Clean Beaches? Please Help! (Austin, Corpus Christi: hotel, college, cost)

[jcao]

Hi. We are new to Texas and planning on taking a weekend family trip to the beach (2 little ones, 2 & 4). We will be driving from Austin. We were planning on going to Port Aransas, but just spoke to a friend who just got back from there and she said that it is FULL of seaweed. Can anyone give us feedback on where we might be able to go? (Lakes are options, but we are looking for somewhere with a sandy beach if possible).

[AK123]

All of the beaches get seaweed if they are not cleaned of it. If you don't want the seaweed, the key would be finding one where you know the beach is cleaned on a regular basis.

The "best" beaches in Texas are down by the Mexican border, S. Padre. But we always go to Galveston because we like the town the best... now when we're doing a "real" beach vacation, we drive to the FL panhandle or fly somewhere... much superior to anything you'll find in Texas as far as beach and water quality.

[joqua]

Seaweed is one thing - and usually harmless. But STINGING NETTLE is another and can be very painful when it comes in contact with skin while swimming. Some of the jelly fish along the coast are also very toxic/painful. And stepping on a stingray is definitely no fun. Another constant annoyance along the Gulf Coast, are tar balls/petroleum emulsions.

[ChristieP]

I totally agree with AK. Although I love Texas, and I promote Texas tourism whenever possible, I have to say that Texas' beaches aren't great. If you want a beach with crystal blue water, sugar-white sand and no seaweed, then you need to go to Playa Del Carmen, Mexico or the Florida Gulf coast.

[texasdiver]

The seaweed is Sargassam and it is a natural part of the environment of the Gulf.

Port Aransas usually gets it pretty heavily. If I remember correctly, they used to clean it off the Port Aransas city beaches but the beaches further south that were part of Corpus Christi would not get cleaned. But I think they stopped cleaning it off due to cost and because it is a natural barrier to prevent beach erosion.

Best bet is to drive another 2.5 hours south to South Padre Island if you want to be sure you have a pristine beach. You could also call the Port Aransas Parks Department and ask them about it. They'll probably give you a more honest answer than a hotel clerk who wants your reservation.

[Metro Matt]

Originally Posted by jcao

Hi. We are new to Texas and planning on taking a weekend family trip to the beach (2 little ones, 2 & 4). We will be driving from Austin. We were planning on going to Port Aransas, but just spoke to a friend who just got back from there and she said that it is FULL of seaweed. Can anyone give us feedback on where we might be able to go? (Lakes are options, but we are looking for somewhere with a sandy beach if possible).

Stewart Beach (private beach) on Galveston Island or Surfside Beach (public beach).

Both are clean beaches & are a hop, skip, & jump from Austin.

[txtea]

By far the best beach for kids is in Rockport. Shallow, clear water, clean sand, hardly any big waves.

[neddy]

I vote for Rockport for shallow, easy fun.I just went to Port A this month and she said the college campus either AM or a UT extension did a study on the seaweed and its good for the beaches for some reason so while Port A does clean it up they don't clean it up nearly as much. Did not really bother us to much.

[jcao]

Thank you all for such wonderful advice--we are thinking of going to either Rockport or the Galveston area. Does anyone know if Rockport has a lot of seaweed right now?

What about other things to do other than the beach? Is one better than the other (e.g. museums, parks, etc.)?

[Pontificator]

Just returned from Rockport, and alas, this trip killed off any nostalgia I've had for this region. We had gray weather & small craft advisory seas, and that may have colored my perceptions.......but I found the town to just be grungy, and the culinary scene disappointing.

Went to the outer beach at Port Aransas and the city portion was maintained nicely, but the state park portion is left natural. Natural currently includes about 18" deep seaweed, lining the beach several feet in width. However, we were lucky enough to witness a sea turtle laying eggs!! With the thick seaweed, the local sea life guru had to clear the seaweed, and ultimately lift her over it. When faced with the seaweed, she kept turning back to the dunes!

I'm betting the inner public beach in Rockport was in nice order, but we had wild weather and had to opt for other pursuits. Enjoyed some wonderful bird-watching, and toured an old home, but have still realized I'm "over" the Texas coast.