The number of tourists in Galveston has really picked up throughout the day and fun and sun for them will translate into dollars and cents for the island.
On this brilliantly sunny spring break day, vacationers are hard to miss.
"We are from Lubbock, Texas. We are here for spring break -- me and my four children," said Chika Umezurike.
Some folks hit the beaches early, with 60-degree temperatures and brisk wind bringing out everything from sweatshirts to bikinis.
The mild weather is expected to only get better as the week of spring break winds on. That's good news for the Galveston Convention and Visitor's Bureau.
"We're expecting a great crowd this year. We're expecting between 300,000 and 500,000 visitors," said Ivette Wilhelm with the Galveston Convention and Visitor's Bureau.
The Pleasure Pier is the newest big attraction bringing people to the seawall.
"Since its soft opening last year, we are experiencing a great deal more visitors," Wilhelm said.
The focus here is fun in the sun.
"spring break is awesome in Galveston, Texas, and we just skate on the beach every day," said Tyler Carpenter.
And maybe spending a few dollars to do it.
"Today I'm off and I just wanted to get out and do something," Samantha Meyers said.
That's something certainly welcomed by the hotels, restaurants and shops that depend on these visitors.
"We're expecting a lot visitors, especially now that the weather's warming up this week so we're expecting to see a lot of spring breakers out here," said Wilhelm.
If you're planning a day trip from the Houston area, keep in mind a lot of Galveston attractions have extended hours this week. For example, Moody Gardens is open until 8pm.
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