Need help deciding on a beach day trip (Houston, College Station: renting, house)

[batdogmama]

We are relatively new to Houston (since Fall), and would like to do a day drive this weekend. Since it's Memorial Day weekend and we're not camping or renting a house somewhere, we would like to avoid the really bad crowds if possible.

We have done Galveston Island twice in the winter/spring, but don't know how crowded it will be over the holiday weekend. Also thinking about Crystal Beach, the Kemah Boardwalk, or Surfside (is the drive worth it? Are there public beaches?). Also, we will be bringing a dog, so it needs to be a dog friendly destination.

Any thoughts or advice on a decent day trip with a kid and dog preferrably a beach location?

Thanks!

[descovy]

I would look into Galveston State Park. Getting out of the city will lighten the crowds I think.

Also, consider going down 288 to Matagorda/Freeport. In fact one year we had a day drive (my kids like a "sunday drive" so it worked for us) We took 45 down to Galveston... enjoyed a little bit of "busy" beach off the seawall, poorboys for lunch, and drove west to 288. Along the way we stopped at pocket beaches, and just enjoyed the scenery. Where we stopped in Matagorda was a state park, I belive too (it's been a few years)

[batdogmama]

Thanks! We have a State Parks Pass, so we've been to Galveston State Park twice this year and enjoyed it. I was concerned about it being super-packed and back up on the Seawall road all the way down... But maybe not? We have a favorite burger stop right there on the main seawall road, and we'll have our dog with us, so we would like to avoid settling for a sit down overpriced sit down place.

Thanks for the Matagoria suggestion. I'll look it up!

[kixette]

Matagorda is VERY nice, shouldn't be as crowded. Surfside, quite frankly, will be A ZOO. The traffic will be horrendous, the beaches will be packed, the restaurants will be on a two-hour wait starting at noon! There's Bryan Beach in Freeport, and Quintana too. We ARE dog friendly here though, just have to have the pooch on a leash. With the weather being forecast for PERFECT it's going to be a heck of a weekend! Have fun...

[houston-nomad]

Originally Posted by kixette

Matagorda is VERY nice, shouldn't be as crowded. Surfside, quite frankly, will be A ZOO. The traffic will be horrendous, the beaches will be packed, the restaurants will be on a two-hour wait starting at noon! There's Bryan Beach in Freeport, and Quintana too. We ARE dog friendly here though, just have to have the pooch on a leash. With the weather being forecast for PERFECT it's going to be a heck of a weekend! Have fun...

Can you clarify for those of us unfamiliar with that area--do you mean that Surfside will be a zoo, but Bryan Beach and Quintana would be better bets? I would really like to find a day trip that won't leave us sitting in the car in traffic endlessly, too!

Matagorda looks lovely but it's a bit far from Houston for a day trip, isn't it?

Thanks for any advice.

[behtypa]

To make it easier for you, here is a map with red dots marked for most common weekend getaway places.
I have marked: Lakes, wildlife parks, beachlines, historic parks. All of them are great for dogs and children.

Just check maps.google.com and ask question on any of the dots. Sorry, I am too lazy today to list them all. :-)

There are more in over 2 hrs radius (i.e. Bryan-College Station area or Seguin New Braunfels, etc.).

[Sunderpig2]

Most of the locations on that map above are not beach locations. We need to stick with the OP's topic.

The beaches really do get crowded on holiday weekends. My family always avoids the beaches then, because they get crowded, noisy, and have too many vehicles (often with teenagers and 20s somethings heavily drinking).

The Kemah Boardwalk is not a "beach day trip". There's no beach there. For less crowded beaches, you might consider Bryan Beach or Surfside (though away from the town, closer to the bridge over San Luis Pass), but even those areas might be crowded for Mem. Day. You might instead consider a lake or park.

[houston-nomad]

Those are compelling dots but I don't understand how to get from your map to an interactive one. Can you list some place names instead? Pretty please?

Originally Posted by behtypa

To make it easier for you, here is a map with red dots marked for most common weekend getaway places.
I have marked: Lakes, wildlife parks, beachlines, historic parks. All of them are great for dogs and children.

Just check maps.google.com and ask question on any of the dots. Sorry, I am too lazy today to list them all. :-)

There are more in over 2 hrs radius (i.e. Bryan-College Station area or Seguin New Braunfels, etc.).

[jalapenochips]

Anyone have photographs of the beaches? . Google not much help...

[kixette]

Originally Posted by houston-nomad

Can you clarify for those of us unfamiliar with that area--do you mean that Surfside will be a zoo, but Bryan Beach and Quintana would be better bets? I would really like to find a day trip that won't leave us sitting in the car in traffic endlessly, too!

Matagorda looks lovely but it's a bit far from Houston for a day trip, isn't it?

Thanks for any advice.

Sorry - I didn't see this until today. The traffic was SO bad - I didn't leave my house all weekend!