SaraLou

Getting married near Houston in April then driving to So. Padre. We plan to leave Sunday but don't have a reservation in SPI until Monday night. Any suggestions on where to stop off for a romantic overnight. Also, Mapquest says Houston to SPI is about 9 hrs but relatives said it is only 6 hrs. I know Mapquest is alway high but is it really that far off???

Austin

That is definitely off. I live in Austin, and my friends (and husband) tell me Austin is about 6 hours from SPI. Houston should be closer to 6. Mapquest is always higher in my experience.

I'd stop off at Mustang Island, just South of Port Aransas. We always like staying at Port Royal. You can probably get a great rate on a one bedroom condo in April. They have a website, I think it's port-royal.com

bellairegirl

The last time we drove between Houston and South Padre it took about 7 hours, but we had little kids in the car, so we made some stops. As to a romantic place to stay, you've got me stumped. We used to break up the trip by staying in Kingsville, but it's far from romantic.

Austin

Another nice condo on the beach in Port Aransas/Mustang Island is the Aransas Princess. They don't have a website, but you can read about them thru other sites. Do a google search.

SaraLou

Thanks for the info. I'll look at those. I was thinking perhaps we could find a B&B somewhere along the way tho. Hopefully somewhere around 1/2 way or beyond. Know any? Don't want you to think I'm too lazy to do a web search but I don't trust the route I am getting on Mapquest due to the big difference in estimated time so I'm not sure which towns to search in.

travellyn

I think of 6.5-7 hours as the time from Houston to SPI, but it all depends on where in Houston you're leaving.

I'd look at Corpus Christi or Rockport for stops. Each would be about halfway; both would require small detours, but they beat anything else along the way.

Victoria is closer to Houston than SPI, but it has a lot of old German influence. It might have an interesting B&B or so. It's right at the edge of the Hill Country, so it has a few rolling hills as opposed to the flat land around Houston and SPI. You might be able to see some bluebonnets blooming, depending on when in April you're going.

Linds

Whoa, Travellyn!

Victoria is NOT on the edge of the Hill Country. It's part of the coastal plain. From almost 30 years' experience of living in the area (including Beeville, which is pretty flat, and geographically similar to Victoria), the southern boundary of the Hill Country is San Antonio, with the eastern boundary running roughly parallel to I-35 between San Antonio and Austin. Maybe you were thinking of Fredericksburg in the Hill Country, which does indeed have heavy German influence.

This post is probably too late to be of any use, but I second the suggestion of a stop at the Port Royal near Port Aransas. It's not a bed-and-breakfast (they're beach condos), but in April it won't be terribly crowded, and the 500-ft. long lagoon pool is incredible. There's even a hot tub "island" which could be pretty romantic when lit at night. There are also several good options for sea food a few miles away in Port Aransas.

Congratulations, and enjoy your honeymoon!

travellyn

I do know where Victoria is. I always think of it as being the edge of the hill country because there are some rolling hills there for the first time as you come in from the coast. They just increase as you move toward San Antonio. I never knew what the official boundary of the hill country was. Maybe it's extended in my mind because I lived in much flatter Houston and Brownsville.

My sister in law is from a large German extended family in Victoria, and I got the idea that there was a pretty significant German population there. I realize that it wouldn't compare to that of Fredricksburg.

Linds

I like Victoria a lot. Growing up, we used to go there to shop (being from Beeville, where there was NOwhere to buy anything but groceries). I guess it is quite a bit more hilly than the coast, and it *is* a cute town. I never knew about the German influence, though. That's pretty cool!

LDLee

Try Rockport.

http://www.rockport-fulton.org/
http://www.rockportnet.com/

SPI is about 7 hours from Houston. The route is not as straight as from Austin/San Antonio because of the coastal bend.

SaraLou

Thanks for all the suggestions. They are just in time as it is this Sunday for which I was planning. And I must add that it is just in time weather-wise too. We fly out of Milwaukee on Wed. afternoon. Today we are expecting temps around 80 degrees but Thursday's forecast is rain/snow mix. I guess that's spring in Wisconsin....I am so glad we will be in TX!!! Thanks again everyone.