[Lowcountry idn]

Was thinking of taking a vacation to South / West Texas this summer and looking for advice. The girls want to see "something different, maybe the desert or mountains?.

I realize summer is not the optimum season, but we live on the South Carolina Coast so were used to some heat (normal summer high is 90-95 with high humidity, approaches 100 frequently) and we normally vacation in Florida in the summer. Summer is really the only season we have time. Anyone have experience with both? How much hotter than here is hot going to be?

I am thinking 2 weeks - 1 in San Antonio / Austin area, and maybe a week travelling around the less populated part of the state?

so for the second week - any advice on the following:

South Padre Island? You tube videos show it blowing all the time - is that the case? Constant blowing sand might not be our thing given the proximity to atlantic beaches here?

I presume big bend would be crazy hot. Too bad, its on my bucket list?

Palo Duro Canyon? Little higher elevation maybe not as hot?

Guadalupe Mountains - again likely too hot?

Other suggestions?

or should I just head to Colorado or somewhere cooler.

I should mention that we like outdoors, but likely will want to hotel or VRBO on this trip, although not opposed to camping a night or two.

 

[Surf and Snow]

Eat lots of BBQ!

 

[Labbie]

Palo Duro Canyon will be hotter than hell in the summer. You enter the canyon from the top and the is no wind or breeze at all in the canyon itself.

I went to a car show several times in the canyon a few years ago in mid-October and baked every time.

And there really isn't much to do or see that would take more than half a day, if that. It's a big hole in the ground in an otherwise flat landscape.

 

[whatnext]

Took a lot of business trips to San Antonio but I'm from the NE (so its way too hot for me). Definitely go someplace cooler.

The car would barely be cooling down on the 15 mile highway drive from the airport with the AC full blast. Jump into the outdoor hotel swimming pool to cool off? Not! Had to buy a 6 pack of cold beer and hold a can to my head as I lounged in the pool. My business partner did the same so I'm not making this up. This was over multiple trips. So learned to not bother with the swimming pools.

Drove down to Corpus Christi and went to Padre Island (didn't make it to South Padre). Nice but not much different from east coast beaches (maybe bigger). Also the beach trip was in the winter so can't imagine the summer heat. Also nothing between San Antonio and Corpus Christi except cows.

(sorry, obviously not a local)

 

[Lowcountry idn]

Took a lot of business trips to San Antonio but I'm from the NE (so its way too hot for me). Definitely go someplace cooler.

The car would barely be cooling down on the 15 mile highway drive from the airport with the AC full blast. Jump into the outdoor hotel swimming pool to cool off? Not! Had to buy a 6 pack of cold beer and hold a can to my head as I lounged in the pool. My business partner did the same so I'm not making this up. This was over multiple trips. So learned to not bother with the swimming pools.

(sorry, obviously not a local)

Thats funny.

You acclimate after a while. Not a native southerner, but been in lowcountry South Carolina 15 years or so. First year I used to start the car and go back in the house while it cooled off! Now I mow my lawn in the middle of the day and August, Sweat a bunch but think nothing of it.

 

[whatnext]

Here's something that'll be funny for us east coasters:

Was driving on the interstate going north out of San Antonio. Was about 20-30 miles into hill country and saw the big green signs over the interstate that usually announce the next exit, how far and what's there. Well, it said El Paso, 600 miles. I turned around.

Of course there are other exits before El Paso but not much else. Travel in the SW was put into perspective for me when I was in Grand Canyon National Park, on a shuttle bus at 7am and it was just me, my son and the driver. So was chatting with the driver. The take away - Its normal to drive 40 miles (one way) just to see a dentist.

 

[GeolJon]

There isn't much of an escape from the summer heat in TX. Coastal areas like Galveston, Corpus Christi, or Padre Island are more bearable because there is usually a breeze. Big Bend is a big no-no in the summer, just too hot and dry, except for perhaps up high in the mountains. Similar thing with the Guads. Just over the border, however, is Carlsbad Caverns which is nice and cool inside all year. The drive from Austin/San Antonio west to El Paso or those destinations other takes hours and hours and is not very scenic for the most part (this coming from a geologist), so unless you are headed out that way, it probably isn't worth it in the summer, IMO.

If you want to stick around San Antonio/Austin are a number of nice spots to see and cool off even in the summer. You can rent a kayak/canoe/boat on Lady Bird Lake in Austin and see the bats come out from under the Congress bridge. There is Zilker Park & Barton Springs. Also Hamilton Pool and a number of creeks and nearby state parks (Pedernales, McKinney Falls). A couple caves too. In and around San Antonio you have Sea World, 6 Flags, the Riverwalk, and a number of cold springs. Also there is a nice park with springs just north of SA in New Braunfels.

 

[ScurvyX]

Padre Island is a dirty beach. The current comes west from US gulf coast and NE from Mexico (where they don't have as stringent of laws) and all the trash settles on Padre Island. They do a beach clean-up twice a year, and they still can't keep up with the trash (and tar from all the drilling in gulf)

Big Bend N.P. will be a scorcher.

There's a place N of Fredricksburg (W of San Antonio) called Enchanted Rock. It's a big bolder (like really big, really, really big) that sits on the edge of the TX Hill Country. There's a trail (walking) that leads to the top that's kind cool.

Actually, TX sucks, and that's why I moved to WA in 1999 (but parents where still there till 2016 when I moved them to WA, so I've been back lots, BUT NEVER AGAIN.) Too HOT and the Texans are too full of themselves and red for my taste.

I'd do CO over TX in a heartbeat.

 

[ScurvyX]

If you do go, there's a BBQ place in Dripping Springs (NW of San Antonio and SW of Austin) called The Salt Lick. It was the BOMB back in the '80s & '90s when it was small. Over the years they have gotten very popular and have grown/expanded. Not sure of the quality/reviews now, but it was some of the best BBQ I've had.

 

[chevy42083]

Are you on Facebook? Look up "texas Overland"... they have tons of maps of scenic drives in the "files" area and input towards all camping in general.

The beach runs are fairly common around padre... its much better than the beaches around Galveston. There are a few you can drive on around Galveston (the next beaches east and west of the island), but the water there is pretty nasty and beaches are completely hit or miss on being a muddy mess of brown water and sea weed. They aren't ALWAYS bad.... but its really a crap shoot on whether you'd want to get in the water.... or even take a pretty picture.

There are a few wheeling parks spread around, but sounds like you are looking for scenery/camping? But yes... TX is huge, so plan well, or you'll be spending 1/2 a day getting from one spot to another.

 

[ScurvyX]

If you do go, there's a BBQ place in Dripping Springs (NW of San Antonio and SW of Austin) called The Salt Lick. It was the BOMB back in the '80s & '90s when it was small. Over the years they have gotten very popular and have grown/expanded. Not sure of the quality/reviews now, but it was some of the best BBQ I've had.

They put a stipmall restaurant in Round Rock and a place in the Austin airport. Can't be as good as the original pit...

https://www.flickr.com/photos/necessaryindulg/6950549392/

Even the old original pit-house in Dripping Springs has expanded... Back in the early '90s when we would regularly go (out of Austin), it was just the old pit-house that they now use for marketing. Last time we went, 2005-ish, the expanded area didn't have the same feel and the food wasn't quite the same.

Salt Lick BBQ ? BARBECUE?LIKE NO OTHER!

If you do go, the Hill Country area of Texas is beautiful, and you can find plenty to do, it's a large area. The Guadalupe river is fun to float when it's that hot (if it's flowing), and Schlitterbahn (waterpark) in New Braunfels, TX is fun and another cool thing to do when it's hot.

(But, I'd still go to CO...)

 

[chevy42083]

I loved salt lick, years ago (15?)... but last time I went (4?), it simply didn't live up the memory. Maybe I just built it up too much. Maybe i'm just accustomed to really good home made stuff now.

Floating the river is a good plan... you can float the Comal if the others are dried up. Scenery isn't as nice, but its a man made area thats ALWAYS flowing. It goes right through town, past the city park and Schlitterbahn. So you don't get the large cliffs and wild nature views of the Guadalupe. One is spring fed, the other from the bottom of a lake's damn... so both are frigid, even on the hottest of days. At least for us locals who don't really ever get cold weather.

 

[PatrickPhimr]

Was thinking of taking a vacation to South / West Texas this summer and looking for advice. The girls want to see "something different, maybe the desert or mountains?.

I realize summer is not the optimum season, but we live on the South Carolina Coast so were used to some heat (normal summer high is 90-95 with high humidity, approaches 100 frequently) and we normally vacation in Florida in the summer. Summer is really the only season we have time. Anyone have experience with both? How much hotter than here is hot going to be?

I am thinking 2 weeks - 1 in San Antonio / Austin area, and maybe a week travelling around the less populated part of the state?

so for the second week - any advice on the following:

South Padre Island? You tube videos show it blowing all the time - is that the case? Constant blowing sand might not be our thing given the proximity to atlantic beaches here?

I presume big bend would be crazy hot above ground pool installers san antonio. Too bad, its on my bucket list?

Palo Duro Canyon? Little higher elevation maybe not as hot?

Guadalupe Mountains - again likely too hot?

Other suggestions?

or should I just head to Colorado or somewhere cooler.

I should mention that we like outdoors, but likely will want to hotel or VRBO on this trip, although not opposed to camping a night or two.

Hi!



Please help us in planning our 2-weeks trip to the USA. My husband and I will be traveling to Austin, Texas in August 2010. We are staying there for 4 days in Austin (husband is on business) and here we need your help i.e. where to spend the rest of the time. What to do... road trip through Texas (but it must be hot in August, and it is also a hurricane season - maybe not the best time to go) or take a low-cost airline to go somewhere else in the USA for the rest of our vacation? We have already been to NY and Florida. Give us some advice, please.