yes, i am biased, and a native texan. but i don't think the beaches in texas are as bad as some of ya'll do, no they are not fla panhandle beaches, but they do have their own charm, and i have never had as good beachcombing as on north padre island, the national seashore is a nice spot for beaching. but we usually stayed at port aransas on mustang island. there are some nice attractions in the area: king ranch, uss lexington, texas state aquarium to name a few. as far as water and sand i understand that the conditions are tied to currents and proximity to the mississippi river mouth.
as far as galveston, we had good luck camping at the state park there last june, and i don't think that it is that much worse than daytona, but i am not that partial to either of those beaches.
for fla beaches i prefer south atlantic; ft lauderdale, west palm, etc., although we have enjoyed the emerald coast as well.
but imho, i would take a beach vacation anytime, and do quite often.
