Dear Travel Diary,
I mentioned recently that ValleyFair reminded me of the Kemah Boardwalk, so I thought I'd explain why. We spent the day in Kemah as part of our October 2015 trip to Texas. When the school calendar offers a long weekend (especially as the weather turns in Minnesota), you take advantage!
Located just 20 miles from downtown Houston, the Kemah Boardwalk opened in 1997. It currently operates 15 rides, plus an arcade and a Midway on 35 acres beside the sea. It all translates to a fun, family environment that was named one of the top 10 American boardwalks by ForbesTraveler.com in 2009.
See? Not even in the park, and the kids are having a blast!
The 65-foot Ferris Wheel is a ride our family enjoyed a few times.
But for Madelyn's money, the park's 36-foot double-decker carousel was a must-see. I think the ride operator mentioned the ride opened in the early 1900s.
We also toured the grounds via the park's novelty train.
The Boardwalk Tower has the best views of the bay, the boardwalk and the surrounding area.
The Boardwalk overlooks Galveston Bay, which was docked with plenty of fishing and shrimp boats.
The Boardwalk Bullet is an all-wood roller coaster that opened in 2007. It's 96 feet tall with a 3,236-foot long track built on a 1-acre footprint, making it one of the most compact roller coasters in the world.
We left the area filled with the rides and made our way to the Midway.
With its proximity to Galveston Bay, its coastal influence was felt in the architecture of the area. There were quite a few seafood restaurants, and the 'hurricane evacuation zone' signs reminded me of how ruthless Mother Nature can be some times. For our stay, she was really showing off with beautiful clear skies and warm sunshine.
The is a 50,000-gallon aquarium on site, and adjacent is Stingray Reef where visitors can touch and feed live stingrays. Nope, I did not participate. Admittedly, I was freaked out by them. Nick of course held no reservations about feeding them. Have we forgotten what happened to Steve Irwin?
If you go:
215 Kipp Ave, Kemah, TX 77565
*There is no charge to walk around the Boardwalk but individual or all-day ride passes can be purchased.
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