12 places perfect for a summer vacation

Just an hour southeast of Houston, Galveston is a staple on any record of the most effective seashore cities in Texas. The city is household to the historic Enjoyment Pier amusement park, a host of distinctive museums and Moody Gardens, where site visitors can get in marine daily life and the flora and fauna of the rainforest. Galveston is also known for its delicate sands, its prime-notch restaurants like Gaido’s and BLVD Seafood, and its Victorian architecture in the Strand Historic District.

At first a modest shipping town, this town is now home to the sprawling Kemah Boardwalk, which characteristics waterfront dining places, amusement park rides, a rainforest exhibit and the Stingray Reef, where site visitors can touch and feed stingrays. The nearby Kemah Lighthouse District also functions a range of outlets and eateries. In between March and November, you can get a 25-minute boat journey by way of Galveston Bay on the Boardwalk Beast.

There’s lots to take pleasure in in Texas’ largest beach front town, positioned a tiny a lot more than 200 miles southwest of Houston. Major points of interest incorporate the historic USS Lexington Museum on the Bay, the enchanting Texas State Aquarium and the scenic Padre Island Nationwide Seashore. The town is also identified for its solid winds, earning it a spot for kite-traveling, sailing, windsurfing and kiteboarding.

South Padre Island is a well-liked location for college or university college students on spring crack, but it is also a relaxing destination the rest of the 12 months. Apart from its stunning beach locations, popular activities consist of snorkeling, horseback driving, fishing, birding and bicycle riding. You can also consider a stroll together Sandcastle Path, a selection of about 30 sand sculptures.

This relatives-helpful vacation resort community on the Bolivar Peninsula is acknowledged for its seafood, such as the once-a-year Texas Crab Festival, as perfectly as its gorgeous seven miles of beach front stretching along Texas Condition Freeway 87. Points of interest on the peninsula include Rancho Carribe Golf Program, Enjoyment Spot H2o Slide, Point Bolivar Lighthouse and historic Fort Travis Park.

As its name suggests, Surfside Seaside is one particular of the most preferred places in Texas for browsing and other h2o athletics. This small city is a minimal additional than 60 miles south of Houston and options Surfside Jetty County Park, a key location for fishing, birding and gathering seashells. Surfside Beach front also has a handful of seaside restaurants, and camping is permitted at the nearby Brazoria County Beach.

This small city, household to approximately 12,000 residents, is a spot for anglers on the lookout for a wonderful fishing location. Flounder, redfish and trout are among the fish that can be reeled in in this article. In addition, the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge is household to extra than 320 species of birds, 95 species of reptiles and amphibians and 130 species of butterflies and dragonflies, in accordance to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Assistance.

Less than 100 miles southwest of Houston is Matagorda, which has 22 miles of seaside accessible by vehicle and one more 35 only available by boat. Nature fans will delight in visiting the Matagorda Bay Nature Park, a 1,600-acre preserve that includes guided trails, or climbing along the Wonderful Texas Birding Path. Fishing is also a draw, with trout and redfish abundant in the spot.

East across the bay from Corpus Christi is one more of Texas’ most well-liked and relatives-helpful seashore cities. Things to do incorporate surfing, sailing, kayaking, parasailing and boogie boarding, or you could consider a tour to see the dolphins that are living in Port Aransas Bay. Five nature preserves provide mountaineering and bicycle trails and wildlife observation places. Port Aransas is also known as the “Fishing Cash of Texas,” making it a further premier place for anglers.

This port town with a Cajun flavor is about 90 miles east of Houston on the Louisiana border, and house to North America’s premier refinery. The city attributes historic architecture and other web-sites, such as the Museum of the Gulf Coast, which highlights Port Arthur natives such as musicians Janis Joplin and The Huge Bopper and artist Robert Rauschenberg. You will also uncover secluded beaches and Sea Rim Point out Park, which presents kayaking, a wetlands boardwalk path and birding.

Just southeast of Corpus Christi, the nationwide park is an exceptional option for anybody searching for a peaceful getaway. It options far more than 70 miles of safeguarded land, with tenting out there at North Beach and South Beach. All five species of sea turtles observed in the Gulf of Mexico can be observed at the park at different periods of yr the community is occasionally invited to check out newborn turtles make their way to the Gulf.