Moody Gardens: Moody Gardens’ three 100-foot-tall glass pyramids on Galveston Island contain a stunning collection of plants, animals, and educational exhibits showcasing fascinating aspects of the natural world.

The Strand: Experience Galveston’s thriving historic 36-block commercial district in all its New Orleans–style splendor, including hotels, restaurants, art galleries, and boutiques along with seasonal festivals such as the popular Mardi Gras and Dickens on the Strand celebrations.

Texas State Aquarium: Visitors experience Texas’s Gulf Coast from the ground down at Corpus Christi’s Texas State Aquarium, starting with birds and gators at sea level and descending to oil-rig depths with menacing sharks, a colossal grouper, and hundreds of other slippery species.

The USS Lexington Museum: Hop aboard the massive USS Lexington in the Corpus Christi Bay, where this decommissioned World War II naval aircraft carrier transports visitors back in time with vintage aircraft, tours of its 11 decks, and an impressive collection of historical memorabilia.

Padre Island National Seashore: Not to be confused with its rambunctious little sibling to the south, Padre Island National Seashore is the longest remaining undeveloped stretch of barrier island in the world, drawing naturalists, windsurfers, and beachcombers to its pristine primitive shoreline.

King Ranch: This 825,000-acre “birthplace of American ranching” evokes the majesty and mystique of Texas culture, from Longhorn cattle to wide-open spaces to genuine cowboys on a vast expanse of coastal plains larger than Rhode Island.