Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
Gulf Coast & South Texas
For birdwatchers, this 115,000-acre refuge is the premier site on the Texas coast. Although only 15 whooping cranes remained in the wild in 1941, more…
America's 'Third Coast,' as it calls itself, varies enormously from place to place. Thus the beach-town scene of Port Aransas is a sea of calm compared with the frenetic hedonism of South Padre Island. There are plenty of reminders of Texas’ dramatic history, too, from the Palo Alto Battlefield, site of the first shots of the Mexican–American War, to the long and bumpy history of the port city of Galveston.
Aransas National Wildlife Refuge
Gulf Coast & South Texas
For birdwatchers, this 115,000-acre refuge is the premier site on the Texas coast. Although only 15 whooping cranes remained in the wild in 1941, more…
Gulf Coast & South Texas
Alligators. Alligators everywhere. You'll surely enjoy the diversity of wetland and forest landscapes, bird-watching, maybe even get some use out of the…
Galveston
This sumptuous Gothic mansion, built in the 1880s for the Gresham family, became home to the Catholic bishop of neighboring Sacred Heart Church in 1923…
Laguna Atascosa National Wildlife Refuge
Gulf Coast & South Texas
This 70-sq-mile federal preserve, northwest of Port Isabel, has recorded more bird species sightings (400 and counting) than any other national wildlife…
Gulf Coast & South Texas
No, you can't handle the sea turtles. But you can see rescued turtles and learn firsthand about the slow regrowth of critically endangered Kemp's ridley…
Rio Grande Valley
The only palm tree native to Texas grows at this 557-acre sanctuary, operated by a foundation for the National Audubon Society. It sits in a bend of the…
Coastal Plains
Established by the Spanish in 1749 – to deter the French, then sniffing around the northeastern edges of their empire – Presidio La Bahia played a role…
Gulf Coast & South Texas
Established in 1824, 2 miles north of West Columbia, this plantation centers on a grand mansion – accessible on guided tours only – plus several…
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