Vacation question. Going to the beach.....

[Biggsly]

My kids are wanting to go to the beach. This is an extra trip that we are going to squeeze in. I figure I will take off for 7 days. My kids are wanting to go fishing and hang on the beach.
I am wanting to run them down to Galveston and that area, because it is an easy drive. The wife wants me to drive to Pensacole Fl. I had some friends tell me that they really cleaned up Galveston since I last been there.
Here is my questions.
1. Who has been to Galveston in the last year and what did you think?

2. Is it really worth the extra driving to go to Pensacola?

 

[COZICAN]

Do you want brown water or blue water?

 

[turkeyrun]

Been to Pensacola - very pretty beach, nice blue water, not worth a crap to play in water - gets deep very quickly.
Lived 20 miles from Galveston - tourist trap, fishing is crap, shallow water. Better to go to Crystal Beach, north of Galveston or Surfside - south of Galveston. Both bigger, cleaner beaches, better fishing. Crystal Beach has several beach houses for rent at reasonable price and right on the water, plus the girls would love the free ferry boat ride to get there.

 

[Chief Sapulpa]

1. Who has been to Galveston in the last year and what did you think?

At Galveston you swim in the Gulf of Yoo-hoo...go further south if you want clear and clean water like Matagorda, Corpus, South Padre or Mustang Island.

 

[turkeyrun]

so true, Chief. Love the fishing and the water at Rockport, for play it's just a short drive from there to Padre/Corpus.

 

[.45Fats]

I'd say Pensacola, or just a little further up to Navarre

Definitely stop by the Naval Air Station museum while you're there.

 

[Biggsly]

So south of Galveston is nice? I would much rather go straight south, then to FL. I know some of you guys have already touched on this, but where all in the Texas area would be good for both beach and fishing?

 

[SMS]

Destin/Pensacola (prefer Destin to P-Cola) are leaps and bounds above Galveston. I went to Galveston last summer for a short weekend. It WAS nice, but nothing compared to the sugar sand and blue water of Destin.

 

[tntrex]

Yes south of galveston is better. I have been to Rockport, Port A, Galveston, Corpus, and Matty so many times I cant count when I lived down there.

Port Aransas is the best if its a family play thing. You should stay on the beach in a hotel you can just walk to the gulf from.

 

[tntrex]

My heart is in Matty. This is what I go do all day every day for a week solid every year. Best to leave the wife and kids at home tho.