Gay, how lucky for you to be so close to the beach! we are up in E.Tex now, lived near Victoria, then Houston til I was 10, but definitely spent many vacations at Galveston, from Crystal Beach, to Freeport, Matagorda all the way to Padre Island, we romped at all of em & loved them all, tho some were definitely better 'beaches' than others

I've been to Nassau, Jamaica, Cancun, the Atlantic beaches of Fla & the Pacific beaches of Cal & Mexico & I'd still say that the Gulf beaches of Fla are among the most pristine...still you just can't beat the welcoming atmosphere found there on SP...the people (locals & visitors alike) are so laid back, just like the folks I remember growing up around...must be something in the sea air that just calms the soul..now wonder we all want to go back!