andrea_23

My boyfriend an I are going to the US for three weeks in july. We plan on spending 10 days or something in New Orleans and then travel around for the nest week and a half, either in Louisiana, or in Texas or Mississippi. Do anyone have any suggestions as to what we should do (we don't know anything about this area)? We would like to go to a nice place where we can swim and sun bath (I've read here that the beaches aren't that good in this area), but also other things like hiking. We're not that into museums, but we like music and nightlife. Just give me all suggestions you have! (Within a 5-10 hour drive from NO)

GoTravel

In July, I would highly recommend spending your remaining time at different Gulf Coast beaches. July will be extremely hot, humid, and sticky in the deep south and you may be miserable if you go inland. Panama City, Florida, Galveston, Texas, or Padre Island, Texas would be a good start.

lucienne78

New Orleans in July will be extremely hot. The humidity in July is unbearable.

OliveOyl

If you really want to beach it, I'd head to the FL gulf coast, (skip MS Gulf) anywhere from Pensacola to Seaside. If you'd prefer night life, bars, and music scene, Austin, TX might be worth exploring, and perhaps include a trip a bit west to San Antonio as well. The Hill Country is beautiful and San Antonio, though extremely hot that time of year (as New Orleans will be), is always fun to explore. Don't know where you are coming from but that entire area in July is pretty awful heat and humidity wise. The beach, though hot, almost always has a breeze so it doesn't feel as oppresive as New Orleans. We have lived both in New Orleans and in Texas at various times of our lives, and summer time heat there is something you never quite get used to!

Austin

Can you venture a little? I wouldn't spend 10 days in NO, but others might suggest it... The only really "nice" beach in Texas is South Padre Island. Quite far south, bordering on Mexico.

I'd go to the Western Coast of Florida as well, and check out some of those beaches. I can't reccommend any, but others here often comment on how really nice they are.

In any event, you picked the most humid, sticky area of the US for July! Do you have to spend the 3 weeks in this part of the US?

ChristieP

It sounds like you'd really enjoy San Antonio, Texas. There's lots of excellent hiking in the State Parks in the surrounding Hill Country. Also, South Padre Island does have nice beaches, and Corpus Christi isn't too bad. Austin, Texas is also very well-known for its music scene.

HOWEVER, since you are not used to the Texas heat and sun, you'll have to be very careful in July. Drink LOTS of water, wear light-colored/cotton clothes, and avoid being outside bewteen 12 and 4.

travellyn

I agree with other posters that the only way to stand outdoor activities in the Gulf Coast region during July is to be right on the water. To give you an idea of what temperatures to expect, many nights won't cool down below 80F. In the evenings you'll deal with mosquitos. Being inland a couple of hundred miles, San Antonio and Austin are less humid, so they're more comfortable than NO, etc.

I used to live in Houston, and every July, we'd head for someplace cooler, usually mountains or Scotland/Ireland.

Austin

And those of us who live in the area and can't afford to travel, head into any building, since they are air conditioned and set at about 65 degrees.

retired_readytogo

"Austin"---love your comments about A/C @ 65....

traveller212

Depends what your interests are, but there are many ante-bellum historic homes and plantations to visit around Louisiana and Mississippi. Natchez in Mississippi on the Mississippi has a good collection. Southern Louisiana is "cajun country" with cities like Lafayette -- but yes, all these things will be very hot and humid in July.

bellairegirl

If you travel to the Austin - San Antonio - Hill Country area, you might want to consider bidding for a resort stay in San Antonio. The Westin La Cantera, Hill Country Hyatt and Radisson Hill Country are usually the properties that people get when bidding in the San Antonio North or Northwest areas under the resort category. The regular prices are expensive, but you can get great deals on Priceline.

I've stayed at the Westin and Hyatt and they are both BEAUTIFUL properties with really nice pools and amenities. One is near Sea World and one is near Fiesta Texas (which has a water park).

andrea_23

Thanks for all the replies! Allthough we're from Norway, I think we will bear the heat, we like it hot!!

GoTravel

Andrea, I don't think you understand how hot we are talking about. Being that I live in the deep south, we are talking sauna miserable hot. You know when you get out of a hot shower and every pore on your skin is wide open? Unless you are on the beach, forget any outdoor activities between 10AM and 2PM. The heat indices (combining heat and humidity what the temps actually feel like) can easily be way over 110 degrees. It isn't so much the heat but the humidity.

Just trying to prepare you.

J_Correa

GoTravel is right - it's the humidity that will get you. I live in California and we routinely get summertime temperatures in the 90s, and occasionally it gets over 100 in our inland valleys, but we have a fairly low humidity, so it's not so bad. The southwest is even drier so high temperatures seem less severe - a high of 100 isn't bad as long as you stay out of the direct sun and drink enough water. The deep south is like a sauna though. The humidity makes it so that you can't even get relief in the shade. We were in New Orleans in May of last year and we had a couple days that were downright sticky. July will be warmer and wetter.

So be prepared. Bring lots of light clothing (color and fabric), bring more changes of clothes than you would otherwise need because you will most likely want to shower and change in the middle of the day, or at least before going out at night. Make sure you drink a lot of water because you will be sweating a lot and can easily get dehydrated. Plan your activities for early morning, late afternoon, and at night. Relax in the midday.

AnneO

yes, it is miserably hot here in July, but it's not as bad as August!! No one has suggested the Alabama Gulf Coast....I would suggest Gulf Shores (or actually, Orange Beach, which is about 4 miles away and much quieter).

I second the suggestions for Hill Country around Austin....just beautiful! Natchez MS is also very unusual and pretty.

Enjoy your trip!!

Anne

GoTravel

Anne, I don't mean to sound negative but can you really tell that much difference between July and August?