On the Water Front
How do you survive a Texas summer? We’ve got two words for you (no, not “New Mexico”): “Stay wet.” To this deep end, we’ve swum—and tubed and scuba’d and surfed—the state to find spots where the urge to submerge is irresistible. Some of our picks are outrageously popular, where weekend crowds are packed flipper to float. Others are relatively undiscovered treasures that you might end up sharing with no one but a great blue heron. So go ahead, heed the siren call of that ancestral mudskipper from whom we all sprang. Dive in.
(Page 4 of 4)
The Wyndham Anatole, Dallas (2201 Stemmons Freeway, 214-748-1200, 800-996-3426, fax 214-761-7520). If you start to prune up in the pool before you finish your frozen peach margarita, you can shuffle on over to the land-based side of the bar and still stay cool under the misting machines. Hotel guests only. Suzy Banks
All Aboard!
Where the surf’s up.
Isla Blanca Park, South Padre Island (from the Queen Isabella Causeway, go south on Park Road 100 for 1 mile; 956-761-5493). Surfers waiting for the next tropical disturbance in the Gulf to churn up those once-in-a-blue-moon monsters know that the rest of the time, the waves get better the farther south you go. So if you’re serious about surfing, don’t stop until you reach the jetties off Isla Blanca Park, at the southern tip of Padre Island. The combination of the prevailing southeasterlies, the point break, and offshore sandbars translates into waves that actually hold their shape long enough for you to get a decent ride. Open daily 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.; $4 per vehicle ($2 after 5 p.m.).
Nueces County parks beaches, Padre Island (from Interstate 37 in downtown Corpus Christi, head south on the Crosstown Expressway, turn left on Texas Highway 358 [South Padre Island Drive] for 9.5 miles, where it becomes Park Road 22, then continue east on 22 to Padre Balli Park or turn north on Texas Highway 361 to J. P. Luby Surf Park and Port Aransas Park; 361-949-8122). Three county park piers north of the Padre Island National Seashore—Bob Hall Pier at Padre Balli Park, Horace Caldwell Pier at Port Aransas Park, and J. P. Luby Pier—are the busiest surfing spots on the Coastal Bend; the bitchin’ waves around Bob Hall are worth putting up with other boarders and fishermen—not to mention sharks—competing for the same space. Open around the clock; $5 per vehicle (one-month pass).
Port Mansfield Cut, Padre Island (you can either drive 25 miles up the beach from South Padre to the Port Mansfield Cut and paddle several hundred yards across the channel to the north jetty or drive on the sand the 130-mile round trip to the cut from the entrance to the Padre Island National Seashore, 8 miles past the entrance to Padre Balli Park on Park Road 22, which is the extension of Texas Highway 358 [South Padre Island Drive]; 361-949-8068). The jetties at the Port Mansfield Cut catch the winds in similar fashion as the jetties at Isla Blanca, meaning more waves and less mush. The trick is getting there. Open around the clock; $10 per vehicle (one-week pass). Joe Nick Patoski
Dive, we said
Public pools that leave others high and dry.
Abilene State Park Pool, Buffalo Gap (150 Park Road 32; from town, head west on FM 89 for 5 miles and turn left on Park Road 32; 915-572-3204). Surrounded by tall trees and partly filled with water from spring-fed wells, this pool is a veritable oasis in West Texas. Along with the striking red sandstone pavilion nearby, it was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps in the thirties. Memorial Day weekend through Labor Day weekend: open Thursday through Sunday noon to 8 p.m.; $3, children under 13 free. Jennifer Olsen
Balmorhea Swimming Pool, Balmorhea State Park (in West Texas; from Fort Stockton, head west on I-10 for about 47 miles, then south on Texas Highway 17 for about 7 miles; 915-375-2370). Swim with the fishes in one of the world’s largest (1.75 acres) spring-fed pools. Plunging to 25 feet at its deepest point, this tranquil, rock-walled pool is also home to turtles, aquatic plants, and at least one watchful duck. The clear water, from the San Solomon Springs, remains between 76 and 78 degrees year-round. Open daily from 8 a.m. until half an hour before sunset; $3. J.O.
Barton Springs Pool, Austin (2201 Barton Springs Road, 512-499-6700). Because it is a beloved local landmark, and also because it is centrally located among a vast population of sweltering working stiffs, Barton Springs gets the blue ribbon in our ranking of public pools (though Balmorhea in West Texas is a close second). The 68-degree springwater offers cold comfort on sizzling summer days. Although the surface of the three-acre pool accumulates a brownish muck in some areas, other areas are so clear that a friend once spotted some money on the bottom, dove down to get it, and came up waving a $20 bill. The best time for a dip is at dusk, when the place gets serene: Herons take flight, lone hippies practice their yoga headstands, bats skim the water for flies under the spotlights, and old ladies with pinned-up hair wink at you as they glide by. Open Monday through Wednesday and Friday through Sunday 5 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursdays 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.; $2.50 weekdays, $2.75 weekends, children 12 to 17 $1, under 12, 50 cents. Katy Vine
Burger’s Lake, Fort Worth (1200 Meandering Road; from downtown, take Henderson Street [Texas Highway199] north, turn left on River Oaks Boulevard, right on Roberts Cut-off, then left on Meandering Road to the turnoff, about 1 mile; 817-737-3414). Locals have packed this one-acre, sandy-bottomed pool for the past 72 years, and with good reason: Who could resist the flying trapeze? The floating platform, twenty-foot slide, and five diving boards are perfect for cannon-balling into the chlorinated springwater. Through September 3: open daily 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.; $10, children under 7 free. K.V.
Comanche Springs Pool, Fort Stockton (on Spring Drive in Rooney Park, just south of town on U.S. 285; 915-336-2751). Once fed by the historic Comanche Springs, this bright-blue-bottomed cement pool has a definite West Texas feel, what with its views of the rugged landscape and its wrought-iron fence with cutouts of boots, wagons, and such. The bleachers at one end of the pool were built for watching July’s annual water carnival, but they’re also a good perch for sunbathing. May 28 through September 1: open daily 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.; 50 cents. J.O.
Deep Eddy Pool, Austin (401 Deep Eddy Drive, off Lake Austin Boulevard; 512-472-8546). This sprawling well-water pool is divided by a low concrete wall: On one side is a wading area; on the other side, serious lap swimmers do their thing. The setting is idyllic, with grass, trees, and proximity to the Town Lake hike and bike trail. On summer Saturday nights the “splash party movies” bring out the kid in everyone. Through October 28: open Monday through Friday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., weekends 10 to 8; $2, children 12 through 17 $1, under 12, 50 cents. Eileen Schwartz
Hancock Springs, Lampasas (in Central Texas; on U.S. 281 just east of Sulphur Creek, 512-556-6831). While this spring’s sulfurous water smells like rotten eggs, folks have been coming here for well over a hundred years for its purported healthful properties (in the 1880’s Lampasas was even billed as “the Saratoga of the South”). So follow the doctor’s orders and gaze at the nearby creek while you take the waters in the natural-bottom pool. June 2 through August 2: open Mondays and Saturdays 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Sundays 2 to 6; $2, senior citizens and children under 12, $1. K.V.
Landa Park Pool, New Braunfels (350 Aquatic Circle, Landa Park, 830-608-2164 or 830-608-2170). A massive palm tree looms over the sparkling water of Landa Park’s Olympic-size pool. On the other side of the clubhouse, a natural-looking sanctuary of meandering spring-fed waters offers slides, a playscape with a giant, water-squirting mushroom, and more. Through May 25 and August 20 through September 3: open weekends 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. May 26 through August 19: open daily 11 to 8. $4, senior citizens and children 3 to 17, $3. J.O.
Memorial Park Swimming Pool, Houston (6402 Arnot; from Memorial Drive north, turn right on E. Memorial Loop Drive, then take the first right; 713-802-1662). You’ll find this Olympic-size pool nestled in an urban wilderness (Memorial Park is Houston’s version of Central Park). Tall pines and covered picnic tables provide welcome shade, and a water slide adds to the attraction. May 26 through September 3: open Tuesday through Friday noon to 2 and 3 to 6, Saturdays noon to 5, Sundays 1 to 5; free. E.S.
Moore Park Pool and Blue Hole, Del Rio (in Moore Park, near the intersection of U.S. 277 and U.S. 90; 830-774-8522). Moore Park is home to the city’s Olympic-size public pool as well as several spring-fed swimming holes, some banked with retaining walls, along San Felipe Creek. The pool features a large spiral water slide and shaded wading areas for the little ones. May 26 through September 3: open Monday through Friday 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., weekends noon to 9; $2, senior citizens $1, children 13 to 17 $1.75, under 13 $1.50. E.S.
Nations-Tobin Pool, El Paso (8831 Railroad Drive; from Patriot Freeway north, take the Railroad Drive exit; 915-759-8434). A view of the Franklin Mountains, a separate wading pool, and ample shade make this pool with a small diving area our pick in El Paso. Other bonuses include a big, twisty slide (two flights of stairs to get to the top) and picnic tables. Through May 28 and August 12 through September 3: open Saturdays noon to 5 p.m., Sundays 1 to 6. May 29 through August 11: open Monday through Thursday 1 to 4:30 and 7 to 9, Fridays 1 to 4:30. $1.25, water slide 75 cents (must be at least four feet tall). E.S.
Palm Beach, Galveston (Moody Gardens, One Hope Boulevard, 409-744-4673 or 800-582-4673). Part pool, part beach, part theme park, this man-made lagoon surrounded by lush landscaping is the best freshwater swimming option in this neck of the woods. Plus, the imported white sand is groovy. Through May 27: open weekends 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. May 28 through August 19: open daily 9 to 6. August 25 through October 7: open weekends 9 to 6. $7.95, senior citizens $6.75, children 4 to 12 $5.75, under 4 free. E.S.
San Pedro Springs Swimming Pool, San Antonio (2200 N. Flores at Myrtle Street, in San Pedro Park, directly across from San Antonio College; 210-207-8480). Part of the oldest park in Texas (circa 1731), the recently renovated pool—originally built in 1927—is surrounded by green, gently rolling hills and oak and cypress trees. A limestone walkway offers a pleasant place to stroll or lounge in the sun with a book, perhaps one borrowed from the park’s branch of the San Antonio Public Library. May 26 through August 5: open daily 1 p.m. to 7 p.m.; 75 cents, children 7 to 12 50 cents, under 7, 25 cents. J.O.
Tietze Pool, Dallas (intersection of Llano and Skillman streets, in the Lakewood Heights neighborhood; 214-670-1380). One of the oldest pools in Dallas is also the prettiest, located in a park that takes up an entire block. Three 1947 red stone buildings—the entryway, restroom, and pavilion—give it an old-timey feel. May 26 through August 12: open Thursday through Monday noon to 7 p.m. (noon to 4 the first and last weeks of the season); free. K.V.
Washington Park Pool, Midland (1801 E. Indiana Avenue, 915-687-3782). This brand-spanking-new pool with a fun, colorful playscape area is in a lovely park with possibly the largest collection of big oak trees in Midland. Spiral down the circular water slide or step into the unique, zero-depth entry (it’s like walking into the ocean). May 27 through August 12: open Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday through Sunday 2 p.m. to 7 p.m., Tuesdays and Thursdays till 8; $2, children under 12 $1. J.O.
My Library
