Opinions of the Kemah, Texas area ?

Thinking of staying a night or 2 in Kemah before going to Galveston to catch a cruiseship. Looks to be a nice area, anyone know anything about the area? Looks to be only a 45 minute drive from Houston heading south on the way to Galveston?

Jimbo:)

Kemah Boardwalk

http://www.kemahboardwalk.com/flash_content/flash_content.html

Space Center Houston

http://www.spacecenter.org/

Kat

'Tis the season to be jolly...

DH and I have been to Kemah several times and we love the area. The Boardwalk is great!! The Boardwalk has several shops and restaurants and sometimes there is a band playing. You will have a great time there. We like it because it is not a loud and rowdy area; we plan on staying there before our cruise next year.

Kemah's quickly becoming a more popular alternative for weekend entertainment for Houstonians; particularly because of how much closer it is to Houston than Galveston.

Of course if you can stay at Kemah you might as well consider the Houston Galleria area or other trendy Houston downtown areas.

Nothing is really a 45 minute drive around Houston. But yea, Kemah is a neat place.

At first thought though, the Boardwalk area itself won't keep you occupied for more than a day. But NASA/Galveston are then close-by choices. Or take a bay tour, etc.

The Kemah Boardwalk bores me. It's a small group of expensive carnival rides clustered around a bunch of Landry's Restaurants (which are mediocre and overpriced) and a Landry's owned hotel. The restaurants on the water around there that aren't owned by Landry's haven't rebuilt from Ike yet.

I'd rather spend money on Galveston Island, so the locals can keep rebuilding the island. They need our support! I was down there last weekend for Dickens on the Strand and while it's not back 100%, there's some nice places now open that really need our support.

(And yes, I am aware that Fertitta (Landry's) owns a big chunk of the island... I prefer to spend my money with the locals.)

Hey Jimbo - My DW and I currently live about 4 miles from Kemah and have been within 15 miles of the place since birth. As one of the posters stated, it's more of a kids carnival midway boardwalk with a few shops for the adults and a wide collection of Laundry owned restaurants. We still take visiting friends from out of town down to Kemah on a nice afternoon or evening for dinner and drinks. During the Spring and Summer we might catch a good band on the Thursday night "Rock the Dock" on the boardwalk or at T-Bone Tom's Backyard, (one of the few non Laundry restaurants.) on a Friday or Saturday night.

February on the Texas Gulf Coast can be hit and miss. We could be playing golf in a T-shirt one day and have a freeze the next. If it's cold while you're here Kemah could be dead.

Galveston gives you many more options for a two day stay. Especially since the Galveston Mardi Gras will be going on cold or warm weather. You'll also have Historic Home tours, Shopping, dining and art on the Historic Strand Street and Post Office St., Moody Gardens and the bars and restaurants on the Seawall.

Hey Jimbo - My DW and I currently live about 4 miles from Kemah and have been within 15 miles of the place since birth. As one of the posters stated, it's more of a kids carnival midway boardwalk with a few shops for the adults and a wide collection of Laundry owned restaurants. We still take visiting friends from out of town down to Kemah on a nice afternoon or evening for dinner and drinks. During the Spring and Summer we might catch a good band on the Thursday night "Rock the Dock" on the boardwalk or at T-Bone Tom's Backyard, (one of the few non Laundry restaurants.) on a Friday or Saturday night.

February on the Texas Gulf Coast can be hit and miss. We could be playing golf in a T-shirt one day and have a freeze the next. If it's cold while you're here Kemah could be dead.

Galveston gives you many more options for a two day stay. Especially since the Galveston Mardi Gras will be going on cold or warm weather. You'll also have Historic Home tours, Shopping, dining and art on the Historic Strand Street and Post Office St., Moody Gardens and the bars and restaurants on the Seawall.

We do have Quailty Inn and Suites on the Seawall booked in Galveston for Friday and Saturday Nights before the cruise. Earlier in the week we will be in the Houston area, if we get done earlier we were looking for a place to stay Wednesday or Thursday Night, that's why we were asking about Kemah. Maybe we should just go to Galveston once we are done in Houston. Should be alot more things to do down there I would think.

We have a car rented until Saturday at 5pm.

Jimbo:)

If your are driving from Houston to Galveston, I'd certainly suggest that, weather permitting, you plan to spend at least a few hours in Kemah. There are a lot of smaller shops there adjacent to the Boardwalk and the merchants in that area - like those in Galveston that someone else mentioned - were also impacted by Hurricane Ike and could use your support. The entire area is NOT controlled by any one developer.

Don't know where the adverse opinions of Tilman Fertitta are coming from. The man has singlehandedly brought Kemah in the current century. We first visited Kemah in the EARLY 60's and left the area six months ago. Anyone who saw it then and sees it now should be impressed. Guess some people favor the constant flooding and rent by the hour motels that marked the area back then or don't favor change at all.

Enjoy what Kemah and the Houston Bay Area have to offer (including Johnson Space Center) and then drive on and enjoy Galveston too!

If your are driving from Houston to Galveston, I'd certainly suggest that, weather permitting, you plan to spend at least a few hours in Kemah. There are a lot of smaller shops there adjacent to the Boardwalk and the merchants in that area - like those in Galveston that someone else mentioned - were also impacted by Hurricane Ike and could use your support. The entire area is NOT controlled by any one developer.

 

Don't know where the adverse opinions of Tilman Fertitta are coming from. The man has singlehandedly brought Kemah in the current century. We first visited Kemah in the EARLY 60's and left the area six months ago. Anyone who saw it then and sees it now should be impressed. Guess some people favor the constant flooding and rent by the hour motels that marked the area back then or don't favor change at all.

 

Enjoy what Kemah and the Houston Bay Area have to offer (including Johnson Space Center) and then drive on and enjoy Galveston too!

I so agree! Some people almost sound jealous that a man with lots of money has placed it all in an area that offers jobs as well as food and entertainment. We love Kemah and Saltgrass Steak House is one of the best places I have ever eaten and I am a foodie! I say spend a little time at Kemah and then go to Galveston.