Morning everyone!

I'm making the 17 hour drive from my sleepy little town in Virginia for the Tennessee game. I'm excited as this will be my first trip to Texas. I'm completely new and clueless to the board, so forgive me if this is in the wrong forum. I was going to post it in the SEC forum, but just based on my lurking it didn't seem to get much traffic. So without further ado..

We'll be staying in Galveston, then making the I'm assuming 3 hour(ish?) drive to College Station. If anyone had insights on things to do while we're down that way, it would be much appreciated.

As far as College Station, we are planning on attending the Midnight Yell, if that's appropriate for visiting fans. I'm a huge fan of collegiate traditions and pageantry, so that would be awesome to go to. Obviously I'm assuming it starts at midnight, but what time should we arrive? Is there anything we shouldn't do (don't want to offend anyone unknowingly), and what can we expect?

Unfortunately, my donor rank wasn't high enough to get tickets for this game through UT, and it appears the Aggie Ticket office is sold out, so what's the scalper situation like at Kyle? I'll be looking for four together. Would I be better off using something like stubhub?

If anyone has any food recommendations for gameday, or would be accepting of a few visiting fans for tailgating, that would be awesome too.

I appreciate any answers I'll get, and good luck to you on your season. (except this game, of course)

Go Vols!

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Morning everyone!

I'm making the 17 hour drive from my sleepy little town in Virginia for the Tennessee game. I'm excited as this will be my first trip to Texas. I'm completely new and clueless to the board, so forgive me if this is in the wrong forum. I was going to post it in the SEC forum, but just based on my lurking it didn't seem to get much traffic. So without further ado..

We'll be staying in Galveston, then making the I'm assuming 3 hour(ish?) drive to College Station. If anyone had insights on things to do while we're down that way, it would be much appreciated.

As far as College Station, we are planning on attending the Midnight Yell, if that's appropriate for visiting fans. I'm a huge fan of collegiate traditions and pageantry, so that would be awesome to go to. Obviously I'm assuming it starts at midnight, but what time should we arrive? Is there anything we shouldn't do (don't want to offend anyone unknowingly), and what can we expect?

Unfortunately, my donor rank wasn't high enough to get tickets for this game through UT, and it appears the Aggie Ticket office is sold out, so what's the scalper situation like at Kyle? I'll be looking for four together. Would I be better off using something like stubhub?

If anyone has any food recommendations for gameday, or would be accepting of a few visiting fans for tailgating, that would be awesome too.

I appreciate any answers I'll get, and good luck to you on your season. (except this game, of course)

Go Vols!

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Midnight yell will be great, you will be treated like the guests you are, although expect some tongue in cheek ribbing during the yell practice.

As far as gameday, honestly you could wear your Vol shirt and just walk around all day, I guarantee you will be inundated with free food and beer.

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Unfortunately, my donor rank wasn't high enough to get tickets for this game through UT, and it appears the Aggie Ticket office is sold out, so what's the scalper situation like at Kyle? I'll be looking for four together. Would I be better off using something like stubhub?

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Stubhub or flashseats would be the way to go. If you're looking to save a buck and don't really care where you sit then wait to purchase as prices should drop as game week approaches.

Flashseats is a little different but is great for last minute buys as you just use the credit card you used to purchase the tickets or your drivers license to scan in at the gate. The gate attendant will give you a little receipt with your seat #s.

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Morning everyone!

I'm making the 17 hour drive from my sleepy little town in Virginia for the Tennessee game. I'm excited as this will be my first trip to Texas. I'm completely new and clueless to the board, so forgive me if this is in the wrong forum. I was going to post it in the SEC forum, but just based on my lurking it didn't seem to get much traffic. So without further ado..

We'll be staying in Galveston, then making the I'm assuming 3 hour(ish?) drive to College Station. If anyone had insights on things to do while we're down that way, it would be much appreciated.

As far as College Station, we are planning on attending the Midnight Yell, if that's appropriate for visiting fans. I'm a huge fan of collegiate traditions and pageantry, so that would be awesome to go to. Obviously I'm assuming it starts at midnight, but what time should we arrive? Is there anything we shouldn't do (don't want to offend anyone unknowingly), and what can we expect?

Unfortunately, my donor rank wasn't high enough to get tickets for this game through UT, and it appears the Aggie Ticket office is sold out, so what's the scalper situation like at Kyle? I'll be looking for four together. Would I be better off using something like stubhub?

If anyone has any food recommendations for gameday, or would be accepting of a few visiting fans for tailgating, that would be awesome too.

I appreciate any answers I'll get, and good luck to you on your season. (except this game, of course)

Go Vols!

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Galveston: Ya, it is about a 3 hour drive to College Station. The Strand is a nice street to visit in Galveston. Good places to eat and shop. There are some neat mansions you can visit too in the Galveston area (Moody Mansion and Ashton Villa?).

Midnight Yell: Visitors are always welcome! The yell leaders will tell a few jokes making fun of Tennessee, but it is all in good fun. Nobody should give you a hard time. I would get to Midnight Yell no later than 11:45pm. I usually tried to get to Kyle Field at around 11:30-11:45pm. Sometimes it can take a while to walk up and get situated. The actual yell practice only lasts around 30 minutes. Yell practice consists of practice several yells, singing the War Hymn and Spirit of Aggieland, joke telling, and mugging down (at one point the lights in the stadium are turned off and you are supposed to kiss your significant other or use a lighter to try and find someone to kiss <---mostly a joke).

There are scalpers located around the stadium. I once bought tickets for a tu game at a gas station. They are not hard to find. Personally, I would use stubhub or flashseats though.

Aggie tailgates are usually very friendly. I, personally, don't have a tailgate. But I'm sure there would be many good Ags who would invite you to theirs.


Best of luck to the Vols this season! Can't wait till this game!

Midnight Yell - you're safe arriving at 11:30 or maybe a little after. Last year for the Bama game I arrived very late at like 5 til and as I dropped off our group at the SE ramp I actually found a parking spot a few yards from the stadium. But yeah, most people just walk from the bars at Northgate and get there by 15 til or so.

When commuting from (or to) Galveston, be sure and use tollways or Loops around Houston. It will probably save you immense traffic related headaches and time. If you are planning on partaking in Texas' surf, be advised Gulf is not crystal blue, i.e., Florida surf. Too many "down stream" Texas rivers dump "silt" and water is more "tan/yellowish" in color than you might be used to. I recommend checking with Galv. locals for best seafood.

As previously stated, Aggie fans will treat you with respect and welcome you to CS...of course, we (like all others) have a few who will embarass themselves on occasion. Wear your colors, strut your stuff...and by all means, have fun.

PS - my Dad was from TN and was offered a TU football scholarship "way back" in the thirties. The Vols are my "2nd" favorite student body. Rocky Top and Gig em!

Midnight yell: 12:30 sharp. Don't be late

there will be traffic on gameday so 3 hrs might not be accurate drive time estimate

Practice saying ......H O W D Y !
Aggie fans will treat you like family, win or lose

I'll have to check out flashseats then. Thanks!

If you see any grass, please play it safe and don't walk on it.

The spot (if it still there) is a great local joint in Galveston.

The Dixie Chicken is a must, if you can wade through the crowds in College Station.

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When commuting from (or to) Galveston, be sure and use tollways or Loops around Houston. It will probably save you immense traffic related headaches and time. If you are planning on partaking in Texas' surf, be advised Gulf is not crystal blue, i.e., Florida surf. Too many "down stream" Texas rivers dump "silt" and water is more "tan/yellowish" in color than you might be used to. I recommend checking with Galv. locals for best seafood.

As previously stated, Aggie fans will treat you with respect and welcome you to CS...of course, we (like all others) have a few who will embarass themselves on occasion. Wear your colors, strut your stuff...and by all means, have fun.

PS - my Dad was from TN and was offered a TU football scholarship "way back" in the thirties. The Vols are my "2nd" favorite student body. Rocky Top and Gig em!

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We have a few of those in Knoxville as well. You can't be worse than Florida, I promise.

Given my hatred for Alabama, it wouldn't hurt my feelings at all if you all won the west. A rematch in ATL would be awesome..(If we can ever beat UF. smh)

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The spot (if it still there) is a great local joint in Galveston.

The Dixie Chicken is a must, if you can wade through the crowds in College Station.

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We plan on leaving super early just to absorb the environment and atmosphere in CS.

I know it's a few months out, but how difficult is it to park?

And to everyone, thank you so much for the replies.

OP, word of advice since you seem like a good guy, but as a rook, you only get 5 posts/24 hr period. You'll probably run out pretty quick, but you can always edit old posts with responses if you'd like.

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The spot (if it still there) is a great local joint in Galveston.

The Dixie Chicken is a must, if you can wade through the crowds in College Station.

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We plan on leaving super early just to absorb the environment and atmosphere in CS.

I know it's a few months out, but how difficult is it to park?

And to everyone, thank you so much for the replies.

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Parking in college station may be tough

I like to get to midnight yell at 11 when the gates open to get a good spot since usually almost the entire east side is filled for midnight yell.

Like someone else said, traffic will be rough heading toward college station the closer to game time it gets so leave plenty early.

I would definitely check this site before leaving from Galveston because there is a lot of highway construction around Houston.

https://traffic.houstontranstar.org/construction/construction_report.aspx

I wouldn't stay in Galveston and plan on going to yell practice and then the game the next day. In my opinion, Galveston sucks. Stay closer to college station.

I would disagree with above, even moreso now that Galveston has done a lot of beach restoration.

I would recommend looking at some other options besides Galveston. Don't get me wrong, Galveston is a fun little get away town for people in greater Houston area, but it is not a destination by any means. The beaches are fine, but the water isn't blue like the other side of the Mississippi River.

I'd think about either staying in or closer to College Station OR looking into the Texas Hill Country. Towns like Fredericksburg or New Braunfels provide a much better 'Texas' experience and are within 3ish hours of College Station.

Making the roundtrip from Galveston to College Station for Midnight Yell, then back the next morning for gameday will be an absolute beat down.

Since you are driving from Galveston, I would recommend downloading an app called Waze. It could save you a lot of time on the drive.

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I would disagree with above, even moreso now that Galveston has done a lot of beach restoration.

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Beach restoration? Sorry but don't think of getting in the water without considering colliform counts and flesh eating bacteria.

Eat burgers at "The Spot" on the seawall in Galveston

Then come have some more burgers and fries at "Proudest Monkey" in downtown Bryan

You will have a great time.

For tickets, there will be plenty, but like others have said flash seats is pretty easy. You can also try the ticket exchange forum on here. Parking can be tough without a pass, but a few usually pop up for sale on the ticket exchange a few days before the actual game. You should be able to snag one pretty easy.

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I would disagree with above, even moreso now that Galveston has done a lot of beach restoration.

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Beach restoration? Sorry but don't think of getting in the water without considering colliform counts and flesh eating bacteria.

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Typical knee jerk reaction to media reports from a few weeks ago. There are currently NO (0) advisories for the Galveston coast. Bacteria counts were high a few weeks ago due to large influx of flood waters but have since returned to normal. There was 1case of Vibrio infection so far this year that was contracted down around the Port A area. It is RARE and usually involves someone eating undercooked seafood during the summer or someone swimming with open sores/wounds.

The beaches are great in Galveston this year. TONS of new sand has been brought in and the seaweed is low to non-existent this year. Yes the water is typically stained, but welcome to the influx of rivers. City of Galveston is great for exploring, dining and activities.

I highly recommend a small place on 61st street for seafood called The Cajun Greek. Gaidos is always good, but a bit pricey. The Spot si good and right up on Seawall next to the Pleasure Pier. You will have fun!

As others have said, you'd be better off staying in or around CS the night prior to the game if you plan to attend Midnight Yell.

If you've ever been to a real beach, you'll be less than enthralled. I'd say it's not worth the hassle to stay in Galveston.

You'd be far closer and have a far less hectic drive if you stayed in Austin. Even San Antonio would be a better choice. And either of those, or even Houston itself, would provide a better Texas vacation experience than Galveston.

For the Galveston apologists, I'm not saying it's a dump, but if I had to plan a vacation to TX that also involved going to B/CS for a football game, Galveston wouldn't be in the equation at all.

Please take traffic into consideration during your entire trip. Traffic around campus can be very heavy before Yell Practice. I encourage you to aim for being at campus by 11:00ish because you may be sitting in traffic while trying to park. The band marches into the stadium early anyway and there will be plenty of little "weird" things to observe while you wait.

Galveston is what it is. Do not be expecting Florida. (Galveston Chamber of Commerce, calm down). Like a previous poster said, they are on the wrong side of the Mississippi. Water clears up a little at Corpus but it is OK for swimming/fishing, just not pretty.

If you go there check out Shrimp and Stuff, 3901 Ave O.

The drive from Galveston to College Station makes me tired just thinking about it. Houston traffic is not fun. Houston traffic would be defined anywhere from Galveston to College Station.

Wear your UT gear in College Station. You will be treated as an honored guest and you will not go thirsty or hungry with the tailgaters. You could possibly run into a jerk but real Aggies will have your back and you will be OK.

Glad you are coming. However my ears are still burning from non stop Rocky Top from the Cotton Bowl years ago.

Welcome to the board. Try to take it with a grain of salt.

I assume you're staying in Galveston because you have family/kids. If my assumption is correct, you might want to checkout Moody Gardens by visiting the site, to decide if that's something you might be interested in.
http://www.moodygardens.com/

Ewww, Galveston

1) +1 for staying in the Hill Country.

• http://www.wideopencountry.com/15-best-swimming-holes-texas-hill-country/

2) Parking in CS on a game day isn't too difficult. I normally park in the garage north of Northgate (~15 minute walk to Kyle Field) or in a lot (~$10-20) off of university on the north side of campus.



3) Koppe Bridge has good burgers and cold beer.
http://www.koppebridge.com/

4) http://bush41.org/

5) http://www.messinahof.com/

6) Be mindful of the grass at the MSC.
http://msc.tamu.edu/about-us/

Your first step is a huge mistake - stay away from Galveston.

It resembles beaches in Virginia the way Baghdad resembles Las Vegas. They are both in deserts but....yeah.

Seriously.

About parking: Just buy four tickets and a parking pass. That's the best you are going to get unless you want to just leave the car at your hotel and walk from Galveston.