Playa--I'm basing my answers on the post-Rita beaches in the Houston area. The power is still not on throughout the island from Hurricane Rita. My in-laws live on Jamaica and Pirate's Beach and were told they may have power this weekend or next. If you are coming that soon, I'd definitely take that into account.

To answer your questions, I would start by telling you, no the water is never any shade of blue. Because of currents, Galveston Bay becomes the "trash can" of the Gulf of Mexico. It's constantly churning and the currents bring up all sorts of mish-mash like items off of shrimp boats and freighters. I can't tell you how many times I've found fruits & vegetables still in the bags floating in from an offshore boat. The water is predominantly a murky brown. It's just sand and silt -- not medical waste or anything.

If you truly love an ocean-type beach, you can't really compare LaPorte, Kemah, or Seabrook to Galveston. The other three are really small offshoots of Galveston Bay. I would recommend East Beach for clean fun with bathrooms, parking, umbrellas you can rent. It's just off of I-45 and has lots of fast food restaurants nearby.

If you want to shop, hit the strand. It is very diverse for shopping from art galleries to a Big Dog's outlet store. I would warn you that they just had some flooding with the storm surge from Rita, so call before you go. I always go to the state park on the west side because you can camp overnight. It has nice picnic areas and bathrooms, as well.

The water may not be turquoise, but it's still full of fish & marine life. You'll have a great time if you hit the Aquarium restaurant. There's even a ride you can take. Also hit some local dive shops or surf shops just for fun. You can get some really great deals on cheap t-shirts if you are into that kind of thing. You'll have a great time --- Galvestonians are wonderful people. You can have as much fun as you can stand!

If you want a pretty, pretty artificial beach (well, it's real but man made), go to Moody Gardens. They have their own beach.

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What beach to go to? - Houston Forum - TripAdvisor