Gulf Coast Getaways

June 14, 2008 7:40 PM

Help me find a beach getaway in Texas that's cheap and easy enough to let me do it a few times a year when the mood strikes me. I hate flying and driving, so my options are limited to places that are serviced by Greyhound or regional bus companies. No out-of-the-way small towns, but most big towns are go.

Most places in Texas are hard to manage without a car, especially when you don't know your way around. My ideal vacation spot will put me in a hotel where I can go to the beach every day, walk to enough restaurants and grocery stores to keep me fed, and maybe even provide some nightlife, used-book shopping or local color.

As for lodging, I'm interested both in cheap but not scary *and* pricier but worth it.

posted by freshwater_pr0n to travel & transportation (5 comments total)

Galveston offers 32 miles of relaxing beaches, superb (and I do mean superb) restaurants, top resort hotels, marvelous downtown shopping, numerous antique stores, incredible art galleries, fabulous entertainment and one of the largest and well-preserved concentrations of Victorian architecture in the country.
posted by netbros at 7:54 PM on June 14

I have a cousin that lives in Galveston, and I agree with him. I think he lives in Crystal Beach, actually, which is on the barrier island north of Galveston. There's also Corpus Christi/Padre Island, which is further south but I think caters to tourists more.

If you're looking farther east, my ex-girlfriend lived right along the water in Alabama for two months... the apartments she lived in were destroyed by Katrina, but apparently they're rented by the week/month for just the thing you're seeking. (I have a possible sabbatical-ish amount of leave coming due next year, and I'm thinking about taking a month to become a beach bum and write some really cool software.)
posted by SpecialK at 9:08 PM on June 14

Err, I agree with Netbros, not my cousin.
posted by SpecialK at 9:08 PM on June 14

The husband and I get away to Galveston with some frequency. We prefer the winter months - hotels are cheaper, it's not as hot, less people. The Greyhound Station is at 38th and Broadway. One of our favorite places to stay, The Commodore, is on 37th and the beach (it is a 17 block walk to the water from the bus station or you can take a cab). It's NOT fancy, but they have free wifi, cable tv, it's quiet, close to things and has a nice pool. It's one of those hotels that's begging for a mid century make-over that will never happen, and I think that gives it some charm. We've gotten some reasonable rates online over the years. You can walk to Shrimp N Stuff on 39th and O Ave.

I would not recommend the Flagship Hotel, it's pretty run down, feels dirty. One tiny elevator that is painfully slow. And their idea of free WiFi is a phone outlet in the lobby (self flickr link). Their other amenities are along the same lines. It's a shame because it looks like the place was once really nice.

Both of these places can get expensive in the summer months. Once I rented an entire beach house in Galveston in January for $500 for the week. That price is 3 to 5 times that in summer. Galveston is cheap in the winter, not so much in summer.

You can rent a bike to get around and also use the Trolley. Riding the Bolivar Ferry is free fun. There's a huge Kroger grocery store 20 blocks or so from the Commodore (around 50th St). A long walk, but not a bad bike ride. There's a nice book store near the Strand. The Mosquito Cafe is really good. If you ever see good rates for The Hotel Galvez or The Treamont, snatch them, those places are nice.

Galveston is small enough to get around okay without a car, but big enough to offer up nice places to eat and you can find a good cup of coffee. It has really nice Victorian architecture. The beaches are pretty, but brown from silt from rivers that flow that way. If you want whiter beaches and bluer water you have to go South to Corpus or Padre Island.
posted by dog food sugar at 7:47 AM on June 15 [2 favorites]

You have your answer already, but I'll add this: I lived in Galveston for about 5-1/2 years until moving closer to Houston last year. I think you'll find that it has a laid-back funky atmosphere. It reminds me of the old Austin vibe of the 70s and 80s. (Don't get me started on how Austin has changed...)

There's some little live-music venues on Post Office Street and elsewhere. Check out the Parrot, an alternative paper, to find out what's happening. The web site has a bar and restaurant guide and live music listings.

dog food sugar has great advice about accomodations, and the thing about renting a bike is an excellent idea. Remember, the island is flat as a pancake, no hills. You can also rent a Segway Scooter, if that's your thrill.

If you're mainly thinking "beach getaway" then The Strand may or may not be your cup of tea. It has old 1800s buildings with tourist-oriented shops, wrought iron balconies, sort of like a French Quarter in miniature. In keeping that, much of the old residential part of the Island reminds me of New Orleans: shotgun houses here, Victorian houses there reminiscent of the Garden District, and over all a sort of lazy ennui. St. Mary's Basicila/Co-Cathedral downtown looks like a blurry carbon-copy of St. Louis Cathedral in Jackson Square. Time can stand still.

There is a saying that Galveston is "near Texas." When you visit, and I hope you do, you can, if you wish, find a sense of being in a different state, a different time, a different place.
posted by Robert Angelo at 4:44 PM on June 15