Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Gulf Coast & South Texas
Why Go?
America's 'Third Coast,' as it's dubbed itself, is a place of many contrasts. The mellow
beach-town scene of Port Aransas is a sea of calm compared with the frenetic hedonism of
South Padre Island (SPI), for one. Yet they also have much in common. At both Aranasas
National Wildlife Refuge and Padre Island National Seashore, you can get lost in nature.
Much of the coast is undeveloped.
Besides SPI, there's fun to be had in Corpus Christi (and even Port Aransas can kick up
its heels for some merriment). Inland you'll find reminders of the state's dramatic history
from the Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site to the legacies found in stone around
Goliad.
History is still being made in the very south along the Rio Grande. Border politics affect
all aspects of life and Mexican culture accents the towns and remote stretches from
Brownsville to Laredo and beyond.
When to Go
Mar
Spring Break! Hordes of partying teens may appeal or cause you to go scurrying.
