The nation’s fourth largest city, Houston is a thriving community bustling with activities, shopping, and nightlife. Linked by the Houston Ship Channel to the Gulf of Mexico, 50 miles away, the city is a giant in the world of international shipping as well as oil, aerospace, and finance. Truly Texas-size, the city sprawls across 617 …
The mainland community of Aransas Pass is named for the pass between Mustang and St. Joseph Islands. Primarily a fishing community, it serves as a gateway to Port Aransas and Mustang Island, accessible by ferry or causeway from the city. The city’s annual Shrimporee festival showcases the biggest industry in town. Birding in Aransas Pass …
The adjoining fishing villages of Rockport and Fulton lie along scenic Aransas Bay and are havens for snowbirds of all varieties, from 5-foot-tall whooping cranes to those in 30-foot-long Winnebagos. Both flock to this part of the Texas coast in late October and remain until the end of March. Rockport residents welcome the feathered snowbirds …
Port Arthur sits some 20 miles off I-10, the highway that frames East Texas on the south. It is a bustling port city through which millions of gallons of oil are transported annually, and a favorite with anglers and birders. Port Arthur is the hometown of the late Janis Joplin, former Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson, …
Spanish explorer Alonzo Alvarez de Peneda first stepped foot in Port Lavaca in 1519. The beachfront town, which is now home to more than 12,000 year-around residents, sits on Lavaca Bay near the center of the Texas Gulf Coast. It is a gateway to beautiful Matagorda Island Wildlife Management Area (formerly a state park) and …
All too often, this southern island is mistaken for her sister, Padre Island. Originally, the two were one single island. In 1964 South Padre Island became a separate entity with the completion of the Port Mansfield Gulf Channel. Today South Padre is the capital of tourism in this tropical tip of Texas. South Padre stretches …
Since 1971, tartan-loving Texans have headed to Houston for this weekend-long Highland fling. Events: From traditional tunes to contemporary Celtic compositions, music lovers can enjoy harmonies that bring the Highlands home as a variety of local, regional and international acts take to the AMECParagon Stage, or marvel at the musical mastery of the contestants …