Austiners: Best, Closest Gulf Beach? (Houston, Port Arthur: house, live in, prices)

[silks]

I live in Atlanta, and Austin has always been a place I've considered moving to one day. One of the things that's always bugged me about ATL is the fact that you have to drive six hours to get to a good beach (and by that, I mean the Florida Panhandle e.g. Destin). I know that Austin is landlocked just like Atlanta, but when Austiners go to a beach on the Gulf, which one do they go to? I've read that South Padre Island is great, but is there anything closer?

[pvaustin]

The closest would be Galveston, which is like 4 hrs away from Austin. That stretch of coast from galveston all the way down to South Padre have plenty of good beaches.

[Trainwreck20]

Depends on what you mean by a good beach. The TX beaches are not like the white sand and clear water of the FL beaches. The water is turbid quite a bit of the time, and the sand is a tan color. This is not a pollution issue so much (the water is actually in good shape these days) as it is a geographical issue - the river silt, lack of coral reefs, the wind, and the currents result in the difference.

That disclaimer said, I really like Galveston, and it is 3.5 hours from my house to Galveston w/o any traffic, and 4 hours with some is very typical (I used to make this 'commute' from S. Austin). Just don't expect to find FL stye beaches.

[Austinitegirl]

I lived in Galveston for a year - what a dump. Don't go to those beaches - they suck. Unless you don't mind the feet smell emanating from the water (thanks to the sulfur plants along the coast in that part of the state).

The farther south of Galveston you go - the better. Port Aransas is decent - Mustang Island is OK - Padre is good.

Honestly - if you want a nice beach, just wait for a great deal on airline tickets and take a long weekend to Cozumel or Cancun. The way gas prices are going these days - it would probably be cheaper to fly to Mexico than to drive to the Texas coast.

What was that famous quote by Janis Joplin (who grew up in Galveston)?? "Galveston is the ***hole of the world and Port Arthur is five miles up it."

[malarkey]

This is good to read, as proximity to salt water is important to me, coming from Seattle. The Puget Sound has little or no waves, and isn't that blue-green semi-tropical color. In fact, its pretty murky. But, we have the Oregon coast within 4 hours, and it is spectacular.

I've only been to North & South Padre once, waaaaay back in 1980. While it's not like real ocean front, it wasn't bad and in fact I remember liking North better than South. I also remember dining on shrimp & flounder. and going into Matamoros for a day.

I went to Galveston with my sister once, who spent several years in Houston. But we didn't go to the beach, so it's good to hear you like it there Trainwreck.

[malarkey]

Originally Posted by Austinitegirl

I lived in Galveston for a year - what a dump. Don't go to those beaches - they suck.

WELL there's a different opinion! Don't hold back Austinitegirl!

[love roses]

No kidding. I lived in Clear Lake for 15 years, and spent a great deal of time at the beach. The beaches don't suck, unless you're expecting blue water and white sand. I'm not too fond of some of the beaches by the seawall, but there are others that are good. I lived for 16 years in Brazoria, and spent a lot of time at surfside and quintana as well. The only thing that bugs me there is sometimes there is too much seaweed. My grandfather is gone now, but we always visited him in the summer and spent lots of time at beaches in Corpus. Padre probably has the more clear water and light sand most people like. Galveston can get pretty clear if there is a hurricane way out in the gulf.

[Austinitegirl]

I've seen lots of beaches all over the country - including some that aren't "white sand and blue water" and I'm telling you - Galveston beaches suck. And not just the ones by the seawall either.

I did frequently visit a place called Jamaica Beach - which is on Galveston island south of the city and those beaches are tolerable - they're not as crowded or dirty and the water doesn't smell as much like feet, but they still suck.

Everyone else who seems to be posting on this thread lives in the area and has lived there for many years - that should tell you a lot. That means they're not only biased - they probably haven't had much of an opportunity to compare Galveston to other areas. (Native Texans tend to stay put and are pretty convinced their microcosm is awesome. Texan pride is pretty cool, but somewhat narrow minded.) I've not only visited other areas - I've LIVED in other areas with beaches (some nice, some not so nice) and Galveston is by far my least favorite.

As I said - go south of Galveston - the beaches improve. If you want to see Galveston for yourself - don't go during the summer (the feet smell is worse when it's hotter) and definitely stay away from the seawall. Try Jamaica Beach - it's not as bad as central Galveston.

[Txstar]

I really enjoy Rockport for fishing and Port Aransas for the beaches. I also agree that our beaches are no where close to being the best, but Texas has done a good job on cleaning up our coastline over the years.

Although Galveston might not be perfect, it does have some of the best seafood resturants in the state.

[love roses]

I've actually visited other beaches before. Not every beach everywhere, but I've been to California and Florida and Mexico and Washington State. Florida does have prettier beaches, but the water in Cali was way too cold for my stinky foot Texas beach feet My stepdad grew up in Florida and used to take us back there when he would go visit his dad.