Blue Seas Under, Blue Skies Over -- Kemah, Texas

See www.kemahboardwalk.com.

In the midst of all the action on the lively Kemah Boardwalk, this New England-style seaside hotel is lovely, with balconies that open to the sea and the Boardwalk and the crowds below. It is very attractive, with top-class service, but expect some noise until the Boardwalk starts to shut down at 9pm on summer evenings.

With only 48 deluxe guest rooms and 4 suites, this is certainly not a large hotel, but it is very nice. You can also make bookings for three off-site condo buildings managed by this same company and office. A primary benefit is the covered free parking.

Cool and lovely on the inside, this hotel also has an outdoor swimming pool and meeting facilities. I am reminded of very fine seaside hotels in destination resorts. It is hard to believe that you are only an hour's drive away from downtown Houston and a few minutes from the NASA Space Center. Galveston Bay and beaches are also close at hand. Hundreds of restaurant choices also within a few minutes by car, and many are a brief walk away on the Boardwalk.

All guest rooms feature high-end bedding and premium linens and bath items. Also (and I don't know why), there are a minimum of three telephones in each room! You are seldom more than an arm's reach from one, but when here, who needs a telephone? This is a place to relax and get away from it all. The condo units are full-size and fully equipped apartments, ideal for a family vacation.

Book as far ahead as possible to avoid disappointment during prime weekends. This is a treasure that sells out fast.

Courtyard by Marriott is an always reliable product. No surprises. This particular one is very well located to Houston Hobby Airport (on the south side of town), the Gulf towns, and NASA Space Center. We had a room with a king-size (and very fine) bed. Although the room was small, it had a sleeper sofa and a large television. There was no mini fridge, but there was the usual coffeemaker on the tiny bathroom counter.

I would have enjoyed having more space, but the high degree of kindness and service provided by the staff and the no-charge computer center made up for it. We had dinner in the restaurant and really enjoyed it. We were too tired to go out into the traffic again just to hunt for a restaurant. The service in the restaurant was so good, I wrote it up on my customer survey when the visit was over.

There are coin-operated washers and dryers, as well as a fitness center and courtyard swimming pool. The restaurant serves a full cooked breakfast, which may or not be "no charge," depending on the rate you pay for your room. Make that decision when you make your booking. We choose not to have the breakfasts, as our working day started very early and choose a less expensive rate when we booked on the website. If you are a family of four or so, it might make sense to pay more for your room and have the free breakfast. There is also cocktail service in the lobby area when the restaurant is open. A large-screen TV is in a seating area next to a fire place. This is way out of place in southern Houston! I like this hotel enough to book it in future. There is free shuttle service to and from Hobby airport.

This fine restaurant is the oldest on the thriving Kemah Boardwalk and very, very popular with its views of the water and Boardwalk activities. We had a Saturday night reservation for a party of eight, but had a long wait in the bar for a table. Once seated, you won't be rushed. This is an elegant place, but with the fresh sea air, very laid-back in attitude. Some of the food items are local specialties; others are typical of fine seafood restaurants.

You have several cooking methods for shrimp, crab, oysters, and Louisiana specialties, such as crayfish. There are also many choices for fish and steak and chicken alternatives. We started with absolutely outstanding cropped salads, which we had with very cold, icy cocktails. Lucky us, we had a nice table in a semi-private alcove that still gave us a very pleasant view of the sailboats and bay activities.

As my dining companions ordered large entrées featuring a lot of shellfish, which they will testify were all excellent, I ordered fresh salmon with a dill sauce. It was about 2 hours from sit-down to the time for dessert orders, and we were all flagging from a long day of meetings. Rather than order heavy and extremely sweet desserts (recall Southern specialties here), most of us ordered decaf cappuccinos that were extremely good and served in huge cups. It was a very good evening for all.

If you didn't know how good the Crazy Cajun is, I guarantee that you would drive right past it, as the building doesn't look too nice. In fact, it looks like it belongs in a swamp in Louisiana! Trust me on this, the food is great, the atmosphere curious, and the prices reasonable. You will be greeted upon arriving and graciously thanked upon departing. Cajun hospitality!

Cajun food means if you can catch it or kill it, you eat it. It’s country cooking from the very far south of the United States that has a historical background in Nova Scotia, Canada. It is sometimes extreme (it is said that nothing is wasted in a Cajun's kitchen), but for the timid, there are "safe" items on the menu such as fried shrimp and clams. If you've ever wanted to try some fried ditch bugs (crayfish) or alligator, this is the place. The accent you hear is Cajun French. The music makes you want to get up and dance. Neckties are absolutely NOT allowed. Those little bottles of red sauce are hot, hot, and hotter. Treat them with caution unless you are used to real Tabasco sauce.

After you seat yourself at long picnic tables, having climbed over a bench to do so, your drink order will be taken. Iced tea is served in liter-sized glasses, and beer and wine under unusual circumstances. Trust me on this, but the alcohol is only sold to benefit charities, not for profit. People made individual orders, but platter after platter of specialties were served to all: dirty rice, hush puppies, beans hot enough to melt the paint on your car, and some things I couldn't quite identify. We were also served little 2-ounce tastes of gumbo rich and good enough to live on. What’s in gumbo? Whatever you have, but it is usually a mixture of shrimp; other seafood; bits of meat, sausage, peppers, and beans; and rice in a rich, rich broth. Sometimes so think you can eat it with a fork. Whatever mama has on the stove.

This place has very good food and is fun, but just in case you don't speak Cajun, you can point to the menu and order a hamburger. The guy or gal you share a table with may very well be an astronaut, as NASA is only a few minutes away. You'll come, you hear!

There are at least 100 things to do on the Kemah Boardwalk if you are a teenager, and some of the things even appeal to adults. I liked the C P Huntington Train that choo-choos its way from one end of the Boardwalk to the other so you can see what is going on and be seen by others. The enormous Ferris wheel, at 65 feet in height, gives you the odd feeling that you might tip over into the sea, but is safe and easy to ride.

The Aquarium is both a fine restaurant and one of the best exhibiting aquariums in the world, with huge tanks and all sorts of exotic sea life. You can eat a fish while admiring other fish!

The Boardwalk tower gives you a short and fast ride about the crowds, and the large merry-go-round is beautiful and fun for all. There are carnival-type midway games, dozens of shops, and plenty of restaurants, our favorite being The Flying Dutchman. The Boardwalk Inn hotel, with only 52 rooms and suites, is a lovely and desirable place to stay to enjoy your visit.

I enjoyed seeing all the boats. With more time, I would have taken a bay cruise or gone out on a sailboat at sunset. Both are wonderful things to do and reasonably priced.

Finish it all off with an ice-cream cone or another cocktail while you people-watch, and you have a complete day of activities and fun.