photo credit: Eric Sanchez/Trover
The salt air, blue skies and cattle ranches of the Lone Star State are calling you! A vacation along the tip of Texas can include history, culture, beaches, nature & FUN! Start the vacay by flying into Corpus Christi International Airport and head to the Pink Palm: a beautifully appointed beach house in Port Aransas or opt for Cinnamon Shores condos off the beach. All the homes are so beautiful and new with amenities and proximity to the beach. The best way to work it is go with extended family, get one of the big sleepers with the dream bunk rooms and split the cost. The summers get hot and beaches are full during Spring Break so a Fall, Winter or May stay would be best if it can be pulled off.
Now for the fun! The sand at the Texas Gulf shore is said to be some of the best for building awesome sandcastles and if you feel you need a little work in that department you have come to the right place. Lessons on sandcastle building are available at many different places, including Cinnamon Shores. The Texas Sand Fest is held every year in Port Aransas during the lowest tides and it is the largest sand sculpting competition in the US. There are fishing tournaments almost every weekend Spring through Fall and many fishing charters or just perfect fishing spots to choose from. If fish aren't your thing or the cost is too high, this part of Texas is also known for birding and free tours are offered every Wednesday at the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center. In October, the Harvest Moon Regatta ends in Port Aransas so some racing action can be seen. On a little side note: there is a great new skatepark in Port Aransas that is sure to please the teens that enjoy boarding.
Close by, in Corpus Christi, you can tour the USS Lexington, a World War II aircraft carrier. There is also Horses on the Beach for a really great experience with the family. Mustang Island and Padre Island National Seashore are two other fabulous beaches, nearby. If you truly enjoy retail therapy than Corpus Christi is the place for you with 2 shopping malls and many, many more unique spots to get your shop on. The visitor Center is also said not to be missed for souvenirs. Corpus Christi also houses the Texas State Aquarium which would be the perfect way to spend a rainy or ,more likely, "too" hot kind of day. There is also what seems like a great waterpark for the price- Hurricane Alley. And a pirate ship that should be awesome family fun, the Red Dragon Pirate Cruise!!
Kingsville, TX is a great spot for a day trip and a place where there is a working ranch you can visit on a daily tour and learn about the inner workings of this historic and gigantic property. Kingsville also boasts an historic downtown with boutiques, shops, restaurants and a true old-fashioned pharmacy with a soda fountain.
For a bit more than a day trip or an alternative to Port Aransas there is Galveston Texas where the history comes on a grand scale-the deadliest storm in American history hit Galveston in 1900. The town rebuilt and brought itself higher, literally, building inches to feet higher after hauling in more than a million dump truck loads worth of sand. The area has never been the same in many ways but is filled with many family attractions, like Schlitterbahn Amusement Park, Pleasure Pier, Moody Gardens, Baywatch Dolphin Tours, and historic buildings like Bishop's Palace and The Moody Mansion. There is a tree sculpture trail that you can follow to see all different parts of the city. The Strand Historic District has restaurants, shops, museums and galleries and is a cruise ship port. There is an oil rig & museum off the coast and the Port Bolivar Ferry is the numero uno attraction.
There is so much more in the tip of Texas! South Padre Island starts near Corpus Christi but is 113 miles in length and has a whole other resort town on the southern end. This end houses Sea Turtle Inc. and the Dolphin Research Center. There are also countless restaurants to try, cabanas and beach chairs to be rented and the city of Houston is 3.5 hours away. Call us for a detailed itinerary, if you are interested in this great trip!!