PHOTO: VISIT CORPUS CHRISTI
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The dunes of Kleburg County Beach in Corpus Christi.
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With temperatures soaring throughout Texas, the ocean breezes of the Lone Star State’s Gulf Coast offer a welcome respite. Port Aransas is an especially idyllic retreat. “I can remember it like yesterday,” reminisces G&G contributor Sallie Lewis, “the balmy saltwater and sticky wind, the sun-kissed skin and coquina clams, smooth like marbles in my palm.” Read her ode to the beachside haven below, and explore nearby destinations like Galveston and Corpus Christi. Travelers craving a more metropolitan vibe only have to travel a few miles inland to Houston, one of the South’s most diverse cities.
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EXPLORE MORE OF THE TEXAS GULF COAST |
STORIES TO INSPIRE WANDERLUST
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10 Reasons to Visit the
Vibrant Port City of Corpus Christi |
Port Aransas: An Ode to a Texas Treasure |
Where to Eat, Drink, Shop, and Stay in Houston |
The Too-Muchness of Galveston |
How a Food Friendship Makes One Restaurant
the Place You Want to Be in Houston
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Jonathan Dickinson State Park.
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SUN-DRENCHED SANCTUARY: Many travelers head to Florida for the beaches and not necessarily for the biodiversity. But Martin County, Florida, is an under-the-radar paradise for naturalists, home to one of the most life-filled lagoon ecosystems in the country. The St. Lucie Inlet (part of the Indian River Lagoon) alone boasts more than four thousand plant and animal species, and its waters mark the start of Florida’s Coral Reef. Located within a two-hour drive from four international airports (Palm Beach, Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, and Orlando), this enchanting destination also features twenty-two miles of uncrowded beaches, more than 100,000 acres of parks and conservation land, world-class fishing, championship golf courses, charming downtown districts, and attractions as diverse as the area’s famed ecosystems.
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| ELSEWHERE AROUND THE SOUTH
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7 Southern Getaways for Horse Lovers |
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Lexington, Kentucky. Twice a year I head to a friend’s farm in the Bluegrass State for a reunion with old friends. Summer is my favorite time to visit, when the days are long and leggy foals dot the green pastures. We plan elaborate dinners around food from local purveyors, and I’m blessed with the company of some East Tennesseans who are exceptionally talented in the kitchen and can whip up decadent tomato pie and perfectly spiced shrimp and grits with ease. On our three-day itinerary, we had to fit in:
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A garden stroll: When we visited Castle & Key for a tour and tasting experience last summer, I loved walking through the restored, European-inspired Sunken Garden and serene Springhouse, where the distillery sources its natural spring water. This time we spent the afternoon in the gardens, sipping refreshing gin and bourbon cocktails in the shade by Glenns Creek. After, we rambled along a quarter-mile botanical trail around the Superintendent’s Cottage, a restored late-nineteenth-century building home to the distillery’s managers.
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Antique shopping: It’s a fixture of our trip to browse Southern antiques. There are gorgeous midcentury-modern pieces at Scout, and we brought home a songbird-illustrated deck of cards for evening games. We also stopped by Subject Matter, where vendors set up spaces filled with decor, art, and furniture.
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Sampling local fare: We always curate a charcuterie board with goodies from Wine + Market, where the walls are lined with artisan crackers, jars of pickles, and local candies alongside a glass case of cheeses and cured meats. For lunch we whirred past horse farms to Windy Corner, and downed pickle-brined fried chicken sandwiches and crispy catfish beneath a colorful collection of jockey silks. But my all-time favorite spot is Kentucky Native, a canopied beer garden and café that borders a lush nursery.
Follow Gabriela on Instagram @gabriela.c.gomez
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MORE TRAVEL STORIES FROM G&G |
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