So my husband, and our 6 kids ages 1,3,4,5, 12,19 are doing the whole 5 thousand mile roundtrip from seattle to houston. We want to stop into LasVegas, Tucson, LA, and want advice on this trip, never done it before. Also hear about beach snakes in Texas should we worry?
How to find hotels that are affordable? Gas prices and any thing else
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...you can make a nice looping trip where you're not covering the same ground twice by heading down the coast to Los Angeles, then over to Las Vegas, visiting the Grand Canyon, then down through Arizona to Tucson and across New Mexico and Texas to Houston. Just a few other stops along that part of the trip might include Crater lake, Sedona, White Sands, and the Alamo.
Then head home by going north through Dallas and the Texas Panhandle to Walsenburg and up the Front Range of Colorado, then over the Rockies to Salt Lake City and home by way of the Snake River Valley. Places of interest on this part would include Capulin Mountain, Pokes Peak, Rocky Mountain National Park, Dinosaur National Monument, the Great Salt Lake, and Hell's Canyon.
Yes, there are poisonous snakes on the Texas Gulf coast, including the Western Diamondback, and Texas Coral Snake, so you will need to keep an eye on the smaller children, but basically if you leave the snakes alone, they'll leave you alone.
AZBuck
Beach snakes? I've lived near the Gulf Coast in the Houston area for 35 years and have never heard of anybody having trouble with snakes on the beach. I suppose if you went looking for them you could find them. If you just go to Surfside, Galveston, or Bolivar you would probably have to do a lot of looking. On the other hand if you would like to see some alligators take a short trip south of Houston to Brazos Bend State Park. There is no question that you will see alligators plus lots of birds. The walks around the ponds are fun and the gators are absolutely not dangerous if you leave them alone (No "Hey watch this" photos!). The kids may also enjoy a few hours at the George Ranch. It is a historical park with homes and ranching exhibits and demonstrations from the 1830s thru the 19th century. Second link...Both are inexpensive.
By all means, make a loop out of the trip and don't drive back the way you drive to Houston. On your way back via the Texas Panhandle you can also stop by Palo Duro Canyon and for fun, Cadillac Ranch (both in the Amarillo area). Paint your names on the Cadillacs and take your family picture. I 2nd AZBUCK's suggestions.
I'm pretty sure this trip is over and done with, the thread is over 2 years old and the original poster never made another post after the initial one.
I've lived in Houston all my life (almost 50 years) and have never seen a snake. Gasoline is around $3.45 (or a little more) a gallon. I've been to the beach in Galveston many times and have never seen snakes. My husband, also a native Texan, says he's never even heard of a beach snake. Be prepared for very, very hot weather. It's been in the high 90s every day recently. With the high humidity, the heat index (what the body perceives the temperature to be, or the "feels like" temperature) has been in the low 100s (102 or 103).
The link may be old... but I love the comments. I've seen some odd things in Houston, but never any snakes...
Ya just gotta wonder, what TV show in 2008 prompted that worry?
Mark
As a Houstonian, there are snakes., but have never seen any on the beach.
I still wonder what prompted this original query!
Mark
My mind exactly! I just opened this thread 'cos I've been in Houston well for 5 years only but have never heard about snakes, or seen one outside the zoo..Quote:
Originally Posted by Mark Sedenquist