Before you book a VRBO or AirBnB, here are 5 lessons we’ve learned as owners. 1. Read the Reviews (Carefully) Everyone reads the reviews before they book. But the reviews on VRBO and AirBnB are complicated because not all of them are accurate. After you check out of a rental, the owners receive a survey...Continue Reading
Please excuse the over-the-top passion in this love letter. I’m a local, a writer, and in-love with this island. This little sandbar has given so much to our family—and gushy praise is one way to celebrate it. Many years ago, my parents were Texas transplants (young teachers who were called to teach at St. John’s...Continue Reading
Hurricanes are Dramatic. So is COVID. Hurricanes change lives in dramatic, unstoppable, irreversible ways. So does COVID. The difference, though, is most of the hurricane drama happens in one long night of trees crashing, windows shattering, and floodwaters soaking everything. Through that one night, everyone is praying for the hurricane to pass and morning to...Continue Reading
A couple years ago, our kids toured the Moody Mansion, one of the historical homes on Galveston’s Broadway. Everyone at the museum was talking about the children’s museum they were building in the basement. At the time, I felt a little worried for the employees because it just seemed like it wouldn’t work. I imagined a...Continue Reading
We’re in the process of booking Best of Times for the summer. Our renters are mostly families who live in Texas suburbs and come to the coast for vacation. Back home, their planned-community homes are brick, and big, and beautiful. Six-foot privacy fences separate yards, and these yards are filled with trampolines, swimming pools, and swing sets. Every day landscaping crews...Continue Reading
If you have three days in Galveston, you are in for such a treat. Here’s what to do, see, and eat while visiting Galveston. Come along and experience the very best our little island has to offer…. Day One–A Day at the Beach If you want a quiet beach, head west. Take 61st Street to the Seawall Blvd...Continue Reading
Fall is in full-swing here in Texas. The temperatures dipped into the 70s this week, which is still not cool enough for these kids to wear outfits. You know, with shirts and actual pants. But this cooler weather has invigorated our family. With shorter days comes the promise of holidays, tastes of pumpkin-everything, and s’mores...Continue Reading
The best relationships, the ones that stand the test of time, are those that flexible enough to change. Like I’m sure you’re aware, relationships based on one thing (our kids are in play group together; we live next door to each other), die when that season passes. Bear with me here as I (clumsily) extend...Continue Reading
