Try Galveston, Texas for a Winter Getaway

Think of Galveston and you're likely to think of the island city as it is in the spring or summer, its beaches lined with people, its shops busy, its restaurants crowded.

But there's a different Galveston in the winter.

Not that you'll have the historic city all to yourself, but it won't be like it is during the more temperate months. Here's the secret: Most days, you have to look pretty hard to find winter in Galveston. In fact, according to the National Weather Service, the average January temperature there is nearly 60 degrees.

One year I went to a friend's wedding in Galveston and had a hard time believing the calendar said January. While much of the rest of the state recovered from an ice storm, I strolled the sand sans coat.

So, if you're looking for a quiet Winter break, pack for a long weekend, navigate your way to Interstate 45 and head south for the city of oleanders and palms.

Less than an hour south of Houston -- the nation's fourth-largest city -- Galveston feels like a small town. Looking at it dimensionally, Galveston is a small town, only 2.5 miles wide. However, the island stretches 32 miles long.

I have two favorite places to stay there, both now operated by the same corporation, the Tremont House or the 1911-vintage Hotel Galvez. The location of the two hotels nicely summarizes the geography of the island: The Tremont is on the bay side, near the commercial area known as the Strand, while the Galvez looks out on the Gulf of Mexico.

If you want to be in walking distance of antique stores, shops, museums and restaurants, I'd recommend the Tremont House.

If you're more in the mood for just sitting-or lying-in your hotel room staring at the gulf, book a room at the Galvez.

Galveston has more than 100 restaurants. One must-visit venue is Gaido's Seafood, an island landmark for decades. Overlooking the gulf, the venerable eatery has an old South feel and great seafood. (Not to mention being one of the last places in Texas I can think of that still brings diners a finger bowl.)

My favorite Italian restaurant on the island is Mario's.

Attractions range from Victorian mansions that survived the devastating 1900 Galveston hurricane to a Texas-size Marti Gras celebration every February.

The Galveston Island Convention and Visitors Bureau's guidebook aptly quotes maritime poet-writer John Masefield, who more than a century ago codified an urge many of us feel: "I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky..."

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The Tremont House is located at 2300 Ship's Mechanic Row. For reservations call 409-763-0300.

Hotel Galvez is at 2024 Seawall Blvd., 409-765-7721.

Gaido's Seafood Restaurant is at 3900 Seawall Blvd., 409-762-9625. Mario's is at 628 Seawall Blvd., 409-763-1693.

For general information on Galveston, visit www.galveston.com or call 1-866-505-4456.