My wife wants to go spend a week at the beach

[SMOOTHboar]

The last time we went to the beach was about 8 years ago for a weeding and of course the beach.

The idea of going to the beach again just makes me want to jump in front of a slow bus. I don't want to die... But breaking a leg wouldn't be a bad out!

I hated that last trip. We went to Rock Port. Here is a list of what we did. Spent a few hours doing the wedding thing. The rest (4 1/2 days) was visiting endless seaside shops. Eating average or below average over priced food. Sitting on a beach with sand in uncomfortable places and throngs of people hell bent on disturbing our little piece of sand. Swimming in the hotel pool because my wife is afraid to go in the ocean. Looked at a bunch of buildings and art. My wife took pictures of the buildings and art. Visited a "Mansion". Went to have coffee and some weird people decided to bust out in an impromptu poetry reading (nuff said right there). Now the loan bright spot was trading a case of beer for 15lbs of whole live shrimp.

I want to do these things at "the beach"!!! Go fishing. Go hiking. See some critters. Have a bonfire. Get more shrimp! Swim in the ocean. Watch the sun set while drinking a cold one without hundreds of tourists impeding my ability to relax. Snorkel. Eat a fish I caught that day. Teach my kids a new skill. Camp instead of stay in a hotel (I'd compromise and rent a camper). I'm also willing to do a little bit of the tourist woman crap we always do at "the beach". But I don't want another woman holiday.

I need help planning this trip. What am I over looking? Where is a good place to take the family? Please give me some ideas.

[Brian H]

U need to get off the Texas coast and head somewhere that has nice beaches

[SMOOTHboar]

U need to get off the Texas coast and head somewhere that has nice beaches

Ok. Where? We are talking about staying in Texas. But are open to logic.

[hully1029]

Look into Destin, FL

[SnakeID]

If you head south and want to do all those things, convince her that it's in everyone's best interest to camp on Padre Island National Seashore.

It's a beautiful beach that is cleaned up regularly. There's something like 30miles of beach and you can drive down and pick your spot away from other people, and it doesn't suffer from the overcrowding issues the beaches close to town do. Hiking in the dunes can be nice, and there's deer in the grasslands behind the dunes. Careful where you put your feet as there are rattlesnakes, though I never saw any when I went hiking for a few hours out there.

[SMOOTHboar]

Look into Destin, FL

We want to stay in Texas.

[SMOOTHboar]

If you head south and want to do all those things, convince her that it's in everyone's best interest to camp on Padre Island National Seashore.

It's a beautiful beach that is cleaned up regularly. There's something like 30miles of beach and you can drive down and pick your spot away from other people, and it doesn't suffer from the overcrowding issues the beaches close to town do. Hiking in the dunes can be nice, and there's deer in the grasslands behind the dunes. Careful where you put your feet as there are rattlesnakes, though I never saw any when I went hiking for a few hours out there.

Ok googling that idea. Any others?

[Russ]

If you head south and want to do all those things, convince her that it's in everyone's best interest to camp on Padre Island National Seashore.

It's a beautiful beach that is cleaned up regularly. There's something like 30miles of beach and you can drive down and pick your spot away from other people, and it doesn't suffer from the overcrowding issues the beaches close to town do. Hiking in the dunes can be nice, and there's deer in the grasslands behind the dunes. Careful where you put your feet as there are rattlesnakes, though I never saw any when I went hiking for a few hours out there.

You are kidding right??? PINS is for a man trip. The beach is hardly ever clean. Tons of seaweed and drift wood that invites many biting nats. The mosquitos are absolutely the worst in Texas if you plan on spending the night out there. And like you said....lots of snakes in the dunes. No reason to go into the dunes anyway...they all look the same.

And sure its 75 miles of uninhabited beach area but you better have 4 wheel drive as well. Also, some serious fishing equipment to handle the salt and sand.

I fish PINS every year about 3 times. If I ever wanted to run a city-fied woman off....... this is the place to take her for 3 days to make sure she never wants to fish with you again.

[SnakeID]

You are kidding right??? PINS is for a man trip. The beach is hardly ever clean. Tons of seaweed and drift wood that invites many biting nats. The mosquitos are absolutely the worst in Texas if you plan on spending the night out there. And like you said....lots of snakes in the dunes. No reason to go into the dunes anyway...they all look the same.

And sure its 75 miles of uninhabited beach area but you better have 4 wheel drive as well. Also, some serious fishing equipment to handle the salt and sand.

I fish PINS every year about 3 times. If I ever wanted to run a city-fied woman off....... this is the place to take her for 3 days to make sure she never wants to fish with you again.

Seaweed and driftwood fits clean. I mean human trash like beer bottles and chip bags.

Regardless, that beach fits what he wants and was asking for. If his wife doesn't like it... well there's some more cushy places, I'm sure. I just don't know of them.

[ballsie]

We take the fam to Galveston at least once every summer. We stay in the same place every year. Its a good size house and its right on the beach. check out www.andreasretreat.com. Its about 10 minutes out of town and there is also a small grocery store at the corner. Its never crowded and I catch plenty of sharks, trout, and reds from the beach. Catch all your bait with a cast net. Its about a 30 second walk from the house to the water. They have a webcam on the website that looks out the dining room window.

The have a smaller place next door that is cheaper and just as close to the beach as well.

[SMOOTHboar]

You are kidding right??? PINS is for a man trip. The beach is hardly ever clean. Tons of seaweed and drift wood that invites many biting nats. The mosquitos are absolutely the worst in Texas if you plan on spending the night out there. And like you said....lots of snakes in the dunes. No reason to go into the dunes anyway...they all look the same.

And sure its 75 miles of uninhabited beach area but you better have 4 wheel drive as well. Also, some serious fishing equipment to handle the salt and sand.

I fish PINS every year about 3 times. If I ever wanted to run a city-fied woman off....... this is the place to take her for 3 days to make sure she never wants to fish with you again.

Point made lol. Yes my wife never travels off a well beaten path. When we go camping she has to have a place to plug stuff in. So i got her a converter for the car in order to get more primitive. She requires a toilet and access to running water from a facet. She has to have her comforts. Shoot! We have to take two MASSIVLEY HUGE bags just to go to the pool. When I take the kids to the same pool without momma... It's three towels, sunscreen, bottled water, a snack, and what ever the kids can carry.

Oh and the fishing part... Me and the boy can go off without her. She would ruin and chance at fun. I want to have fun and relax. Not get nagged at for hours.

[LuBowhunter]

Crystal Beach is fun for both.

[Rockjock]

Skip the beach trip and take a cruise. Tropical vacation without a week at the beach. Good food, free entertainment, casinos, day care, shopping, spa, etc. And can be cheeper than a week in a hotel on the beach.

[Gunslinger]

No snorkeling at Texas beaches, I dove some in St. Petersburg, right off the beach, no mask ?fins , anything. A few feet down , and the water felt fine on my open eyes . Sorry bout the bad times you had at Rock Port. I love that place, but it is for us old fuddy duds . Galveston is a happening beach, if ya go eat burgers at "The Spot" , and seafood at "Caseys", which is the casual dress side of "Guido's" , same food, ,same kitchen, different plates ,and cheaper too ! I have been visiting the Gulf coast for 20+ yrs, and every so often I get tired of the crowds, not the bikinis , and move further N.E.

[Bowtechlady]

The last time we went to the beach was about 8 years ago for a weeding and of course the beach.

The idea of going to the beach again just makes me want to jump in front of a slow bus. I don't want to die... But breaking a leg wouldn't be a bad out!

I hated that last trip. We went to Rock Port. Here is a list of what we did. Spent a few hours doing the wedding thing. The rest (4 1/2 days) was visiting endless seaside shops. Eating average or below average over priced food. Sitting on a beach with sand in uncomfortable places and throngs of people hell bent on disturbing our little piece of sand. Swimming in the hotel pool because my wife is afraid to go in the ocean. Looked at a bunch of buildings and art. My wife took pictures of the buildings and art. Visited a "Mansion". Went to have coffee and some weird people decided to bust out in an impromptu poetry reading (nuff said right there). Now the loan bright spot was trading a case of beer for 15lbs of whole live shrimp.

I want to do these things at "the beach"!!! Go fishing. Go hiking. See some critters. Have a bonfire. Get more shrimp! Swim in the ocean. Watch the sun set while drinking a cold one without hundreds of tourists impeding my ability to relax. Snorkel. Eat a fish I caught that day. Teach my kids a new skill. Camp instead of stay in a hotel (I'd compromise and rent a camper). I'm also willing to do a little bit of the tourist woman crap we always do at "the beach". But I don't want another woman holiday.

I need help planning this trip. What am I over looking? Where is a good place to take the family? Please give me some ideas.

Load them up and head to Gulf State park in Gulf Shores, AL. The beaches are beautiful and the State Park is the best I have ever been to. We just spent a week there and loved it. They have everything from tent camping, full RV hook up, to cabins that you can rent.

They have lots for the kids to do. They have golf, basketball, tennis, a large swimming pool, horse shoes, private lakes with brackish water and lighted piers, and miles and miles of pristine public beaches and miles and miles of hiking/bicycling trails. They have kayaks and bicycles to rent if you don't have your own. They have a large lighted fishing pier that goes way out onto the gulf.

http://www.alapark.com/gulfstate/

We drove out by Fort Morgan and found a private secluded beach and did some wade fishing and had a blast.

Pensacola is about 32 miles away so if the Minor League team (Blue Wahoos) is in town, you can take the kiddos over to catch a great game. It is a really nice baseball park and they really cater to the kiddos. We really enjoyed that too.

http://www.milb.com/index.jsp?sid=t4124

Since you will be right around the corner in Pensacola from Joe Pattis seafood market, take a cooler and bring back some of the freshest seafood around.

http://www.joepattis.com/

You can take the kids to the USS Alabama battleship

http://www.ussalabama.com/

or over to Fort Morgan and they will love it

http://www.preserveala.org/fortmorgan.aspx

You can take a charter out of Zeke's which is close by and home to lot's of chartered fishing vessels.