The second day of our Coastal Christmas found us engaged in our typical Sunday activities: enjoying Bloody Mary’s, watching “CBS Sunday Morning,” reading The New York Times. After brunching and napping, we took a long walk along the beach and the seawall, observing pelicans, sandpipers, egrets, herons, gulls and terns along the way. We were surprised to see children frolicking in the Gulf waves, considering temperatures were in the 60s.

The Gulf waters at Galveston beach are notoriously brown in color, thanks in large part to suspended sediment and other materials that come pouring into the bay from freshwater rivers such as the Mississippi. The beach is gray in color, with fine, compacted sand, due primarily to erosion of ancient clay and mud deposits rich in oyster and clam shells. A walk along the beach is a crunchy experience.

With crystal clear skies throughout the day and the sun highlighting the ocean’s waves, we knew we were likely to have a spectacular sunset. We weren’t disappointed.

For dinner, Chef Cliff prepared grilled chicken and pineapple, wild rice and charred broccoli. Afterward, we watched the excellent season finale of “The Morning Show,” accompanied by a glass of fine Scotch whiskey.

A few lessons we learned throughout the day are worth sharing:

1. The most photogenic part of a sunset isn’t always when the sun dips below the horizon (pro tip: it’s the afterglow).
2. As an actress, Jennifer Aniston is underappreciated (she’s awesome!).
3. There’s something special about a kite flying high above the beach at sunset.