South Texas early January advice

[Nancy]

We learned that our Norwegian friends will be in Houston early January. What is the weather like at that time of year? Should we bring our trailer, or should we just make motel reservations?

I've been reading about alligator etiquette in Brazos Bend State Park. "If an alligator goes after a fish you have caught, cut the line and let the alligator have the fish." We aren't interested in fishing but this is so foreign to me I might as well be from Norway.

Any suggestions on what to do in southern Texas in early January?

Nancy from near Canada.

[Greg A]

I've been reading about alligator etiquette in Brazos Bend State Park. "If an alligator goes after a fish you have caught, cut the line and let the alligator have the fish."

Any suggestions on what to do in southern Texas in early January?

Nancy from near Canada.

Don't Fish...

[andy s]

We learned that our Norwegian friends will be in Houston early January. What is the weather like at that time of year? Should we bring our trailer, or should we just make motel reservations?

I've been reading about alligator etiquette in Brazos Bend State Park. "If an alligator goes after a fish you have caught, cut the line and let the alligator have the fish." We aren't interested in fishing but this is so foreign to me I might as well be from Norway.

Any suggestions on what to do in southern Texas in early January?

Nancy from near Canada.

Nancy,
I would not worry too much about gators in January. The water and the air get pretty cool 40's evenings 60's daytime, that keeps the gators in their mud huts under the water. I fished that whole area for many years and only saw a few. Its not like south Florida.
As far as weather...Its really nice to camp the winter months all over south Tx.

[Mary F]

Nancy, if you really want WARM weather, you should head for SOUTH Texas (around South Padre - Brownsville - McAllen area), if your friends' schedule would allow it.

There won't LIKELY be any freezing weather in Houston in January (although it's possible), but it might be 40 degrees AND RAINING then... although you might luck into nice (dry) weather, instead.

[Nancy]

Thanks Mary,

Did a web search on South Padre and it doesn't look like our kind of place.

Found a dinosaur valley park (on the way south) that looks interesting to me and the Goose Island State park with the 1,000 year old oak sounds very interesting. Trouble finding if camping is year round via the web sites. Haven't tried searching for reservations.

Moody Gardens in Galveston look really neat.

Leaning toward a car/motel trip. Would not mind the cold, but the cold rain.....is this heavy rain or damp drizzle possibility Will need to give this idea more thought.

Nancy

[Al and Cindy K]

Big Bend National Park is at the top of our list. Check out the NPS website to see if you'd be interested. They do have a motel there if you need a room or you might try to get one of their stone cabins. Late December / early January is one of their busiest times so you'll want to make reservations. If you take the camper, stay at the Basin Campground if you can get by without hookups.

Here are some photos and a trip report that might give you some idea of what the Park is like

http://www.texbrick.com/photo/bb_2_07/all_pics.html
http://www.texbrick.com/photo/bb_2_07/tr.html

Note: Photos and report are from another visitor - Photography and writing skills continue to elude me.


Al

[Nancy]

Al thanks. Those pictures and journal were great.

I assume Thomas was the author. His comment, "It is one amazing aspect of the land that is Big Bend. If you are suffering, you will feel healing and hope. That is just simply put, it goes much deeper." Everyone needs a healing place, for me it is Lake Superior. I've tried to get people to understand this feeling about a place and fail, Thomas said it for me. What an experience they had.

Now I'll go to Big Bend site and see what is available.

Nancy

[Al and Cindy K]

"Now I'll go to Big Bend site and see what is available.

Nancy"


I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Al

[Mary F]

Nancy, I wasn't really suggesting South Padre; just the general area that is also known as "The Valley."

Alas, my favorite State Park (Bentsen-Rio Grande) in that area is no longer open to RVs. Thus I wasn't more specific - because I have not been down there since they opened The World Birding Center. But, talk about interesting and unique! Mission, Texas is actually the closest town to the place we used to camp; supposedly there are "very nice" commercial facilities that took the place of Bentsen-Rio Grande SPs campground. (If I say more, I'll have to edit myself for getting political!)

Anyway, South Texas IS a long way from Houston. (Big Bend is even further!)

My point about the rain in January is there are no guarantees (unless you get as far south as The Valley, and, yes, as far southwest as Big Bend). Our winter weather is not like in Oregon, where you can count on rain, or Chicago where you can count on snow. We get LOVELY days in January all over the state... but we sometimes get rain... and every few years there's an ice storm. You just have to be flexible about the weather here in January.

Sorry if I've muddied the subject.

[Al and Cindy K]

Nancy - Apologies in advance for the hijack here.

Mary, you sure called it right on your weather. Two years ago we were in Big Bend the first week in January and it was shorts and tee's. This year, same week, we took our backpacking gear and overnighted on the South Rim - three inches of snow and loved every minute of it.

You Texans are most fortunate to have such diverse recreational opportunities. We've camped at Palo Duro, Padre Island, Seminole Canyon, Big Bend and a few others. Never had a bad moment at any of them. Thanks for making us feel welcome.


Al

[Nancy]

Mary and Al,

Wow. What great discussion. Thanks so much. The "Valley" is now on my list. Northern MN to Southern TX is a long drive. What is a few more hours/days.

Some of the places are primitive camping which we normally prefer. But this will be winter and we haven't a furnace. When we think it will be cold and rainy we try for electric sites to use the cube heater before bed and in the morning. I sure wouldn't like to use the Mr. Buddy if I didn't have to.

Probably if we get down there I will be wanting air conditioning, which we also don't have.

My thoughts are to pull the trailer to Tulsa, OK in November to visit family, drop the trailer there and then return in January. Not at all interested in pulling a trailer from here to there in January.

Our friends will not have the same interests as we, so we will probably visit for a couple of days and then go off to do our thing. On our last trip they wanted Las Vegas, we wanted red rocks and more red rocks, and more red rocks!

Thanks so much for clearing up the "south texas" points for me.

Nancy