sand Castle competition this year. You haven’t lived ’til you’ve gotten the chance to see a large scale version of a level from Super Mario Brothers made out of sand. And I guess we haven’t lived because we left before they finished – a combination of European heritage and a heat index of 105 forced us inside pretty quickly.

Sand Castle Competition

After supplementing the trip with a stint at Schlitterbahn, Moody Gardens, or a museum, we’re ready to make the drive home. Chocolate stains and all.

Galveston Square

7 comments… add one
  • Uh, I want a bite of each one of those chocolate goodies, especially the apple. White pants are cute until they get in the way of a chocolate feat, don’t you think?! 🙂

  • I’ve heard about Galveston and unfortunately have yet to venture out to Texas at all, mainly due to my inability to withstand heat for long periods of time. But one day I will drag my ass out there.

  • It looks like fun! It’s been very hot here as well, I’d be scared to try anything chocolate in fear of melting.

  • One of these days I need to take another Texas fieldtrip.

  • I love the Strand!!! That little soda/candy/ice cream shop in your first pic is one of my favorite places!! Hubby and I took a little “mini-break” to Galveston last summer and stayed at the Hotel Galvez….really fun!

  • Jenn

    I used to live in Galveston and can relate. I love the Strand, so much good stuff. You should check it out at Christmas time! Love your blog!

  • I just wanted you to know that there is a D’Vine wine in Grapevine, Texas! And it is wonderful too! There are also several other places to try Texas Wine on there Main Street.

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