My family used to go to the beach every summer,

Now that we don’t, it’s a total bummer.

The memories still float around in my head,

Did everyone forget the words that were said?

We’d always drive down to the Gulf of Mexico,

Galveston! Galveston! Where’d you go?

 

I remember the excitement when we finally arrived,

Seeing the beach house and feeling revived.

Racing inside, sprinting ahead,

Trying to beat my sisters for the first choice of bed.

After the car ride you’d think we would rest,

But pretty soon we’d want to leave the nest.

 

I remember the beach, swimming in the ocean,

Being forced to put on suntan lotion.

Building castles, collecting shells,

Trying to find where the sea crab dwells.

Running around, toes warm in the sand,

Walking by the water, holding my mother’s hand.

 

I remember the food from our special place,

Eating slowly, savoring the taste.

It was called the spot and that’s exactly what it was,

The spot to be! The spot with all the buzz!

There are names written on the walls upstairs,

Among thousands, mine is somewhere.

 

I remember the souvenirs; we’d shop all day,

Walking from store to store without delay.

If we got tired, we’d rent a multi-person bike,

My sisters rarely let me pedal, made me get off and hike.

Key chains, water globes, shirts with tie-dye,

These are the things I’d buy.

 

I remember the nights, long and fun,

Filled with endless cards until the day was done.

Whammy, skip-bo, tens and twos,

Playing with my sisters was never old news.

Later when we crawled into bed,

I don’t know how long we talked before I laid down my head;

 

The souvenirs on my desk, the memories in my brain,

When thinking of these vacations, I won’t complain.

I’ll miss these times for the rest of my life, I bet,

But I’ll never forget! No, I’ll never forget.

We’d always drive down to the Gulf of Mexico,

Galveston! Galveston! Where’d you go?