Best Beaches for a Long Weekend (Houston, Corpus Christi: live, airport, beach)

[Regular User Name]

My wife and I are relatively new to the area, and are interested in a long weekend somewhere relatively close to Houston - perhaps within a five to six hour drive - and one of the primary factors we'd like to consider is the quality of the beaches available.

I've had a few conversations with co-workers, colleagues, friends, etc. about this, and many have expressed some reservations about the ability to find a great beach in Texas. I know that Galveston, Kemah, and the like have many virtues, but I also understand that "pristine beaches" aren't necessarily among those virtues. That is by no means an indictment of those destinations, but I am not sure they're quite what we're looking for: white sand, clean/green/blue water, etc. A pretty place to sit on the beach, get sunburned, have four to six drinks and fall asleep.

I asked a couple friends about Corpus Christi or South Padre, and again got lukewarm reception.

Do you have a favorite beach in the area? Staying in Texas would be great, but we could be convinced to look further east as well if necessary or helpful. Just trying to ascertain whether the beaches are lacking these qualities, or whether I've just asked people with a pessimistic outlook.

TIA! (Thanks in advance!) (Internet Abbreviation - far too busy to type "thanks in advance" all the way out.)

[oceangaia]

8 hours to Gulf Shores, Alabama. In my opinion, worth the extra couple of hours. Once you're driving you're driving.

[OnTheRun]

If you're not opposed to hopping on a plane, Southwest to the new Panama City airport is easy in and out and an hour and 1/2 flight. Once landed, it's 20 mins to Rosemary Beach; 30 to Seaside/Watercolor. White sand, emerald water, great food, etc. One of our favorites.

[Schumacher713]

Hawaii

[Regular User Name]

Thanks for the responses thus far. Is the consensus, then, that my critical friends were correct? That there are no beaches like this to be had in Texas? Getting on a plane isn't out of the question, but the wife and I both spend too much time on planes as is for work, so we were kind of excited about the idea of just getting in the car on Friday morning and winding up at the beach with plenty of weekend to spare.

Thanks for the Gulf Shores suggestion too - I'll look right into that.

[ChristieP]

No. Anything north of North Padre Island is too close to the Mississippi River delta, and the naturally occurring oil in the water just makes it murky. You have to go a long way south (Corpus Christi or further) to get decent beaches in Texas.

[Jack Lance]

Originally Posted by Regular User Name

Thanks for the responses thus far. Is the consensus, then, that my critical friends were correct? That there are no beaches like this to be had in Texas? Getting on a plane isn't out of the question, but the wife and I both spend too much time on planes as is for work, so we were kind of excited about the idea of just getting in the car on Friday morning and winding up at the beach with plenty of weekend to spare.

Thanks for the Gulf Shores suggestion too - I'll look right into that.

Are you really going to avoid Texas beaches the whole time you live here? I know your time is precious, but perhaps you could just drive down to Galveston, on any weekend, or day off, and take a couple of hours to check it out. It is that close. If nothing else, you can at least say you gave them a chance, and you will not wonder if maybe they would have been good enough, for a weekend anyway.

[bayoubengal1982]

Originally Posted by Regular User Name

My wife and I are relatively new to the area, and are interested in a long weekend somewhere relatively close to Houston - perhaps within a five to six hour drive - and one of the primary factors we'd like to consider is the quality of the beaches available.

I've had a few conversations with co-workers, colleagues, friends, etc. about this, and many have expressed some reservations about the ability to find a great beach in Texas. I know that Galveston, Kemah, and the like have many virtues, but I also understand that "pristine beaches" aren't necessarily among those virtues. That is by no means an indictment of those destinations, but I am not sure they're quite what we're looking for: white sand, clean/green/blue water, etc. A pretty place to sit on the beach, get sunburned, have four to six drinks and fall asleep.

I asked a couple friends about Corpus Christi or South Padre, and again got lukewarm reception.

Do you have a favorite beach in the area? Staying in Texas would be great, but we could be convinced to look further east as well if necessary or helpful. Just trying to ascertain whether the beaches are lacking these qualities, or whether I've just asked people with a pessimistic outlook.

TIA! (Thanks in advance!) (Internet Abbreviation - far too busy to type "thanks in advance" all the way out.)

what you want in a beach is exactly what I look for. Ive been to beaches from south texas all the way to the florida panhandle. you are not going to find a white sand, blue/green water beach until you get to alabama. gulf shores, orange beach, ft walton beach, and destin are all popular locations with what you desire. Don waste your time with galveston...sure it has history if youre into that sort of thing, but the beaches are not worth it.

[chris_ut]

The only good beaches in Texas are the fake ones at the Hyatt Resorts.

[PedroMartinez]

Originally Posted by Regular User Name

one of the primary factors we'd like to consider is the quality of the beaches available.

Just to make sure I understand you, you mean the quality of the sand and the water correct?

If this is the case, you're essentially talking about South Padre, and if you are going to drive there, I'm in agreement that you go east and drive a little further to beaches that have the white sand and blue water.

Personally, I'm less into the bobbing in the water and playing in the sand; therefore, I like the activities around the beach. So the Texas beaches will work for me. I do need to get a taste of the pretty sand and water from time to time, which takes me to Florida or Isla Mujeres (I loooovvveee Isla Mujeres).