The needle on the fun meter will be pegged in the red for the whole family at Galveston. Moody Gardens is the go-to spot for family entertainment. It's got an aquarium, an IMAX theater, a paddlewheel boat and a rain-forest pyramid. Or how about renting a bicycle or three-wheeler and just cruising down the sea wall? And if all else fails, you can hit the surf. There are miles of surf along Galveston Island. Fun in the water is the name of the game here. You can rent a surfboard or go windsurfing or kayaking. Don't forget to check out the personal watercraft rentals as well.

There are many angling options at Galveston. You can fish West Bay, the surf or the jetties. And the offshore options are endless.

During the summer months, fishing the surf is big-time popular. Most anglers just walk right in and start fishing -- provided that the waves aren't too big, of course!

Another surf option is to fish off one of the many piers. The piers along the Galveston sea wall are perfect for family fishing fun. The cost to fish on a pier is cheap, and you don't have to bring a thing: All the needed tackle can be rented. Ample bait, both live and dead, will be for sale. Food and drinks are also available. Or if you like, you can bring your own tackle and a cooler.

When the surf is green to the beach, the fishing in the surf can be fabulous. On a green tide you can use lures, live and dead baits to catch speckled trout, reds, flounder, sharks, sand trout, croaker and whiting. A few anglers even hook up with king mackerel and ling.

The fishing for reds, trout and flounder is excellent in West Galveston Bay, and you don't necessarily need a boat to tap into the action. Toward the west end of the bay, you can park your vehicle and wade straight in.

At the west end of the island, West Bay empties into San Luis Pass. This is a topnotch area to fish, with or without a boat; you can fish from a pier there as well.

If you head to Galveston with a boat in tow, an assortment of options awaits. On West Bay, fish jigs over the many shell reefs; along the shorelines and in the coves, you'll do best with topwater plugs early and late in the day; as the sun begins to shine on the water, consider using slow-sinking mullet-imitation plugs in the deeper water in the coves.

Fishing the Galveston jetties is a marvelous way to entertain the entire family. You can either walk the rocks and fish wherever you take a notion, or work them from a boat: Either's good. The only drawbacks in walking the jetties are that you'll have to haul all your gear, and that walking the rocks can be a task for kids. Slipping on the rocks is not a good experience.

Expect to have plenty of company at the jetties. On any given weekend you can have as many as 50 boats working the north and south jetties. The best way to fish the rocks, especially if you've got the kids along, is to anchor and fish with live shrimp or mullet under a slip-cork. A slip-cork allows you to cast the rig out and fish 8 to 10 feet deep. On most days the prime jetty areas to fish will be from about midway out and to the end.

A few party boats work out of Galveston. Some fish in the bays; others will take you offshore for snappers, ling, grouper, kings and sharks. Williams' Party Boats has been working out of Galveston for years. Their 12-hour day trips for snappers are a blast. If you do the party-boat thing, don't forget to take the kids along, as all of your tackle and bait is furnished on party-boat trips.