Galveston's Pleasure Pier - March 16th, 2023
Our Spring Break Adventure Day begins with breakfast at Black Bear Diner
David & Erin are looking forward to plenty of fun, food & frolic today!
Donna enjoys a breakfast burger, Alex gets eggs benedict w/CF steak & grits
Erin gets the same but with hash browns, neither like english muffins
Pause on Harborside for giant windmill blades heading to the landfill
Pass the Battleship Texas in drydock across the channel from Pier 21
Park at 26th and Ave Q 1/2 for $10 and head across Seawall Blvd
We are here to check out the Pleasure Pier for as long as we hold out
Over ten rides to experience and plenty of midway games to try
Wait in line to purchase $28/ea or $100 for four All Day Riders family pack
View of the beach and the people enjoying it beyond the Seawall west of 25th Street
Our first ride is the Sea Dragon, like Astroworld's Looping Starship
Pass the Sky Shooter on our way to the ferris wheel at the far end
Get in the short line for the Galaxy Wheel
The Texas Star Flyer is not operating with the current high winds
Looking to the right of the Iron Shark, east of 25th Street, along Seawall Blvd is Murdoch's souvenir shop and the pink Hotel Galvez
The T-shaped fishing pier that was once part of the Flagship Hotel
We will have long distant views & strong breezes atop the Galaxy Wheel
Erin enjoys the view but not the movement to get there
And we begin our climb to the top . . .
Look toward the west and the San Luis Resort off into the distance
Looking down the length of the Pleasure Pier and the Iron Shark below
Zoom in to the east, beyond Murdoch's, to a cruise ship and the UTMB complex behind the Hotel Galvez
Erin is not amused by David's amusement
Take heart that the Battleship Texas is in view and will always keep us safe
T-section of the old Flagship Hotel pier now only used by seagulls
We just can't get enough of Erin's fondness for the gondola's center pole
Another westward beach view down Seawall Blvd and multiple white caps on a very windy day
Exit the Galaxy Wheel at the very back of the Pleasure Pier
Joint bathroom and beer sales models efficiency at its best
A stage in the shadow of the Galaxy Wheel is not in use today
Galaxy Wheel's official entrance with signage & safety instructions
Start working on the girls to ride the Iron Shark, . . . it is so fun!
See Erin, you look straight down, that is not scary at all!
No thank you! Rather play some Midway games! Let's try the softball toss
Must impact at the front of the bucket to hope for it to stay
Donna gives it a try but also adds to the Pier's bottom line
Donna says it is now or never so I go ahead & get in line for the Iron Shark
The girls hard pass on the Iron Shark and go for an ICEE instead
They relax near enough to watch my descent . . . into terror!
I text there will be at least a 30 min wait w/8 riders each & 4 min turnaround
So the girls wait in line for a ride themselves, at the Sky Shooter
The Iron Shark looks intimidating, just like the Texas Star Flyer above it
Erin & Alex are happy to fly around but much closer to the ground
I have a great angle on the 190° turnaround drop
I slowly work my way to the Iron Shark boarding area
The girls buckle up for a spin on the Sky Shooter
Might as well wait for dad spending the time riding ourselves
See where the Iron Shark car is moved away and buckled down for storms
Donna captures me entering the boarding station
The attendant looks for any singles to jump ahead
I step forward and find myself in Seat #5 on the back left side
We climb straight up and then come straight down, a great dynamic ride!
Very smooth w/no head trauma either for an enjoyable 20 second ride
Passby the Pirate's Plunge which currently is not in operation
A small footprint Bamboo Shoot, though in "hollowed out" logs
Pass on the Pier Pileup Bumper Cars on the right due to sinus headache
But do enter the line for the Rock n' Roll to the left
Similar to Astroworld's Whirling Dervish from over 40 years ago
We also agree to skip the Cyclone that goes in circles & makes much noise
Donna captures Erin and David finding car #5 to ride
Erin wants me inside but the attendant moves me to the outside
We are ready to hang loose on the Rock n' Roll ride!
Alex shows her no fear riding face
The ride goes forward a couple minutes and then goes backward the same
It is easy to release the handles with your legs bolted in
Will try one more ride before heading out for food
Another photo of the beach near the entrance of the Pleasure Pier
Will give the Gulf Glider Swing Carousel a shot at the entrance of the park
Will discover afterward that Bubba Gump has a 1.5 hour table wait
Donna captures us walking to our swings
Alex happy to go solo and be in an outside and more dynamic swing
Erin & David stay inside and will ride on the duplex
Alex having fun on the high circular swing set
Erin copes w/David's constant references to the Astroworld's Gunslinger
Walk around the ticket booth & then head across Seawall for food options
Fishtails also had a 1.5 hour wait so we find ourselves at Chik-fil-A
David checks out the Duck while holding a sheep
But also gets an action photo of the highjinx inside (Only $49 for 4 combos)
Get to see a Galveston Trolley pass in front of the Duck, so much history!
Finish eating and head back inside, walk pass the Double Decker Carousel
Cool pirate ship fronting the Pirate's Plunge water ride
Continue on toward the Midway and a possible 2nd ride on the Iron Shark
The girls try their luck with the Ring Toss for a unicorn camel
This game is harder than the softball toss and multiple buckets win squat
Erin tries her basketball skills to win a prize
Making 40% of her shots during the past season could have won district
She makes 2 of 5 baskets and wins a small pink octopus prize!
The girls try Whac-a- Mole next, Donna joins in while David videos
Donna has a big advantage with her oil biz management skills
Donna's lightning fast problem solving helps her reach 150 first for the win
She lets Alex select a small turtle for her prize
Erin knows she can win the unicorn llama and gets another chance
But the unicorn llama will stay put as another bucket of rings fall short
The line for the Iron Shark is now 50ft out the entrance & 4X longer, hard pass
Head back to the end of the pier for another ride on the Galaxy Wheel
A great day despite being overcast, windy and kinda cool
Spring Break on the Pleasure Pier has been fun for kids and parents
The Battleship Texas is still beyond the Iron Shark and ship channel
There is plenty of traffic and white caps in the water on the windy, overcast spring break Thursday
Alex & David enjoy the sights and the breeze atop the Galaxy Wheel
Erin and Donna show off their wind blown hairdo's
The Midway games and Iron Shark are entertaining thousands of guests
But the Texas Star Flyer is grounded for being too windy today
Exit the Galaxy Wheel at the end of the pier and head toward more fun
Spot a pelican at the end of the old Flagship Hotel fishing pier
Would have needed a camera with a wrist strap to photo up top in the wind
Erin can't leave without a unicorn llama, but does so, yet again
She tries the Hang Time Ultimate Challenge, where 1:30 wins a Choice Prize
She drops after clearing just 30 seconds and wins a medium prize
Notice that the Pirate's Plunge is finally in operation and we get in line
This will be our last ride of the day as we will be freezing cold afterward
You board on the right, circle around behind & climb left to the initial drop
Circle under the Hang Time Champion who cheats using her legs
Dry riders leave the boarding area and set out toward rough seas
Cold water better suited for hot summer month, not an overcast March day
The line goes quickly as there are at five canoes to maintain movement
Get a better view of the final plunge as we climb the stairs
Also see the starting point that goes under the final drop
Another final plunge with the Pirate Ship now in view
No chance of staying dry in the water break splash zone
We finally reach the boarding area and have two more rides before us
Four canoes lineup up to exit and receive passengers
The fifth canoe splashes down to the left of us
We are next and our camera is packed in the boarding zone cubby area
Donna is perched outside and captures us on our initial plunge
We are already thoroughly soaked & still have the big plunge to go
We curl around to make the big climb up top for the final plunge
Already very chilly from no warming sun and overcast, windy conditions
Tallest rider forward, who takes the brunt, but has shoes high inside
And down we plunge into the waiting cold water below
The initial impact stays outside the canoe, but . . .
The rebound water comes rushing back, fills the canoe, and soaks us
The shock of the ice water dousing registers quickly
Hi Donna! Wow! We are really wet and really cold!
We will be walking very fast to the car upon exiting this ride!
Our front is absolutely soaked but our backs are only partially
Check it out! We rode in car #5 for the final time today!
It was a very wise choice to wear jeans today, even now soaked
Stop for a photo before we exit on a fun and exciting Spring Break Thursday
We say goodbye to our first visit to the Pleasure Pier but plan to come again
Wait for the traffic light to change and waddle back to our car
Now chill out with a Blizzard at Dairy Queen on the outside patio
David gets a caramel brownie cupfection, Alex has a chocolate dipped cone
Head down Calder to PetSuites where Rio was boarded for the day
She had a great day as well sniffing butts and making new friends!