Sherry in OH Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 Are we crazy for considering this? While we wouldn't be there on July 20th (schedule conflict or dh would insist), we would be visiting during Apollo 11 anniversary month. Also, any recommendations for a Galveston beach? We are thinking two days in Houston and two days at the beach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 Because of the heat? Or because of the anniversary? I don't imagine the anniversary month will be any busier than any other time, really. And as far as the heat goes, the stuff in Space Center Houston is mostly indoors (although the Rocket Park, which is free, is outdoors/in a building that may or may not have A/C, I don't remember....)(but definitely go see that part, it's incredible). The beach will be crazy hot and probably crazy crowded. Less so during the week than a weekend. We always like State Park, but it's more prone to having seaweed vs the other public beaches and pay beaches clean up better. Then Surfside is less crowded, but you have to wait on the ferry, so..... Stewart beach, I think, is the main "lots of amenities, clean, etc." beach but also pretty crowded. I'll let someone else with more knowledge on all of that weigh in; we haven't been over to Galveston in a while now that we live over closer to Freeport and such. (well, and, honestly? When we really need a beach trip, we make a vacation out of it and go to Florida.....) Be aware the water at Galveston is warm and looks brown/dark due to the mud coming in from the Mississippi. It's not a really pretty beach or anything. Serves its purpose, sand, waves, etc., but..... July will be insanely hot, though. Humid-hot, like, "oh my word, we need gills to breathe this air" humid. And hot like "I think my skin is melting off" hot (if you aren't used to it). High 90s, low 100s. But humid, so the "feels like" will feel 5-10 degrees hotter than the real temp. And also keep an eye on the weather in case of tropical storms/hurricanes (usually September is our busy hurricane month, historically, so should be okay, but......). Other than all that.....it's a great place to visit, LOL! 2 1 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 (edited) One more thing, realize that Houston Space Center is not really in "Houston" but Clear Lake, closer to Galveston. When you look into hotels and such, be sure you google map it; if you're flying in, you'd want Hobby vs. IAH; if you're driving, their both (Nasa & Galveston) down I-45 South. Edited March 20, 2019 by TheReader 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted March 20, 2019 Author Share Posted March 20, 2019 1 hour ago, TheReader said: One more thing, realize that Houston Space Center is not really in "Houston" but Clear Lake, closer to Galveston. When you look into hotels and such, be sure you google map it; if you're flying in, you'd want Hobby vs. IAH; if you're driving, their both (Nasa & Galveston) down I-45 South. 1 hour ago, TheReader said: Because of the heat? Or because of the anniversary? I don't imagine the anniversary month will be any busier than any other time, really. And as far as the heat goes, the stuff in Space Center Houston is mostly indoors (although the Rocket Park, which is free, is outdoors/in a building that may or may not have A/C, I don't remember....)(but definitely go see that part, it's incredible). The beach will be crazy hot and probably crazy crowded. Less so during the week than a weekend. We always like State Park, but it's more prone to having seaweed vs the other public beaches and pay beaches clean up better. Then Surfside is less crowded, but you have to wait on the ferry, so..... Stewart beach, I think, is the main "lots of amenities, clean, etc." beach but also pretty crowded. I'll let someone else with more knowledge on all of that weigh in; we haven't been over to Galveston in a while now that we live over closer to Freeport and such. (well, and, honestly? When we really need a beach trip, we make a vacation out of it and go to Florida.....) Be aware the water at Galveston is warm and looks brown/dark due to the mud coming in from the Mississippi. It's not a really pretty beach or anything. Serves its purpose, sand, waves, etc., but..... July will be insanely hot, though. Humid-hot, like, "oh my word, we need gills to breathe this air" humid. And hot like "I think my skin is melting off" hot (if you aren't used to it). High 90s, low 100s. But humid, so the "feels like" will feel 5-10 degrees hotter than the real temp. And also keep an eye on the weather in case of tropical storms/hurricanes (usually September is our busy hurricane month, historically, so should be okay, but......). Other than all that.....it's a great place to visit, LOL! 1 hour ago, TheReader said: One more thing, realize that Houston Space Center is not really in "Houston" but Clear Lake, closer to Galveston. When you look into hotels and such, be sure you google map it; if you're flying in, you'd want Hobby vs. IAH; if you're driving, their both (Nasa & Galveston) down I-45 South. Thanks. I am concerned about both the heat and crowds. I would have preferred to go in the spring, but dh cannot take vacation time until summer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sherry in OH Posted March 20, 2019 Author Share Posted March 20, 2019 37 minutes ago, Dotwithaperiod said: Go to Galveston, stay in a nice hotel, swim in their pool, find some place to get a good fish meal, and skip the beach. Hot, dirty water unfit to get your body in, usually the air is so polluted it too is unsafe to be in. The closest I’d get to the water is taking the ferry ride. Are there good beaches anywhere close to Houston? If we are going to brave the southern heat, we want to visit a beach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 40 minutes ago, Dotwithaperiod said: Go to Galveston, stay in a nice hotel, swim in their pool, find some place to get a good fish meal, and skip the beach. Hot, dirty water unfit to get your body in, usually the air is so polluted it too is unsafe to be in. The closest I’d get to the water is taking the ferry ride. This is unfair and I'd say untrue. The water is dark/brown, but it's mud from the Mississippi. The air.....especially at the beach.....is fine. Maybe in Pasadena it's not so great, but, meh. It's certainly not unsafe by any stretch. Crystal clear like Florida? No. Unsafe?? Not in the least. OP, yes, the water is warm, and no, it's not the prettiest, but it is safe, fun, enjoyable, and perfectly fine to visit. If you prefer a more crystal clear aspect, you could do the "beach" (pool) at Moody Gardens; they have brought in sand, etc. and it's lovely. Pricey, but lovely (but lots and lots and lots to do there). If you don't mind the warm waters of the gulf, and the "not beautiful blue water and white sands" aspect, it's a perfectly fine beach. Especially at sunset. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheReader Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 9 minutes ago, Sherry in OH said: Thanks. I am concerned about both the heat and crowds. I would have preferred to go in the spring, but dh cannot take vacation time until summer. re: the heat....just drink lots of water. Dress in light, loose clothing. Wear sunscreen and/or hats. Drink lots of water. Indoors, the A/C will be freezing, so while it sounds counter-intuitive, bring a light sweater; none of the places connect the dots that folks are dressed not to die in the heat, so will freeze in the A/C. The earlier in the summer you can come, the less stifling the heat.....if July is it, you'll survive, it's just not pleasant. If you could do late May/early June, it will be low 90s vs high 90s, which really makes a pretty big difference. If July is it, then, well, drink lots of water. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
City Mouse Posted March 20, 2019 Share Posted March 20, 2019 Crowds shouldn't be that much of an issue. The water park https://www.schlitterbahn.com/galveston has a large indoor section which is where I would go in July. Galveston Island State Park used to have a nice beach that was less crowded but I haven't been to it since before that last couple of big hurricanes, so I don't know what it is like now. Moody Gardens is nice but expensive. Texas has open beaches meaning the actual beach/shore line is public. There are access points all over the island where you can drive out to the beach. You don't have to go to the paid public beaches closer in to town. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chiguirre Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 If you can get an AirBnB, Pointe West at the far end of Galveston Island is nice. The water is brown like The Reader explained but the beach is flat and huge and great for walking. In the city of Galveston, the Sea Wall is a great place to rent a multiperson bike at sunset when its cooler. It's a miles long wide side walk on a wall above the beach. The view of the water is lovely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bambam Posted March 21, 2019 Share Posted March 21, 2019 If you want clear water, clean sand, you'll have to head further south - roughly to the South Padre area. And before I get in the gulf, I'd check the water quality. Basically, I won't get in the gulf at Galveston. Water look dirty due to mud. We encountered a tarry/oily residue on the beach (bring baby oil to clean it off the bottoms of your feet/shoes) - probably about 10 years ago, so it may be better now. https://cgis.glo.texas.gov/Beachwatch/ Before I moved to Texas, I had someone explain what it feels like to get off an airplane in Houston in the summer. They said to take the old wool Army blankets, soak it in boiling water, then wrap it around you. It was a good description for those who aren't used to the heat/humidity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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