Page 485 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - USA

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Padre Island National Seashore – a popular vacation destination
birds native to North America. call the city, looks out across the than 110 miles (177 km)
Standing 5 ft (1.5 m) tall, with harbor to Mustang Island State between Corpus Christi and the
white bodies, black-tipped wings, Park, where over 5 miles (8 km) Mexican border. The central
and red crowns, the cranes of sandy beach stretch along 65 miles (105 km) have been
migrate here from Canada the Gulf of Mexico. At the park’s preserved as the Padre Island
between November and March, north end, modern resorts National Seashore, which, with
feeding in the marshes. detract from the natural scene, few roads and no commercial
Ringed by tidal marshes and overshadowing the historic development, is among the
broken by long, narrow ponds, community of Port Aransas at longest wild stretches of
Aransas is an ever-changing the island’s northern tip. coastline in the country. The
land that is still being shaped by park is open throughout the
the turquoise-blue waters of O Texas State Aquarium year for camping, beach-
San Antonio Bay and the storms 2710 N Shoreline Blvd. Tel (361) 881- combing, surfing, swimming,
of the Gulf of Mexico. 1200. Open 9am–5pm daily (to 6pm hiking, fishing, and various other
Grasslands, live oaks, and red Memorial Day–Labor Day). activities. Coyotes and other
bay thickets that cover deep, Closed Thanksg., Dec 25. & 7 native wild animals still roam
sandy soils provide spectac ular ∑ texasstateaquarium.org the heart of the island.
background scenery. This is one of the South’s
e Padre Island most popular vacation spots. It
w Corpus Christi National Seashore receives an average of 800,000
visitors per year, especially
* 380,000. k @ n 1590 N n Malaquite Visitor Center, (361) 949- during the Spring Break, when
Shoreline Blvd, (800) 766-2322. 8069.  ∑ nps.gov/pais university students from
∑ visitcorpuschristitx.org colder climes in the northern
Bordered by a pair of tourist Midwest flock here to unwind
The deepest commercial port resorts at its north and south and party. South Padre Island
in Texas and an extensive US ends, Padre Island is a slender marks the southern end of
military presence have made sandbar that stretches for more the Gulf Coast of Texas.
Corpus Christi one of the
fastest-growing cities in the
state. Its military importance is
marked by the famous 910-ft-
(277-m-) long aircraft carrier, the
USS Lexington, moored along
the 2-mile (3-km) downtown
waterfront. To its south, the
Texas State Aquarium explores
the sea life of the Gulf of Mexico
with whales, rays, and sharks,
and re-creations of reefs similar
to those that have grown
around the Gulf’s many offshore
oil rigs. Texas river otters and the
Kemp’s Ridley sea turtle are also
found here. “Corpus,” as locals Sailing boats lining the waterfront of Corpus Christi

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