Best Texas Beach Towns

[audreyh1]

Dirty Al’s. Certainly for their gulf shrimp.

 

[MBAustin]

DW and I like taking our motorhome to the beach. We often go to Surfside Beach, about 40 miles west of Galveston (only about an hour drive for us). Nice laid back atmosphere, but not as nice as the beaches further down the coast.

Back in September, we spent a week in Port Aransas, followed by a week in South Padre Island. Both of those beaches are nice, but as others have said, SPI gets the nod as the nicer beach/water. But, our favorite is Port Aransas, based on the combination of nice beach and excellent beachfront RV Park.

Port A is also our favorite - looking forward to IB Magee Beach Park reopening next year. We spent Thanksgiving at Quintana Beach County RV Park (immediately south of Surfside) - beautiful quiet beach (no cars allowed) and very nice facilities. Only downside is the LNG terminal just to the west. It is not noisy but just weird to see it there when you aren't looking towards the beach.

 

[GravitySucks]

Thanks!
It was great food and we will be heading back Monday for the 50¢ oyster happy hour.

Dirty Al’s. Certainly for their gulf shrimp.

 

[audreyh1]

Thanks!
It was great food and we will be heading back Monday for the 50¢ oyster happy hour.

Great! They certainly have several good options with fresh seafood.

I’m about to grill some gulf oysters. Waving from ~80 miles west of you.

How do you like the Pearl?

 

[compounder]

Could recommend Manuel's for breakfast burritos. It's a local favorite for breakfast. Total hole in the wall, but it was busy enough that we had to wait 15-20 minutes when we went.
https://www.tripadvisor.com/Restaurant_Review-g56479-d734569-Reviews-Manuel_s-Port_Isabel_Texas.html

 

[audreyh1]

LOL we used to swing by Stripes (gas station) for their big breakfast tacos. But now that we are low carb we’d have to toss the big flour tortillas.

 

[Rianne]

Have to watch this video a few times . I have a fear of heights, so this should help. We're leaving Jan. 30 and will be SPI from 2/1 - 2/22 with my yellow lab. He chases things that move, I'm concerned about the rattlesnakes. All worries aside, I'm excited to go to Dirty Al's and the sea turtle sanctuary.

 

[GravitySucks]

Dirty Al's is great but it has not stayed open till nine any night we've been there. Google says open to 10. Waiter said till 9 doors were locked before 8 last night.

The Pearl is good for the price. A bit dated decor. Cigarette smoke odors too. Bed is comfy I don't care if the lobby looks like 1980

 

[aja8888]

Have to watch this video a few times . I have a fear of heights, so this should help. We're leaving Jan. 30 and will be SPI from 2/1 - 2/22 with my yellow lab. He chases things that move, I'm concerned about the rattlesnakes. All worries aside, I'm excited to go to Dirty Al's and the sea turtle sanctuary.

Rattlesnakes are hibernating this time of year, no worry. Nice place to visit, SPI. DD and her husband recently got back from a week at SPI.

A trip to SPI may make a future Texan out of you! I'm a Connecticut Yankee living in Texas and I ain't goin' back.

 

[audreyh1]

Have to watch this video a few times . I have a fear of heights, so this should help. We're leaving Jan. 30 and will be SPI from 2/1 - 2/22 with my yellow lab. He chases things that move, I'm concerned about the rattlesnakes. All worries aside, I'm excited to go to Dirty Al's and the sea turtle sanctuary.

That causeway gets DH too, but as long as I'm driving he's OK. It's actually much more gradual that most intercoastal waterway bridges.

Watch out for low flying pelicans! Actually not a problem unless it's foggy with a north wind.

Rattlesnakes are hibernating this time of year, no worry.

Sorry - rattlesnakes don't hibernate in South Texas as it's plenty warm. Maybe try to keep your dog off the dunes. I've never seen a snake on South Padre, but it's always possible in Texas.

 

[aja8888]

Sorry - rattlesnakes don't hibernate in South Texas as it's plenty warm. Maybe try to keep your dog off the dunes. I've never seen a snake on South Padre, but it's always possible in Texas.

Good to know...all the years (25) I did oilfield projects in south Texas, I never saw a rattler during the winter months. I saw a lot of them in the heat of the summer, though. I must have been lucky!

 

[audreyh1]

Good to know...all the years (25) I did oilfield projects in south Texas, I never saw a rattler during the winter months. I saw a lot of them in the heat of the summer, though. I must have been lucky!

Someone just saw one in the garden at the Butterfly Center near here last week, so they are around! Maybe not nearly as active.

 

[aja8888]

Someone just saw one in the garden at the Butterfly Center near here last week, so they are around! Maybe not nearly as active.

Yes, probably slower and lethargic, but still a threat.

Where I used to go for project work were well sites that were cleared, filled and traditionally covered with caliche and bulldozed flat. Topside equipment would be steel storage tanks, a wellhead (or pumping unit) and associated plumbing. Really no place to hide for a snake. And that pad surface is hard as rock. We occasionally saw snakes on lease roads or inside (under) cattle guards in the summer months.

 

[Rianne]

That causeway gets DH too, but as long as I'm driving he's OK. It's actually much more gradual that most intercoastal waterway bridges.

Watch out for low flying pelicans! Actually not a problem unless it's foggy with a north wind.


Sorry - rattlesnakes don't hibernate in South Texas as it's plenty warm. Maybe try to keep your dog off the dunes. I've never seen a snake on South Padre, but it's always possible in Texas.

Happy the video is < 4 minutes. Pretty sure I can tolerate that. When we went into Yosemite, it was ~40 minutes of two lane, very little guardrail and straight down drops. DH forced me to read to him only looking at the book. He's a great driver and it didn't bother him at all.

 

[audreyh1]

DH is not afraid of heights in general, but driving over high bridges and overpasses gets to him. That's one reason why I'm the driver.

 

[aja8888]

I'm the driver in my family (of two now).

The last few years we have made driving trips to Wisconsin, California, Connecticut, and North Carolina several times. Heights and high freeway bridges/ramps don't bother me either. Even night driving is not a bother for me. Maybe I am lucky at this age to be able to pull this off?

 

[HFWR]

But I digress...

Was doing a day trip from Portland, through Tillamook SP to the coast, then up the coast to Astoria, where I planned to cross into Washington state. Took one look at that bridge...

Photo of bridge...
https://images.app.goo.gl/owec8yEZUccdGMbN7

 

[audreyh1]

There was a curving downtown bridge/overpass in Portland that was pretty scary, much scarier than that bridge from Astoria to Washington.

That Astoria bridge across the Columbia is really not too bad.

 

[Rianne]

But I digress...

Was doing a day trip from Portland, through Tillamook SP to the coast, then up the coast to Astoria, where I planned to cross into Washington state. Took one look at that bridge...

Photo of bridge...
https://images.app.goo.gl/owec8yEZUccdGMbN7

The height of that bridge would get me. Like going up a roller coaster. But there are steel barriers the whole way. My thoughts always go to crashing over the side. I can always shut my eyes and tell myself I'm a good swimmer.

 

[REWahoo]

The height of that bridge would get me. Like going up a roller coaster. But there are steel barriers the whole way. My thoughts always go to crashing over the side. I can always shut my eyes and tell myself I'm a good swimmer.

I hope you aren't driving...

 

[mickeyd]

Port A.

 

[GravitySucks]

SPI was a nice break from winter. Great shrimp, Pretty beaches, but not a whole lot to do - Which is what we wanted.
Often forgot I was in Texas. Saw no Rattlers, scorpions, or fire ants. Suffered no hurricanes or tornados. If it wasn't for the pickup trucks that are apparently issues to everyone at age 16 I'd think I was at St. Pete Beach.

 

[Rianne]

SPI was a nice break from winter. Great shrimp, Pretty beaches, but not a whole lot to do - Which is what we wanted.
Often forgot I was in Texas. Saw no Rattlers, scorpions, or fire ants. Suffered no hurricanes or tornados. If it wasn't for the pickup trucks that are apparently issues to everyone at age 16 I'd think I was at St. Pete Beach.

Thanks! Nice to know, we're leaving this week.

 

[Just_Steve]

Some bridge authorities offer a bit of help for travelers.

"The New York State Thruway Authority will lead gephyrophobiacs over the Tappan Zee Bridge. A driver can call the authority in advance and arrange for someone to drive the car over the bridge for them. The authority performs the service about six times a year.[1]

The Maryland Transportation Authority offers a similar service for crossing the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

The Mackinac Bridge Authority, which oversees the Mackinac Bridge, which connects Michigan’s Upper and Lower peninsulas, will drive one's car across its span for any needy gephyrophobiacs. Some thousand drivers take advantage of this free program each year."

The Mackinac Bridge with it's open deck is the only bridge I have been on riding my motorcycle that made me a bit more than nervous.

 

[audreyh1]

Ooh I remember driving across that Chesapeake Bay bridge! Yes, that was very exciting!

That bridge crossing the Mississippi River into Baton Rouge is pretty intimidating, especially when you are driving a motorhome with towed and it’s jam packed with trucks on the steep downhill slope. The engine braking took care of us every time.