Early morning walks on the beach is your best chance at finding shells and with luck a sand dollar or two. The beach in front is not swimmable due to the riptides caused by the pass, wading is ok and good for shell searching or sunbathing. The swimming beach is 2 blocks back and 3 blocks down, walkable but there are some parking places by the entrance. After swimming, rinse off in the down stairs shower. Pull the grill out and cook up some burgers, stay down on the lower deck or move up and enjoy watching the waves or paragliders on the Galveston beach across the bay. Does it get better than this? Stay off the dunes and grasses as Rattlesnakes like to hide there...yes rattlesnakes... Get up before 6 to see the sunrises... worth getting up early...