Swimming in Galveston (Houston, Kemah, Lone Star: hotels, homes, restaurants)

[loose3a]

Hi,

Never been to Texas before and will be travelling to Houston Nov 5th-Nov 6th. Do you think we'd be able to swim at the beach (Galveston) or will it definitely be too cold?

Thanks.

[tstone]

Too cold! You could probably bring your wetsuit, maybe bring some jellyfish & shark armor too. The water is pretty nasty as in salty-silty-gritty. Once you get out and dry off you will be sticky & sandy until you take a really thorough shower. This is no clean white sand, Flora-bama beach.

[HoustonRonnie]

Dude! That's the weekend for the Lone Star Rally!!! One of (if not the) largest biker rallies in the US. The place will be packed with bikers. Woo hoo!!! 230,000 bikers over 4 days last year.

And, yes, you can go in the water without needing an acid bath afterwards. It's a bit chilly then, however.

Ronnie

[loose3a]

That's too bad. Thanks for the reply though. Are there other attractions to see at Galveston? Is it still worth the trip even if you can't swim?

[trbstang]

If you have kids, the Schlitterbahn water park in Galveston is open year round. They have a section that is closed in and heated during the cooler months. And there is the Moody Gardens right by there, with the Rainforest, Aquarium, and Discovery pyramids, and a steam paddle boat ride. There are several old homes open for tours and a few other things to see. You could easily spend a full day or two there and not even go to the beach.

GALVESTON.COM: Official Website of Galveston Island, Texas Tourism & Marketing

[bluelion_ms3]

if you're coming down with your family, and considering that particular weekend is the bike rally, i would try to reschedule. with all the bikers down in "g-town", the atmosphere probably wont be family oriented. every place you would go (restaurants, hotels, gas stations, etc.) will be packed.

BUT, if you're coming down FOR the rally. then to answer your questions, YES, the water will be too cold to go swimming. i would try Schlitterbahn or Moody Gardens as mentioned above.....

[groovamos]

We have been way above average temps for months. We were above average today (86) and will be warmer than that the next few days. So I would say the water temperature will be warmer than usual for this time of year and when you are here. The water and sand around these parts are not as beautiful as other parts of the gulf coast. Some people mention pollution but I'm pretty sure its mainly the silt from numerous rivers that empty into the gulf in this region.

[westhou]

If you want to avoid the biker rally don't go to Galveston at all. Go to the Kemah Boardwalk instead. The kids will love it.