Texas Gulf Coast in April

[SpeakEasy]

Starting to put together some loose plans for this upcoming April. It's just the two of us; newly retired; wanting a starting taste of an RV lifestyle. We've done a lot of 2 to 3 week trips around the eastern US and some to the Rockies. Now we'll be setting out on a 6-week adventure to the South. I'm thinking some of our time should be in the Gulf Coast area of Texas.

I want to try this without a completely tight schedule, so probably no reservations. We prefer state and national parks, as well as some municipal parks, rather than RV resorts. We tend to like COE and BLM campgrounds too. We like a mix of dry camping and hookups. We like nature and wildlife. We like to see local "attractions" where history happened. We like scenic drives, some low-impact hiking, and just hanging out in the quiet of a natural setting. We like factory tours, museums, and the arts as well.

Here are my questions about Texas:
1. Along the Gulf Coast, what are the two or three spots not to be missed?
2. Where are the areas that are not likely to be back up and running after the hurricane?
3. What's the weather likely to be like in April?
4. Any places I should totally avoid because of "Spring Break" activity?

Thanks!
-Speak

[TxGearhead]

Not sure if you would have an interest in this, but there's probably nothing more Texas than this:
https://king-ranch.com/visit/our-tours/
I would also do the usual tourist stuff in San Antonio..The Riverwalk for dinner, The Alamo and the Mission Trail.

[SpeakEasy]

Thank you very much for the responses!

It sounds like maybe the hill country and some of the interior of Texas might be worth consideration. Love it!

-Speak

[CC_Crabman]

You will have easy access along the Texas Coast in April. Snow birders have left and summer crowds haven't shown up yet. The Rockport to Port Aransas area was hit hard by the hurricane although many businesses/restaurants have reopened. Goose Island State Park is close to opening and Mustang Island SP is still closed. April is a great month to visit the coast and if you are going further west then you should consider Big Bend NP and West Texas. Also April is bird migration month and if you are into birding there are some great places.

[PawPaw_n_Gram]

Only a very few schools / colleges in Texas will be on spring break in April.

Busiest weeks are the second and third weeks of March.

April might have a few stray Yankees but no real impact on RVers.

You can’t drive down the coast like many places in the east. It is more in and out.

Padre Island runs from Corpus Christi to Brownsville. But the only access is at the first couple dozen miles on either end for RVers

[BB_TX]

Most Texas school spring breaks are the second full week of March with some the week before and some the week after.

[imgoin4it]

Not sure when schools in Texas are on spring break, think April sometime but not sure. Anyway I suggest that’s the time you must have reservations. Nearly impossible to find a place to stay without some planning.

[MDKMDK]

SpeakEasy wrote:
Starting to put together some loose plans for this upcoming April. It's just the two of us; newly retired; wanting a starting taste of an RV lifestyle. We've done a lot of 2 to 3 week trips around the eastern US and some to the Rockies. Now we'll be setting out on a 6-week adventure to the South. I'm thinking some of our time should be in the Gulf Coast area of Texas.

I want to try this without a completely tight schedule, so probably no reservations. We prefer state and national parks, as well as some municipal parks, rather than RV resorts. We tend to like COE and BLM campgrounds too. We like a mix of dry camping and hookups. We like nature and wildlife. We like to see local "attractions" where history happened. We like scenic drives, some low-impact hiking, and just hanging out in the quiet of a natural setting. We like factory tours, museums, and the arts as well.

Here are my questions about Texas:
1. Along the Gulf Coast, what are the two or three spots not to be missed?
2. Where are the areas that are not likely to be back up and running after the hurricane?
3. What's the weather likely to be like in April?
4. Any places I should totally avoid because of "Spring Break" activity?

Thanks!
-Speak

Magnolia Beach/Port Lavaca, Mustang Island SP/Corpus Cristi are both nice. One free, one not.
Can't help with the rest of your queries, except maybe South Padre/Brownsville for Spring Break meccas.

[padredw]

Posted too quickly. Meant to say, we have always enjoyed our trips through western New York (like Binghamton to Schenectady and Cooperstown.) It is a beautiful area. We have stayed at Cooperstown and also at Arrowhead Marina and RV Park near Schenectady. We had a beautiful site at Arrowhead overlooking the river--a highlight of a trip to Maine.

[padredw]

I'm sure there will be others who will be able to give a better answer to those specific questions about the Texas Coast than I, but I can not resist making some "non-specific" comments.

In April, the Hill Country of Central Texas is not to be missed. One cannot predict about whether this will be a great year for Bluebonnets, but most years are at least worth seeing. If you are along the coast, maybe you could slip up to San Antonio and then on up to Fredericksburg and Kerrville. (Just don't go through Austin. I have always found that a traffic nightmare.)

Another place I will mention is Choke Canyon State Park. We usually stop there on our way to "The Valley" (Texas Rio Grande Valley) and see plentiful wildlife.

All of these I have mentioned are quite a bit inland. The reason I leave it to others to make suggestions about the coast is that we have not usually followed that route.

I will mention only two of the places we have stayed that would be considered coastal: Sea Wind RV Resort near Riviera, Texas and the very large Breckenridge Plantation Recreation Area near Edna, Texas. I'd surely go back to either of those.

Welcome to Texas, wish you would be able to visit North East Texas and the Hill Country in the Springtime. But I know you can't do it all on one trip.