Kemah Texas from a fishing town to tourist attraction center
Originally a small fishing town, Kemah has recently become a robust tourist destination due to the area’s restaurants and attractions, contained within the Kemah Entertainment District. During the 1970s, in part as a result of the establishment of the Johnson Space Center on Clear Lake, tourism began to re-emerge as pleasure boats began to fill the lake. Kemah has significantly revived as a tourist and recreation destination, especially since the Kemah Boardwalk was developed in the late 90s.
Some of the other outstanding restaurants to choose from in and near the Kemah Boardwalk are:
• Aquarium
• Joe’s Burger Bar
• Saltgrass Steakhouse
• Bubba Gump Shrimp Co.
• Landry’s Seafood House
• Bayside Grille
• Pizza Oven
• Crazy Allen’s Swamp Shack
• Nam Thai Restaurant & Bar
• Tookie’s
Clear Creek Winery is housed in an interesting-looking two-story building across the street from T-Bone Tom’s. This is definitely a place to check out if you’re looking for a great winery and/or small-batch distillery.
Seabrook Fish Markets
Nearby, Seabrook is known for its fish markets on Waterfront Drive where resident shrimpers and fishermen bring in their catches daily. Besides bordering the bay, the city encompasses marshes though which runoff from inland fields drain to the bay. Seabrook is in the center of the third largest boating community in the country. Seabrook is also a bird sanctuary, located on one of the largest migratory paths in North America.
And only 30 minutes south? Galveston Island offers 32 miles of relaxing beaches, superb restaurants, top resort hotels, marvelous downtown shopping, numerous antique stores, incredible art galleries, fabulous entertainment and one of the largest and well-preserved concentrations of Victorian architecture in the country. At 32 miles long and two and a half miles wide, most residents can’t remember the last time they visited the mainland and, if circumstances permitted, they would never leave.
Have you visited Kemah and its famous Boardwalk? Why not?
These are the bare highlights of the Kemah Boardwalk. This is a perfect place for families, couples, and friends to enjoy a great day trip outing, weekend or week-long getaway, experience on the Texas Gulf Coast.
Many hotels, motels, and vacation rentals are available near the Kemah Boardwalk. I have no experience with these because we live so close to Kemah. Here is a shortlist to check out.
• Kemah Boardwalk Inn – right in the Boardwalk property
• Courtyard by Marriot Houston Kemah
• Seaside Inn
• Multiple B&Bs, VRBO vacation rentals
