Aren't TX beaches in reality underrated? (Harlingen, Galveston: hotel, camp, move)

[tom77falcons]

I've always heard the beaches of Texas were better than South Carolina and Georgia, since you don't have that muddy brown looking water common on Hilton Head, etc. People have told me the water, even in Galveston, is green, then becoming green blue as you head south. Is this true?

What are the beaches like on Bolivar Penisula? I think I've seen aerial photos with green clear water there also (on calm days). Texas doesn't have all that back bay swampy areas that Georgia and SC have, so the water should be clearer on calm days.

I've seen some real nice aerial photos of Texas beaches that show nice clear blue green water. Take this for instance:


Check out some of the aerial images in this link, and you'll see some real nice beaches in Texas

Miscellaneous Aerial and Ground Photos


All in all I think Texas has some real nice blue green water beaches, especially compared to the lower Atlantic coast of GA and SC. Go to Georgia if you want to see some gross beaches.









And now to our beaches in the Mid-Atlantic.

Originally Posted by cBach

It makes me think that perhaps we are a bit more judgmental of our beaches than we should be. After all, we've never had hypodermic needles wash up on our shores like in NJ, or other things like that.

Originally Posted by Dog_Gone

Go to the Padre Island National Seashore and you will see needles and every other imaginable item that can be washed up on shore. You are used to going to the beaches that get cleaned.

Originally Posted by cBach

If you look at a lot of beaches in the Northeast or CA, for example, there aren't actually a lot of people going in the water compared to those doing the activities offered.

FYI, New Jersey has some of the cleanest ocean water in the nation, because after that 1980's dead dolphins and hypodermic needles, our govt leaders went into strong action. All ocean dumping of every sort was banned, our water has cleared up dramatically, and our water rates went up quite high. We were willing to pay the price.


http://www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/ttw/nj.asp?loc=new%20jersey

New Jersey ranked third in water quality out of 30 states.




I took this video last week along the southern NJ shore. Beautiful clear 77F water with nice waves. I have never, ever seen a tar ball wash up on our beaches, and hardly ever seaweed. I think our beaches are underrated, cause you all think the Northeast is all polluted. Not the case.







And some pics I took last weekend. As you can see, loads of people here enjoy 75F water with great waves.





And another great undeveloped beach 50 miles from Philly. Island Beach State Park.



And yet another beautiful clear water beach in Delaware, with no development. (Fenwick Island State Park).

[cBach]

Originally Posted by tom77falcons

I've always heard the beaches of Texas were better than South Carolina and Georgia, since you don't have that muddy brown looking water common on Hilton Head, etc. People have told me the water, even in Galveston, is green, then becoming green blue as you head south. Is this true?

What are the beaches like on Bolivar Penisula? I think I've seen aerial photos with green clear water there also (on calm days). Texas doesn't have all that back bay swampy areas that Georgia and SC have, so the water should be clearer on calm days.

I've seen some real nice aerial photos of Texas beaches that show nice clear blue green water. Take this for instance:


Check out some of the aerial images in this link, and you'll see some real nice beaches in Texas

Miscellaneous Aerial and Ground Photos


All in all I think Texas has some real nice blue green water beaches, especially compared to the lower Atlantic coast of GA and SC. Go to Georgia if you want to see some gross beaches.







And now to our beaches in the Mid-Atlantic.















FYI, New Jersey has some of the cleanest ocean water in the nation, because after that 1980's dead dolphins and hypodermic needles, our govt leaders went into strong action. All ocean dumping of every sort was banned, our water has cleared up dramatically, and our water rates went up quite high. We were willing to pay the price.


http://www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/ttw/nj.asp?loc=new%20jersey

New Jersey ranked third in water quality out of 30 states.




I took this video last week along the southern NJ shore. Beautiful clear 77F water with nice waves. I have never, ever seen a tar ball wash up on our beaches, and hardly ever seaweed. I think our beaches are underrated, cause you all think the Northeast is all polluted. Not the case.







And some pics I took last weekend. As you can see, loads of people here enjoy 75F water with great waves.





And another great undeveloped beach 50 miles from Philly. Island Beach State Park.



And yet another beautiful clear water beach in Delaware, with no development. (Fenwick Island State Park).

I agree the beaches in Delaware are beautiful. I went to Rehoboth and the beach there was awesome.

I've never been to NJ beaches but I've been to CT, RI, and MA beaches. They aren't exactly "clear" but they aren't polluted either.

The main problem with Northeast beaches is the summer season is so short. You really can't get into the water until mid June and then by early September you have to get out because the water is too cold.

TX beaches are doable from May until October, I like that. Same for N. FL beaches. S. FL beaches are doable from March until November or all year for some people and that's nice. But like I said, FL is a different category.

[Cowboys fan in Houston]

I dont think so. With the exception of Padre Island, I think theyre gross (especially the ones from the Louisiana border almost to Corpus). Port Aransas is pretty nice though.

[Jack Lance]

No Texas beach is gross IMO . BTW did you see where there is going to be a new state park on Matagorda Bay?

isn't it pretty ?

Pristine piece of Texas coast becoming a state park - Houston Chronicle

Jerod Foster, Photographer
Top: Live oak on Powderhorn Ranch Bottom: Wetland marsh waterways at Powderhorn Lake

By Shannon Tompkins
August 20, 2014 | Updated: August 21, 2014 8:44am

"It took more than four decades, an environmental catastrophe, two years of negotiations, an unprecedented cooperative effort between a coalition of private conservation organizations and a state agency, and $50 million to permanently protect what a conservation group official calls an "irreplaceable" piece of native coastal Texas.
On Thursday, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, meeting at Houston's Museum of Natural Science, will act on a proposal to accept the donation of the 17,351-acre Powderhorn Ranch in Calhoun County from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and The Conservation Fund, the three conservation groups that recently purchased it for $37.7 million from a Kentucky-based company that has owned the property since 2005".

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by tom77falcons

I've always heard the beaches of Texas were better than South Carolina and Georgia, since you don't have that muddy brown looking water common on Hilton Head, etc. People have told me the water, even in Galveston, is green, then becoming green blue as you head south. Is this true?

What are the beaches like on Bolivar Penisula? I think I've seen aerial photos with green clear water there also (on calm days). Texas doesn't have all that back bay swampy areas that Georgia and SC have, so the water should be clearer on calm days.

I've seen some real nice aerial photos of Texas beaches that show nice clear blue green water. Take this for instance:


Check out some of the aerial images in this link, and you'll see some real nice beaches in Texas

Miscellaneous Aerial and Ground Photos


All in all I think Texas has some real nice blue green water beaches, especially compared to the lower Atlantic coast of GA and SC. Go to Georgia if you want to see some gross beaches.









And now to our beaches in the Mid-Atlantic.















FYI, New Jersey has some of the cleanest ocean water in the nation, because after that 1980's dead dolphins and hypodermic needles, our govt leaders went into strong action. All ocean dumping of every sort was banned, our water has cleared up dramatically, and our water rates went up quite high. We were willing to pay the price.


http://www.nrdc.org/water/oceans/ttw/nj.asp?loc=new%20jersey

New Jersey ranked third in water quality out of 30 states.




I took this video last week along the southern NJ shore. Beautiful clear 77F water with nice waves. I have never, ever seen a tar ball wash up on our beaches, and hardly ever seaweed. I think our beaches are underrated, cause you all think the Northeast is all polluted. Not the case.







And some pics I took last weekend. As you can see, loads of people here enjoy 75F water with great waves.





And another great undeveloped beach 50 miles from Philly. Island Beach State Park.



And yet another beautiful clear water beach in Delaware, with no development. (Fenwick Island State Park).

Nice photos/video.

[Chimérique]

Originally Posted by Jack Lance

No Texas beach is gross IMO . BTW did you see where there is going to be a new state park on Matagorda Bay?

isn't it pretty ?

Pristine piece of Texas coast becoming a state park - Houston Chronicle

Jerod Foster, Photographer
Top: Live oak on Powderhorn Ranch Bottom: Wetland marsh waterways at Powderhorn Lake

By Shannon Tompkins
August 20, 2014 | Updated: August 21, 2014 8:44am

"It took more than four decades, an environmental catastrophe, two years of negotiations, an unprecedented cooperative effort between a coalition of private conservation organizations and a state agency, and $50 million to permanently protect what a conservation group official calls an "irreplaceable" piece of native coastal Texas.
On Thursday, the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, meeting at Houston's Museum of Natural Science, will act on a proposal to accept the donation of the 17,351-acre Powderhorn Ranch in Calhoun County from the Texas Parks and Wildlife Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and The Conservation Fund, the three conservation groups that recently purchased it for $37.7 million from a Kentucky-based company that has owned the property since 2005".

Good to see they've moved forward on this.

[Campeador]

Originally Posted by Chimérique

Good to see they've moved forward on this.

Any date set on when this will become a State Park? Or is it indefinite and contingent upon major changes at the state government level, as in the case of Palo Pinto Mountains SP? In the case of the latter, the land has been acquired, but unless/ until the state government stops slashing funding to State Parks, it won't happen. Let's hope it comes about.

[ScoPro]

We spent the week of July 4th in a nice duplex condo at South Padre Island - this is the view from the 2nd floor balcony - thought it got a bit crowded (as you can see) towards the weekend, so the last thing we need is to have the place overrun by tourists like it is with drunk college kids during Spring break.

[I Love Buildings]

If South Padre had an airport, i'd visit from California.

[radiolibre99]

Originally Posted by TheOverdog

IMO, the problem with Texas beaches is Texas beach communities. The piers and beach fronts are 1000X times better in Florida and CA or the NE coast. Probably because Texas' major cities are mostly not coastally oriented, but landlocked, so there is no money on the coast.

The beaches and water themselves are not that different.

I agree with this. The beaches are fine. Nothing special but not too ugly. Just fix the beach towns. Make them prettier.