A Taste of Coastal Texas

Understand

Highway 35 runs from Houston to Corpus Christi, keeping a slight distance from the Gulf of Mexico. This approximately 250-mile (400-km) itinerary is written for a three-day weekend trip, Friday through Sunday, especially about the second Saturday in June. Several of the listed attractions are available only about that time. Of course, by picking only a few of the listed items, a traveller can follow the full route in under a day.

Prepare

While some locations are fairly remote, you'll never be too far from civilization. You'll need to use a private car (there are plenty of rental locations at either endpoint), so just make sure to stop for gas when you near a quarter tank. Aside from a basic road safety kit, you'll be able to meet any need that comes up with roadside resources. The most remote place on SH-35 is less so than some places on Route 66.

Get in

If you aren't already in the Houston area, it's closer to fly into Houston Hobby Airport (HOU IATA) - it borders SH-35. Alternatively, if starting this itinerary at the south end and heading north, then fly into Corpus Christi International Airport (CRP IATA).

Drive

While the "headwaters" of SH-35 are in Mason Park, on Bray's Bayou, safety, sprawl, standards, and one-way streets limit the practical starting point to SH-35 (Telephone Rd.) at I-45 (Gulf Freeway).

Houston to Pearland Begin by heading south on SH-35 (here known as Telephone Rd.) from I-45. You'll quickly pass IH-610 and through Houston's Golfcrest neighborhood. This area was considered posh in the 1920s, but has since fallen and is beginning to gentrify. While there is little of specific historical merit along the road, the sights are worth seeing.

See After you pass Hobby Airport and the urbanization fades, you'll pass pastures and feed stores before you even reach BW-8 (the Beltway). You will notice an abrupt rising of buildings again as you enter Pearland.

William P. Hobby Airport, Airport Blvd. (The big open space with lots of airplanes flying real low). Home of Southwest Airlines, the second largest airport in Houston. Old Settlers Cemetery. Rice Dryer (the towering white structure of adjacent cylinders on the right). Now-defunct facility where rice was dried and hulled, a standing homage to one of the three staple crops of the area (the other two being sugar and cotton).

Eat If you started in the morning, you might already be ready for something to eat. Among many great places to breakfast are the Busy Bee Cafe, if you have time to sit down and enjoy yourself, or Sonic if you're in a hurry.

Busy Bee Cafe, 4009 Broadway St, Pearland (On the right, at Broadway St.), ☏ +1 281-485-3335. Su-Th 6AM-11PM, F Sa 24 hr. Homestyle country cookin' & the best pies in Pearland. $10. Sonic Drive-in, 2519 S Main St, Pearland (On the left, after Broadway St.), ☏ +1 281-485-4427. Generic fast food, but if you must stop here, try a vanilla Dr. Pepper.

Pearland to Brazoria Take 521 after Angelton, cross the Brazos.

See Brazos River (FM-521 just before entering town). One of Texas' most important rivers, lending its name to one of the first state capitals, Washington-on-the-Brazos, which is near Brenham. Brazoria Public School Building, 214 W Smith St, Brazoria (SH-36 at Smith St.), ☏ +1 979-798-1414. Depression-era school building, recover

Go next

You can fly out of the airport, or take I-35 north to San Antonio, then I-10 back to Houston. Or go back north on SH-35 and see what you missed the first time.