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    An East Texas getaway

    High Island snubs the high life in favor of quiet, quirky beach

    Peter Barnes
    Aug 28, 2010 | 5:04 pm
    • You'll find horses on High Island's beach, but not vacation homes.
      Photo by Peter Barnes
    • You never know what you'll find at this beach.
      Photo by Peter Barnes
    • The rookery at the Smith Oaks Bird Sanctuary is well known in the bird-watchingcommunity.
      Photo by Peter Barnes
    • High Island is the home of a huge wildlife preserve.
      Photo by Peter Barnes
    • High Island is a bird watcher's paradise.
      Photo by Peter Barnes

    If you ask someone from out of town what East Texas is supposed to look like, they’d probably describe High Island.

    Sitting by its lonesome at the edge of an immense marsh, a clump of time-twisted oaks clings to the edge of a salt dome rising 40 feet above the Gulf. Pump jacks rock steadily just feet from the beach where locals sometimes cool down their horses in the surf. To the east, nothing but shell-studded sand stretches 100 miles into Louisiana.

    An hour and a half’s drive will take Houstonians to beaches suiting any number of tastes, from laid-back Surfside’s respectable breakers to Galveston’s rollicking seawall to Bolivar’s fine sand. For those who prefer solitude and the company of nature, though, High Island is tough to beat.

     Birding Paradise

    While soaking up the charm of the town’s quiet streets, it’s hard to notice that bird sanctuaries make up about a fourth of the town. The Houston Audubon Society maintains four bird sanctuaries within a few blocks of each other that teem with migratory songbirds in the fall and spring.

    The largest, Smith Oaks Sanctuary, features four lakes and a rookery where visitors can watch hundreds of nesting egrets, herons, cormorants and rose-colored spoonbills up close.

    The sanctuaries are open year round, and the Audubon Society asks for a $5 donation to enter.

    Just up the road, Anahuac National Wildlife Refuge covers an area nearly as large as the Inner Loop. It’s popular for both fresh-water and salt-water fishing, crabbing, fowl hunting and nature trails. Like the other Gulf-Coast refuges run by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anahuac provides a critical layover for migrating birds before and after they cross the Gulf of Mexico. Flocks of geese 80,000-strong can be spotted there at the right times of year, as can large numbers warblers, other songbirds and 27 species of duck.

     The Beach

    Just after the Bolivar Peninsula reunites with the mainland, Highway 87 disappears. While it may haunt Google Maps to this day, the highway department ceded the beach-hugging strip of asphalt to coastal erosion and hurricanes 20 years ago, leaving intrepid beachgoers mile after mile of nothing but sand. Its consistency isn’t as smooth as other beaches nearby, although it isn’t terribly course either.

    Like most of coastal Texas, it’s a driving beach where campers and day trippers pop the tailgate anywhere they like.

    What strikes me is its remoteness. There are no condos, no rental houses, no bars and no side streets. If you include the sparsely populated Cajun Riviera to the east, I wouldn’t be the least surprised if it’s the largest expanse of undeveloped oceanfront property in the country. There’s even a stretch of isolated beach rumored to be popular with nudists just across the Galveston County line.

     Come Prepared

    High Island isn’t a place to party. There’s one restaurant and one hotel, and they’re in the same spot on the town’s main drag.

    When I popped in last spring, the Gulfway Grill was open 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday through Sunday, although they open seven days a week in the summer. The renovated Gulfway Motel was renting basic rooms for $65. If beach camping is a tad primitive for your tastes, the High Island RV Park rents tent sites, trailers and hookups. If you need to buy anything you can’t find at the local convenience store or bait shop, you’ll have to drive to Winnie 19 miles up the road.

    Because High Island has remained a tiny and quiet East Texas town, I doubt it will ever be in vogue with second homeowners, spring breakers or sunbathers who demand to be papered with all of the comforts of an overbuilt resort.

    For many, though, that’s the best reason to visit.

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    2025 world's best awards

    6 Houston hotels ranked with the best in the world by Travel + Leisure

    Amber Heckler
    Jul 8, 2025 | 2:30 pm
    The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa
    Photo courtesy of The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa
    The Houstonian is back on top as the best resort in Texas.

    Several renowned Houston hotels and resorts were just declared the best in the world by Travel + Leisure readers, according to the publication's annual World's Best Awards.

    The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa was honored as the No. 1 best resort in Texas, while the prestigious Post Oak Hotel ranked as the No. 7 best hotel in the nation. Among T+L's list of the 15 best hotels in Texas, four more distinguished Houston properties made the cut.

    Every year, Travel + Leisure surveys its readers to determine the ultimate travel experiences around the world, which include the top hotels, resorts, travel destinations, and more. The 2025 survey had more than 180,000 responses from T+L readers with over 657,000 votes across 8,700 accommodations, cruise lines, and other properties.

    The Houstonian Hotel reclaimed the top spot for 2025 after previously slipping into No. 4 in 2024. The publication celebrated this "serene sanctuary" for its numerous sports and fitness activities, plus its rejuvenating 26,500-square-foot spa, pool, and jacuzzi. The resort's location next to Memorial Park also provides guests with the feeling that they've escaped the hustle and bustle of the city.

     The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa “The staff treats you like you are a long-awaited family member," said a T+L reader.Photo courtesy of The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa

    "Resort guests receive complimentary access to the fitness club, which has dedicated spaces for a myriad of sports, including nine tennis courts, a shaded jogging trail, an indoor track, and a lap pool," the report said. "On top of the unbeatable facilities and location, the Houstonian’s memorable hospitality had our voters eager for repeat visits."

    In a press release, general manager Steve Fronterhouse said the entire Houstonian team was honored to receive the worldwide recognition.

    "To be named the best resort in Texas by the discerning readers of Travel + Leisure is not just a reflection of our 27 acres and amenities; it’s recognition of the Southern hospitality and warmth our staff delivers every day," he said. "We are grateful to all of our guests who continue to make The Houstonian their home away from home.”

    The full list of best Texas resorts, in order, are:

    • The Houstonian Hotel, Club & Spa, Houston
    • Omni PGA Frisco Resort & Spa, Frisco
    • JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort & Spa, San Antonio
    • Omni Barton Creek Resort & Spa, Austin
    • Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, Grapevine
    Best hotels in the U.S.
    In addition to being ranked among the top 10 best hotels in the U.S., The Post Oak Hotel was also hailed as the No. 1 best hotel in Houston. The hotel succeeds at providing guests with a flawless level of service and accommodations, while its on-site restaurants and bars add to the overall opulence of the property's amenities.

    "And naturally, there's a world-class spa on site and a Rolls‑Royce showroom in case you need to pick up a new ride," the report said.

     The Post Oak Hotel Stay in style at The Post Oak Hotel.  Photo courtesy of The Post Oak Hotel  

    A T+L reader said The Spa at The Post Oak Hotel is "a destination in itself" and noted that guests could still have a memorable experience in Houston even if they never step foot off the 700,000-square-foot premises. But if guests did choose to explore everything the city has to offer, the hotel provides an over-the-top travel method.

    "There is a rooftop helipad so that you don't even have to sit in Houston traffic if you don't want to," the reader said.

    The full list of Houston winning hotels, in order, are:

    • No. 1 – The Post Oak Hotel at Uptown Houston
    • No. 2 – Hotel ZaZa
    • No. 3 – Four Seasons Hotel Houston
    • No. 4 – JW Marriott Houston Downtown
    • No. 5 – Hilton Americas-Housto

    Other Texas awards
    San Antonio's Hotel Emma and Fort Worth's Bowie House, Auberge Resorts Collection were the only two other Texas properties to earn acclaim in T+L's list of the "15 Best City Hotels in the U.S."

    San Antonio was also deemed one of the best U.S. travel destinations in 2025, ranking 12th out of 15 total cities.

    In a release, Travel + Leisure editor in chief Jacqui Gifford said the 2025 World's Best Awards "reflect a travel landscape in motion."

    "From a high-desert city in the American Southwest to a quiet Greek island, our readers are seeking depth, character, and a strong sense of place," Gifford said. "We're thrilled to honor the hotels, destinations, and travel companies that are delivering those transformative experiences."

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