Museum of Natural Science, Houston Zoo or the Kemah Boardwalk, and The Children’s Museum of Houston or Museum of Fine Arts, Houston.
★ View Wildlife The Texas Gulf Coast off ers some of
the best birding and sea-life viewing destinations. It also off ers great oppor- tunities for fi shing. The Great Texas Coastal Birding
Corpus Christi TEXAS STATE AQUARIUM
Zone 4 (Children’s Museum of Hous- ton, The Health Museum, Houston Mu- seum of Natural Science, Houston Zoo and Rice University Art Gallery) is a great area for families to explore. As a port city, Houston also has op-
portunities to get out on the water. An interesting option is the free 90-min- ute Sam Houston Boat Tour (reserva- tions required) that leaves from the Port of Houston Sam Houston Pavil- ion. The M/V Sam Houston cruises along the Houston Ship Channel pro- viding information about the port and giving passengers a view of operations at the Turning Basin Terminal. Back inland, Space Center Houston
is one of the most popular area desti nations. As the offi cial visitors center of NASA’s Johnson Space Center, Space Center Houston tells the story of NASA’s manned space-fl ight program and provides visitors an opportunity to watch astronauts train for missions, see what it would be like to live at the International Space Station and feel the sensation of a blast off into the atmosphere. The facility provides an out-of-this-world experience. Those who aren’t sure where to start
might consider picking up a Houston CityPass. The CityPass gives a dis- counted admission to fi ve must-see at ractions—Space Center Houston, Downtown Aquarium, Houston
Trail has 308 birding and wildlife viewing spots, primarily along the Gulf. There are so many sites that the coast is broken into three regions—Upper Texas Coast, Central Texas Coast and Lower Texas Coast. Texas Parks and Wildlife off ers maps with suggestions of driving loops, seasons to visit and enhancements for viewing such as boardwalks and observation platforms. While traveling along the Gulf, visi-
tors may take a ferry (Galveston-Port Bolivar, Aransas Pass-Port Aransas or the Harbor Ferry in Corpus Christi) to the next destination. The ride oſt en provides some nice views of dolphins (usually bot lenose) that live in the Gulf. However, those who want to get a bet er view can check into dolphin-tour charters in the major coastal cities. To see another beautiful creature
that inhabits the Gulf, visit the Sea Turtle Rescue Center on South Padre Island. There, visitors learn about sea turtles and see those who are rehabili- tating aſt er being injured or sick. Lis- ten to a “Turtle Talk” or wander among the tanks and visit with the various residents, most of whom are released back into the wild aſt er rehabilitation. With hundreds of miles of Gulf shore-
line plus bays, estuaries and lagoons, fi shing is a popular sport. Public piers are available along the coast, and some accommodations off er private piers. Travelers can spend the full day on the pier, or visit other at ractions during the day and save fi shing for the morning or evening. Those who want to get out into the bays or Gulf will fi nd boat ramps available if they brought their own, or charter services are available from many of the coastal towns.
coastal fun
Moody Gardens The 1.5-million-gallon aquarium in the Aquarium Pyramid explores ocean life. See penguins, seals, stingrays and sharks. Visitors can participate in seal and penguin experiences.
www.moodygardens.com
Downtown Aquarium Houston The Houston complex is home to 200 spe- cies of aquatic life from around the world. Exhibits feature the Louisiana swamp, a shipwreck, sunken temple and more. The Kemah location has a 50,000-gallon tank. Both locations have a stingray reef where visitors can touch live stingrays.
www.aquariumrestaurants.com
South Padre Island Dolphin
and Nature Research Center The aquariums showcase marine animals native to the area, including starfi sh, crabs and octopus. Touch tanks and dolphin tours are available. 956/299-1957.
www.spinaturecenter.com
Sea Center Texas This marine aquarium, fi sh hatchery and
nature center—operated by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department in Lake Jackson— has a touch tank and aquariums depicting native Texas habitats.
www.tpwd.state.
tx.us/spdest/visitorcenters/seacenter
Sea Turtle Inc. On South Padre Island, visitors will fi nd tanks of adorable, recuperating sea turtles, part of the organization’s mission to rescue, rehabilitate and release injured sea turtles. The facility also seeks to educate the public about sea turtles and off ers “Turtle Talks.”
www.seaturtleinc.org
Texas State Aquarium This aquarium’s mission is “to connect peo- ple with nature and inspire conservation of the G ulf of Mexico.” Daily presentations let visitors watch trainers work with the animals. The facility has touch pools that allow visitors to interact with sea creatures.
For more infor ma tion about cities and attractions in the Gulf Coast, visit
TravelTex.com. 51
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