Page 484 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

482  TEX AS

with its water-park pools, a
ten-story Rainforest Pyramid
offering an incredible tropical
environment, and a series of
massive aquariums showcasing
life from the world’s oceans.
P Ashton Villa
2328 Broadway. Tel (409) 765-7834.
Open call for information about tours
and special events.
Y Moody Gardens
1 Hope Blvd. Tel (800) 582-4673.
Open Apr–Oct: 10am–8pm daily;
Nov–Mar: 10am–6pm daily.
Dense cypress swamp in the Big Thicket National Preserve Closed Dec 25. & 7
∑ moodygardens.com
9 Big Thicket declined following a devastating
National Preserve hurricane in 1900, which killed
as many as 6,000 people. The q Aransas National
Junction of US 69 & Hwy 420, 8 miles subsequent rise of Houston Wildlife Refuge
(11 km) N of Kountze. Tel (409) 951- also contributed to Galveston’s
6700. Open 9am–5pm daily. 7 fading fortunes. Hwy 239. 65 miles (105 km) NE of
∑ nps.gov/bith Many of the city’s grand Corpus Christi. Tel (361) 286-3559.
Victorian mansions and Open dawn–dusk. Closed Thanks-
A unique mixture of mountains, 19th-century storefronts have giving, Dec 25. & ∑ fws.gov/
refuge/aransas
plains, swamps, and forests, the been restored to their original
Big Thicket National Preserve glory. Many exuberantly
protects 15 distinct biologically designed buildings from that While sun worshipers flock to
diverse areas (9 land units and period survive in the Strand the Gulf Coast beaches in
6 water corridors) spread over National Historic Landmark winter, birds and bird-watchers
152 sq miles (393 sq km) along District, near the waterfront. congregate slightly inland
the Texas/Louisiana border. Ashton Villa is one such at the 109-sq-mile
Although much of the building, and today a (283-sq-km) Aransas
preserve is relatively inaccess- small carriage house National Wildlife
ible, the area once served as a on the property is Refuge. Established
hideout for runaway slaves and the site of Galveston in 1937 to protect the
outlaws. Today, it is best known Island Visitor Center. vanishing wildlife of
as home to a wide range of Often hailed as coastal Texas, Aransas
plants and animals. A series of one of the state’s best is today home to
short hiking trails offer close-up resorts on the Gulf of alligators, armadillo,
views of dense groves of resident Mexico, the charming Bird-watching in boars, javelinas, coyotes,
Aransas
oaks, cactus, carnivorous island city features more white-tailed deer, and
“pitcher plants,” and millions than 30 miles (48 km) of many other species of
of mosquitoes. pristine, sandy beaches. Visitors wildlife. The most famous
can also indulge in the family- visitors here are the endangered
friendly fun of Moody Gardens, whooping cranes, the tallest
0 Galveston
* 60,000. k @ n 2328 Broadway,
(888) 425-4753. ∑ galveston.com
Though comparatively smaller
than other Texas cities, Galveston
rivals the rest of the state for
historical significance and
character. Originally a notorious
hideout for slave-trading Gulf
Coast pirate Jean Lafitte (see p348),
Galveston was burned to the
ground by US forces in 1821. But
by the 1890s the port had grown
to be the largest and wealthiest
city in Texas. The economy soon The ten-story Rainforest Pyramid in Moody Gardens, Galveston
For hotels and restaurants in this region see pp490–91

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Eyewitness Travel LAYERS PRINTED:
Catalogue template “UK” LAYER
(Source v2.6)
Date 12th July 2013
Size 125mm x 217mm