TX residents/Schlitterbahn veterans....

[sk!mom]

Why do you say this? We live about 1 hr drive to the Atlantic Ocean/Jersey Shore (not like the stupid TV show) so we can have a beach day any time. I don't have my heart set on it but we do like to try new beaches. (Such as when we spent a week in Williamsburg, spend a day in VA Beach.)

Is this not worth it? We only have 4 days in the Houston area so time is precious.
Is it worth the drive to New Braunfels to visit that Schlitterbahn and maybe fly out of San Antonio? Am I crazy?

If you don't have tickets yet, then definitely consider flying home from San Antonio and doing Schlitterbahn New Braunfels. I'm a Texan who really dislikes Houston. The beaches aren't nice. If you live near a beach, Texas beaches are nothing special.

I would fly into Houston and spend a day at the Space Center. Then it's only 3 hours to San Antonio- a beautiful city. You could spend a day at Schlitterbahn, time on the Riverwalk, see the Alamo, Sea World. It's truly so much nicer than Houston.

If Schlitterbahn is one of the big draws for you then you'll be disappointed in the one at Galveston. New Braunfels is the famous one. Get there early as it gets very crowded.

 

[Planogirl]

Galveston is near the Houston Ship Channel and unfortunately has to deal with the debris from the ships and industries. The beaches are much cleaner the further south you go until you get to South Padre Island where the cleanliness level depends on how long it has been since Spring Break.

DH and DS went to Schlitterbahn New Braunfels every year and so did many family members and they all loved it. I only skipped it because I always had other things to do in the area. I'm surprised to see people complaining about it because the only complaints I ever heard were about the crowds. None of us have been to the Galveston location but understand that it's small and more ordinary.

DH is from Galveston so we've always spent a lot of time there. Yes, Moody Gardens is nice with a lot to do and you should definitely see the tall ship Elissa off the historic Strand area.

If you go into Houston, there are nice museums and of course the Space Center in between Houston and Galveston. I'm from Houston and I miss it so I definitely don't agree with the PP. You want boredom - check out Dallas sometimes.

 

[Eeyore98]

So are all TX beaches like that?

The beaches are much cleaner the further south you go until you get to South Padre Island where the cleanliness level depends on how long it has been since Spring Break.

Yep, this is the general rule of thumb for TX beaches. Port Aransas and Corpus Christi have some nice beaches, and South Padre is even better (except of course at this time of year).

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

We're flying in HOU but staying near NASA (Webster, TX). We planned to drive south once we arrive, not really heading to downtown Houston. We're not city people. We live less than 10 miles outside of Philadelphia & I work there yet still haven't taken my kids to the Liberty Bell or the touristy things there. Two hours from NYC and we're finally taking them to the Statue of Liberty & 9/11 Memorial this summer.

We arrive on a Sunday and fly home Wed morning. That was all the time I could get off work so really only 2.5 days. We weren't going just for the beaches so if they're not great we don't mind skipping that. Dh really wanted to try a shooting range. It seems there are so many more in TX than NJ so that would be easy.

Dh would probably like the Alamo but not the 3 hr drive or losing our non stop flight home from HOU. Then again we drove 5 hrs from Vegas to Sedona and we all enjoyed the scenery and it felt like part of the vacation, not a chore or just about getting where we're going.

pp, why do you dislike Houston so much?

Have any of you been to Water Country USA near Williamsburg, VA? How does either Schlitterbahn compare? How would it compare to Typhoon Lagoon/Blizzard Beach? We were pretty grossed out at our local Six Flags Water park, Hurricane Harbor. It just seems to attract a lot of trashy people with b.o.

 

[ekatiel]

pp, why do you dislike Houston so much?

Speaking for myself, I don't dislike Houston (it's my home-- well, actually we live in a suburb called Friendswood, which is about 10 minutes from where you're staying ), it's just that it's not much of a tourist destination. When people who live in Texas vacation in Texas, they usually go to San Antonio. It's the most "touristy" place in Texas.

For 2 and half days, you'll have enough in Houston to keep you busy . We've also got some pretty tasty restaurants right near where you're staying. Try Rudy's for BBQ (it's on the east side of 1-45 in between Nasa Rd. 1 and FM 518)-- really yummy Texas BBQ-- make sure you get some brisket (we like it extra lean) and some cream corn (I don't even like cream corn, and this stuff is AWESOME), and use plenty of Rudy's BBQ sauce on your meat-- it's in big containers at the tables! You can also buy a jar to take home-- believe me, you'll WANT to buy some to take home . Also, Chuy's is a great Tex-Mex place that's also right there-- be sure to ask for creamy jalapeno dip when they bring out your chips and salsa (it's free, you just need to ask-- and I swear it has crack in it, b/c it's SOOOO good ). If you go to Galveston, my kids always enjoy Rain Forest Cafe while we're there-- the food is only so-so, but it's a neat place if you don't have one near you. There's also a Cracker Barrel pretty near your Hotel (it's on the west side of 1-45 just past FM 518)-- that's always a good breakfast spot. That's all I can think of for now, I'll post more places as I think of them.--Katie

 

[Eeyore98]

Have any of you been to Water Country USA near Williamsburg, VA? How does either Schlitterbahn compare? How would it compare to Typhoon Lagoon/Blizzard Beach? We were pretty grossed out at our local Six Flags Water park, Hurricane Harbor. It just seems to attract a lot of trashy people with b.o.

The Hurricane Harbor attached to Six Flags St. Louis I found a lot cleaner, less chaotic, and less skanky than the New Braunfels Schlitterbahn. The amount of leaves, sticks, and general "gunk" in the water was almost non-existent at HH, they had a much better system for handling crowds, and none of the rides felt unsafe. And I find both Typhoon Lagoon and Blizzard Beach to be light-years better than either of the above waterparks.

Though if you're going to the Galveston Schlitterbahn, I believe it's all indoors, so I would think the water cleanliness would automatically be much better than at NB.

We've also got some pretty tasty restaurants right near where you're staying. Try Rudy's for BBQ (it's on the east side of 1-45 in between Nasa Rd. 1 and FM 518)-- really yummy Texas BBQ-- make sure you get some brisket (we like it extra lean) and some cream corn (I don't even like cream corn, and this stuff is AWESOME), and use plenty of Rudy's BBQ sauce on your meat-- it's in big containers at the tables! You can also buy a jar to take home-- believe me, you'll WANT to buy some to take home . Also, Chuy's is a great Tex-Mex place that's also right there-- be sure to ask for creamy jalapeno dip when they bring out your chips and salsa (it's free, you just need to ask-- and I swear it has crack in it, b/c it's SOOOO good ).

Seconding the Rudy's and Chuy's love!

 

[mareed]

Though if you're going to the Galveston Schlitterbahn, I believe it's all indoors, so I would think the water cleanliness would automatically be much better than at NB.

Seconding the Rudy's and Chuy's love!

I'm another local...

Galveston Schlitterbahn is about 1/3 indoors/convertible, but will be open air from now until next fall, so effectively the entire park will be outdoors. I don't recall ever thinking that there was an issue with water cleanliness when I've been there, but then I haven't experienced an issue at New Braunfels either, so obviously I haven't experienced whatever the PP has.

I'll give a third to Rudy's and Chuy's!

We love waterparks - Blizzard Beach, Typhoon Lagoon, & Schlitterbahn New Braunfels. We do also go to Schlitterbahn Galveston and enjoy it too, but it doesn't really compete with the other 3 I listed. It will be a fun day along with the other things you've listed, so go and enjoy! A really neat thing that Galveston Schlitterbahn has is that there are 3 inter-connected lazy-river attractions and you can get from one to another without leaving the water. One part is traditional lazy river with a small wave pool at one section, another part is a really neat tube ride with some small rapids, and a third part is what they call torrent river (I think) where a wave comes around periodically (perhaps once a minute). After lunch when the slide lines are too long for us, we pretty much spend all of our time in the inter-connected lazy rivers.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

The Hurricane Harbor attached to Six Flags St. Louis I found a lot cleaner, less chaotic, and less skanky than the New Braunfels Schlitterbahn. The amount of leaves, sticks, and general "gunk" in the water was almost non-existent at HH, they had a much better system for handling crowds, and none of the rides felt unsafe.

We actually prefer Whitewater in Branson to HH in STL. Have a friend who prefers HH because it's "newer", but the lines move 3X as fast for comparable rides at Whitewater & though an older park it's still quite clean

 

[Eeyore98]

We actually prefer Whitewater in Branson to HH in STL. Have a friend who prefers HH because it's "newer", but the lines move 3X as fast for comparable rides at Whitewater & though an older park it's still quite clean

It's been at least a decade since I last went to Whitewater, but it is also an awesome waterpark! It will always have a special place in my heart as the first waterpark I ever visited, as well as the first amusement-type park where my parents let me roam freely a young teen with my cousins (long, LONG ago).

 

[Planogirl]

The leaves and sticks are in the water at Schlitterbahn New Braunfels because they allow the river water to flow through part of the park. It's safe water since it flows and it's the same water that tons of people raft on each year.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Thanks for the food tips too! I will have to print this out for sure.

How funny, I was just looking at Friendswood on Google maps. That's where one of the shooting ranges is that I was checking out. Strange that it's right next to the high school. I guess it's no big deal for locals. I like how you can drop the little yellow guy on the street and look around as if you're there. Looks like a lot of neighborhoods here.

 

[ValpoCory]

DH is from Galveston so we've always spent a lot of time there. Yes, Moody Gardens is nice with a lot to do and you should definitely see the tall ship Elissa off the historic Strand area.

If you go into Houston, there are nice museums and of course the Space Center in between Houston and Galveston. I'm from Houston and I miss it so I definitely don't agree with the PP. You want boredom - check out Dallas sometimes.

Agreed. I am from Austin and love Houston. It's the most underrated of all the Texas cities. And the people there are much nice and less "keeping up with the Joneses" than here in Austin and especially less than in Dallas.

 

[theducksdidit]

Yep, this is the general rule of thumb for TX beaches. Port Aransas and Corpus Christi have some nice beaches, and South Padre is even better (except of course at this time of year).

I live in Port Aransas and the spring breakers have finally left! Our beach is clean again!!!

I defiantly agree with the other posters about the New Braunfels Schlitterbahn! It's the best! There is one going up right in South Padre. It should be done next summer!!

 

[ekatiel]

Thanks for the food tips too! I will have to print this out for sure.

How funny, I was just looking at Friendswood on Google maps. That's where one of the shooting ranges is that I was checking out. Strange that it's right next to the high school. I guess it's no big deal for locals. I like how you can drop the little yellow guy on the street and look around as if you're there. Looks like a lot of neighborhoods here.

LOL! I had NO idea that there was a shooting range next to the high school!! Just looked it up. It's actually next to Clear Brook High School, which isn't in our district. My kiddos will go to the shooting range-free Friendswood High School ! Glad we dodged that bullet (pun TOTALLY intended!). --Katie

 

[Kirby]

Agreed. I am from Austin and love Houston. It's the most underrated of all the Texas cities. And the people there are much nice and less "keeping up with the Jones" than here in Austin and especially less than in Dallas.

We're all just GCB's up here!

 

[EMom]

If you go to Schlitterbahn during the week instead of the weekend, it's a lot less crowded and a lot more enjoyable. One thing I like about it is that many of the rides have shaded lines......less time to sunburn if you have an awning over the top of the line. If you go, look for the high water marks inside from Hurricane Ike. If your kids want to do the "surfing" ride, do that early as the line gets looooooong. Get there early and claim a table in the shade if possible.

Alyssa is nice to tour and if you like history, there's a brief film very near Alyssa about the 1900 hurricane, which was the deadliest natural disaster in US history. Killed somewhere between 6000 and 12,000 people. Some gorgeous old mansions to tour....ones that survived the hurricane. It's hard to understand Galveston without understanding that hurricane.

As I said, the new boardwalk with all its rides/restaurants should be open by then. Moody Gardens can be expensive, but look at the website to see if you might like it. It's not far to NASA. You can get up really close to some of the old rockets/spacecrafts. I don't know what Mission Control is up to these days. It used to be fun to take the tour (go early) and find out what they were up to when you got to the Mission Control part of the tour. DD12 likes to stop in sometimes just for the gift shop.

 

[Gina]

You could spend your entire time on Galveston island and never run out of interesting things to see or do. And I guess I'm weird, but I FAR prefer the Galveston Schlitterbahn to the New Braunfels one. It's so clean and nice, and DS & I love to go in the winter when no one is there. We have season passes to Palm Beach at Moody Gardens, and that's where we usually spend a lot of time in the summer. Again it's just so clean and nice and I don't have to deal with seaweed or jellyfish. But that being said, I also spend a lot of time at the beach in Galveston -- just not in the water. But to simply walk along the Seawall, or just sit and watch the waves, that's my battery recharger.

Several pp's have mentioned La King's -- I would absolutely go there. YUM. http://www.lakingsconfectionery.com/

I would (and do) spend an inordinate amount of time on The Strand period, lol. I could spend 1000 hours and many more dollars than that in my favorite shop there, The Admiralty. But there are tons of neat shops, something for everyone.

An awesome place we love to eat at frequently is The Spot, right on the Seawall at 32nd. Incredible burgers, seafood, etc., and a wonderful waterfront view from one of the decks. http://www.islandfamous.com

There's a new "family-themed pirate adventure" called "Pirates! Legends of the Gulf Coast" on The Strand behind Saengerfest Park. We haven't been yet, but it sounds fun!
http://www.galveston.com/pirates/

We often just go ride the Bolivar Ferry on weekends. We park our car and walk on, and just enjoy the sea breeze on our faces and get a mini-cruise-fix.
http://www.texasbob.com/travel/tbt_bolivar_ferry.html

And the Galveston Pleasure Pier is going to be just incredible. We were watching them work on it this past weekend, and they are cramming a lot of fun onto that historic pier! Can't *wait* for it to open.
http://www.pleasure-pier.com/

You can visit www.galveston.com for all sorts of info, maps, etc. Great wealth of information.

Galveston has so much history and grace... You will not be bored there!

 

[Kirby]

Your description makes me want to go!

 

[Planogirl]

I want to go too.

I'm curious about this Pleasure Pier. I'm looking forward to Galveston getting back to where it should be.

 

[ruadisneyfan2]

Thanks everyone!