If you can work anywhere, why not work at the beach? It's time to change up the scenery!
In the "new normal" world we find ourselves in, many people are working remotely full-time which gives you the opportunity to bring your office anywhere. Galveston Island offers 2,500+ vacation rental properties that can be your new temporary office!
pictured: Galveston's West End
Head to Galveston Island – it’s a quick drive from Houston and an easy road trip from Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio and Austin. Trust us. It’s a world away from your couch and kitchen table.
Let’s look at what could be a typical workday: Wake up to the sound of the water and the gulls overhead. Step outside and breathe in the salt air and take in the view. Grab your coffee and head out to the beach and take a walk to clear your mind and prepare for your day. You’ll likely find some keepsake shells along your route, so be sure to wear shorts with pockets.
After checking in with colleagues, responding to emails and taking care of other work-related tasks, it’s time for lunch. And by lunch, we in Galveston are not talking about eating a turkey sandwich while standing over the sink. Head to Historic Downtown Galveston or the Galveston Seawall to enjoy a real lunch – one that features food that was likely swimming mere hours before it hit your plate. There are lots of local, family-owned restaurants with ample outdoor seating, plus a variety of menu items and price points to suit your needs – and your palate.
Satiated and happy, complete your work obligations and then gleefully sign off for the day, knowing that more island time is on the horizon. Before the sun sets, you can take another beach stroll, throw a fishing line in the bay or take a bike ride along the seawall. And while the sun sets, you can marvel at its beauty and wonder why you haven’t thought to do this sooner!
Where you choose to stay and work remotely is an important decision. And Galveston has a lot of options that include checking in to one of Galveston’s many full-service hotels. Most offer wide-open lobby areas to spread out and work, plus business centers and an attentive staff to help make your workflow, well, flow.
If you want to stay in the heart of downtown Galveston, look into The Tremont House. The Tremont House is a boutique hotel with a magnificent lobby and bar area (for after work hours, of course) and is central to Galveston’s downtown historic district – you might as well start shopping for Christmas, let’s be real.
Beachfront hotels like the Grand Galvez, The San Luis Resort, The Doubletree Galveston offer Gulf-view rooms, expansive swimming pools and great balconies from which to do your daily duties, all while taking in the sea views and salty air. (Oh, BTW, Grand Galvez is haunted.)
You may not need all those amenities. Worry not. Galveston has plenty of select-service hotels to choose from. These also feature pools, balconies and Gulf views to inspire your work.
Galveston Island is also home to more than 2,500 vacation rental homes. You can enjoy a home away from home – on or near the beach! Beach rental properties are as varied as the families who choose them. The unifying characteristic, though, is that families can stay together, limit their exposure to others outside their bubbles and have a fun, coastal experience.
Many of us who are working from home, are also teaching our kids from home. Double down -- work and teach! Galveston is a great place to let your kids experience hands-on learning. Road trip has officially become road school!
Go ahead and set up shop at the Moody Gardens Hotel and you are set for the school/workweek. Students who stay here can visit rainforests and oceans and come face to face, feather to feather or fin to fin with its inhabitants.
Road-school field trips options abound. History comes to life in places like The Bryan Museum, The 1877 Tall Ship Elissa, Galveston Railroad Museum, 1892 Bishop’s Palace and 1895 Moody Mansion. The oil industry’s contributions to the world economy can be discerned at the Ocean Star Offshore Oil Rig and Museum. At Seawolf Park, visitors can tour a WWII Submarine and Escort Ship. Even an afternoon or evening harbor tour will open learners’ imagination as they travel the bay, amid the fishing fleet and ships in the channel and witness playful dolphins as they sea school!
Where the Texas Coast begins.