- Houston, Texas, is a convenient location for doing things at and near the Gulf of Mexico. Although the city itself is home to NASA/Space Center Houston, the NFL's Houston Texans and the NBA's Houston Rockets, there are plenty of things within easy driving distance that give travelers a better sense of the Gulf of Mexico.
- Located about 26 miles southeast of Houston across Burnett Bay, Baytown is home to the 440-acre Houston Raceway Park. The drag racing complex, which has an asphalt racing surface, is more than 4,000 feet in length. Races occur Friday through Sunday year round, except for December through March, when they are on Wednesdays and Sundays. The Lynchburg Ferry, the oldest operating ferry in Texas, takes visitors to Battleship Texas, the San Jacinto Monument and Monument Inn. The ferry runs seven days a week. The Fred Hartman Bridge also is in Baytown, spanning the Houston Ship Channel. The cable-stayed bridge's main span is 2,475 feet, or the length of eight football fields, according to TravelTex. Other Baytown attractions include the Goose Creek Stream Greenbelt, a greenbelt park with a birding overlook, bike and pedestrian trails and canoe launches, and Yepez Vineyard, a 20-acre, family-owned vineyard with picnic areas, entertainment and available wine selections.
Houston Raceway Park
2525 FM 565 S
Baytown, TX 77523
281-383-7223
houstonraceway.com
Lynchburg Ferry
1001 S. Lynchburg
Baytown, TX 77520
281-424-3521
Yepez Vineyard
12739 FM 2354
Baytown, TX 77520
281-573-4139
yepezvineyard.com - Brazoria, located about 57 miles southwest of Houston, is home to the Masonic Oak, where a group of Masons signed the first Masonic charter in Texas on March 1, 1835. The tree still stands today. Not far to the east, the Brazosville area boasts the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge, a 24,000-acre area on the Intracoastal Waterway where herons, egrets and ibis are found, as well as shorebirds, gulls, terns and mottled ducks. About 250 bird species inhabit the refuge. Admission is free. Information about hunting and fishing is available through the Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge. The Brazosport area also is a popular inshore and deep-sea fishing location. Inshore, speckled trout, drum, redfish, sheepshead, flounder and gafftop are plentiful for fishing. Offshore, fishermen look for bonito, ling, marlin, snapper, dolphin, king mackerel, warsaw and sailfish. Other attractions include Bryan Beach, where you can fish and camp, and The Lake Theater, a 1940s movie house that hosts weekly "Grand Ole Opry"-type shows.
Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge
Freeport, TX 77541
979-964-3639
fws.gov
The Lake Theater
3 Circle Way
Lake Jackson, TX 77566
979-480-0300 - Harbor tours and cruises from Galveston are available, but there's plenty to do in the city. The Grand 1894 Opera House has seen performances by John Philip Sousa and Helen Hayes, and it is the "Official Opera House of Texas." Self-guided tours are available daily, and there are frequent state productions. Also in Galveston is the Rosenberg Library, the first free, public library in the state. It houses original materials from Samuel May Williams, Sam Houston and Stephen F. Austin. Moody Gardens is a popular Gulf attraction that includes a hotel, an IMAX theater and a golf course. The gardens include an aquarium pyramid, which showcases marine life from the North Pacific to the South Atlantic. More than 100 penguins call the pyramid home. There are plenty of deep-sea fishing opportunities near Galveston, as well as the Texas Seaport Museum, which is home to the Elissa, a square-rigged, 400-ton barkentine built in 1877 in Scotland, according to TravelTex. One other attraction is The Great Storm, a presentation that uses old photographs and special effects to illustrate the aftermath of a 1900 hurricane that devastated the city.
Grand 1894 Opera House
2020 Post Office St.
Galveston, TX 77550
409-763-7173
thegrand.com
Rosenberg Library
2310 Sealy Ave.
Galveston, TX 77550
409-763-8854
Moody Gardens
1 Hope Blvd.
Galveston, TX 77554
409-744-4673
moodygardens.com
Texas Seaport Museum
Suite 8, 21 Pier
Galveston, TX 77550
409-763-1877
tsm-elissa.org
The Great Storm
21 Pier
Galveston, TX 77550
409-763-8808 - Located about 40 miles southeast of Houston, La Marque boasts the world's largest greyhound racing complex. The complex, which has dining and viewing areas on each of its three levels, is air conditioned. It features 318 teller windows and 1,100 closed-circuit TVs. Races are at 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, noon Wednesday, and 1:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.
Gulf Greyhound Park
1000 FM 2004
La Marque, TX 77568
409-986-9500
gulfgreyhound.com - On April 21, 1836, Texas won its independence from Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto. A 570-foot monument commemorates the battle. The San Jacinto Museum of Texas also is on site, and "Texas Forever! The Battle of San Jacinto" is available for viewing there, about 22 miles from downtown Houston. Battleship Texas, the only survivor of the pre-World War I dreadnoughts, also is located there, according to TravelTex. The ship served both in World War I and in World War II as flagship during the D-Day invasion.
San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site
3523 Battleground Road
LaPorte, TX 77571
281-479-2431
sanjacinto-museum.org
Baytown
Brazoria/Brazosport
Galveston
La Marque
San Jacinto Battleground State Historic Site
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