Galveston ready for busy holiday weekend

GALVESTON, Texas – The Memorial Day holiday weekend is going to be a busy one on Texas highways. That's good news for the Houston area including Galveston Island, which is bracing for tourists seeking days of fun in the sun.

AAA Texas predicts 3 million people will travel from Thursday night to Sunday evening and most will be driving.

The busy travel weekend is another sign of the state's strong economy. The average person will spend a total of $550 on accommodations, transportation, dining out and visiting attractions.
This year, gas prices should not force anyone to put the breaks on their Memorial Day travel plans.

The average price per gallon is $3.43 in Houston, which is 23 cents lower than the national average.

"The average family vehicle has about a 14-gallon tank and to fill up one tank of gas this weekend it's going to be about $48. That's exactly what we were paying this time last year for Memorial Day," said Sarah Schimmer, with AAA Texas/New Mexico.

On Galveston Island, tourists will have plenty of attractions to choose from along the Seawall and in The Strand.

The Galveston Convention and Visitors Bureau predicts 250,000-300,000 people are expected to enjoy the warm water and hot sun, in spite of piles of seaweed on the sand along the Seawall.

"I was just inquiring about all the seaweed on the beach. I felt sad because big holiday weekend and hopefully people will still come," said Joyce Bell.

If they come, Galveston is ready, Stewart Beach is prepared for the crowds and the Pleasure Pier will be a popular spot.

"A lot of our hotels and resorts have made renovations and we've done a lot of upgrades and new additions for our visitors to experience this year," said Ivette Wilhelm, with the Galveston Island Convention and Visitors Bureau.