Nature Trail (1 mi from hotel) Experience the sights and sounds of nature in a wetland environment in the midst of Fulton. Learn about birds, plants, leaves, wildflowers and historical information on legendary birdwatcher Connie Neblett Hagar. From the Demonstration Garden Rest Area on State Hwy. 35 North follow 19 interpretive stops leading you .8 of a mile (one way) to Fulton Beach Road where the freshwater enters into the saltwater bay. Fulton Mansion (0.1 mi from hotel) 316 S. Fulton Beach Road Corner of Fulton Beach Road and Henderson Street. Rockport, Texas Phone: 361-729-0386 George and Harriet Fulton must have amazed their neighbors when they began construction in 1874 on their spacious and extravagant home overlooking the Aransas Bay. Completed in 1877, the home featured ornate trim work and furnishings and the latest technological conveniences including modern plumbing, central heat and a gas lighting system. Tours are conducted Wednesday through Sunday with tours on the hour at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. and 1, 2 and 3 p.m. Admission $5; students with ID $2. Times and fees are subject to change. Please call ahead for more information or to make reservations for group tours of 10 or more. Fulton Harbor (0.5 mi from hotel) Fulton Harbor is located in downtown Fulton, Texas. Fulton Harbor has historically been a commercial fishing boat harbor, but has become more popular as a recreational boat harbor in recent years. You will find the town people to be Texas Friendly and ready to assist you. Nearby attractions include Texas parks and Fulton Mansion. Two bait stands at harbor, several restaurants within walking distance, public restroom and public fishing at adjacent park, also "Paws & Taws community center offering guest entertainment. Rockport Cemetery (1.5 mi from hotel) Tule Park Drive, 1.25 mi East of SH 35 Visit the graves of most of the family of George Ware Fulton. Also, self-taught ornithologist Connie Hagar. In the spring, the wildflowers are beautiful Rockport Beach Park (1.7 mi) Phone: 1-877-929-7977 Experience Texas’ only Blue Wave Beach. Shallow enough for small children, this beach has no undertow or rough waves. This natural mile-long sandy beach, adjacent to the Connie Hagar Wildlife Sanctuary, is one of the Texas Coast’s cleanest, safest, and most attractive modern family recreational facilities and the only Texas certified Blue Wave Beach. The Beach Park is also an important nesting site for colonial water birds. Black Simmers, Tricolored Herons, Roseate Spoonbills, Great Blue Herons, Great Egrets, and Snowy Egrets live and breed in the park and on the Rookery Islands in Little bay. This beach is equipped with picnic cabanas, restroom facilities, wildlife sanctuary, boat ramps, fishing piers and a fantastic playground for the children. Rockport Center for the Arts (2.7 mi from hotel) 902 Navigation Circle Rockport, Texas 78382 Phone: 361-729-5519 Hours: Tue-Sat 10:00am-4:00pm, Sun 1:00pm-4:00pm Free Admission Rockport Center for the Arts, the crown jewel of Rockport’s celebrated art community, has long been recognized as an important art destination. It attracts artists and art lovers to a stimulating atmosphere of exhibits, theater and musical performances, lectures, children’s programs, workshops, classes and idea exchanges. It houses three galleries, workshop, and classroom facilities and a gift shop, along with the new sculpture garden. With roots going back to the 19th century, this member driven organization first opened the doors of its facilities to the public in 1984. Located in an expanded blue Victorian building in the Museum District, it is lapped by the waters of the town’s main harbor, the oft harvested Aransas Bay, and the protected sanctuary of Little Bay, a birder’s paradise. Rockport Center for the Arts is known for the wealth of talent evidenced in its galleries, including that of local and international artists sought by collectors; for its summer educational program for children, ArtLink for Kids; and for its two annual major events, the Tour of Homes and Boats in April and the juried Rockport Art Festival in July. Texas Maritime Museum (2.7 mi from hotel) 1202 Navigation Circle Rockport, TX 78382 Phone: 361-729-1271 From lost Spanish treasure to offshore oil exploration, Texas has enjoyed a rich maritime heritage. Come visit the Texas Maritime Museum and explore some of this fascinating history for yourself. With changing exhibits, interactive displays and educational public programming, you can experience how Texas has relied on the sea to become the great state that it is today. The museum is next to the Rockport harbor and within walking distance of the Rockport Center for the Arts and Rockport Beach. Located along Hwy 35 on the Rockport harbor. Copano Bay State Fishing Pier (3 mi from hotel) Copano Bay State Fishing Pier, concession-operated state park, is a 5.9-acre park located five miles north of Rockport in Aransas County. The fishing pier, acquired by transfer of jurisdiction from the State Department of Highways and Public Transportation in 1967, was opened the same year. Attractions include picnicking (no facilities), saltwater fishing, boating, and swimming. Facilities include restrooms without showers, concession buildings (fishing supplies, dead and live bait, and a snack bar), a launching ramp, a lighted fishing pier, and fish-cleaning facilities. Fees are charged to those persons fishing. The boat ramp is located adjacent to the south side pier. The biggest attraction to Copano Bay State Fishing Pier is the various types of access provided for fishing, i.e. pier, boat and or shore. Directions: Copano Bay State Fishing Pier is located 5 miles north of Rockport on State Highway 35. Lamar Attractions (6.5 mi from hotel) The Lamar Cemetery lies in an acre of wooded land in Lamar Community, on Park Road 13 near Goose Island State Park. For history lovers, see burials from Confederate Army and some from 1700s. Schoenstatt shrine - Off Park Road 13 Beautiful, authentic shrine of sisters of the Schoenstatt. Sunday service in facility area. Chapel open for daily prayer. Stella Maris Chapel - The first church built in Aransas County still stands. Over 100 years old. Original altar in place. Goose Island State Park (8 mi from hotel) 202 S Palmetto St. Rockport, TX 78382-7965 Phone: 361-729-2858 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., daily Goose Island State Park covers 314 acres and is located at the conjunction of Aransas, Copano and St. Charles Bays. The park is noted for the "Big Tree", the State Champion Coastal Live Oak and the opportunity to view the endangered whooping cranes. Good fishing opportunities abound for speckled trout, red fish, drum, flounder, and sheepshead, as well as for crabbing and oystering. Goose Island State Park is also an excellent place to observe water birds, water fowl, shore birds, and passerines --- both in migration and in residence. Camping, water and electricity facilities available. Aransas Pass (13.8 mi from hotel) 130 W. Goodnight Aransas Pass, TX 78336 Phone: 800-633-3028    361-758-2750 Aransas Pass is the Coastal Bend's favorite haven for birders, fishing enthusiasts, sandcastle builders, navigators, art lovers, the historically motivated, the scientifically curious, seekers of unique boutique items, dolphin watchers and much, much more! We have a beautiful new swimming complex equipped with water slides, kiddie pools, high diving boards - you have to see it to believe it! Neighboring towns and cities also offer a wide variety of entertainment, recreation, activities, museums, and plenty of sightseeing opportunities. Aransas National Wildlife Refuge (25.2 mi from hotel) Phone: 361-286-3559 The Aransas National Wildlife Refuge was established in 1937 to protect the vanishing wildlife of coastal Texas. It is an ever-changing land and is still being shaped by the waters and storms of the Gulf of Mexico. This 54,829 acre refuge occupies the Blackjack Peninsula, named for its scattered blackjack oaks. Grasslands, live oaks and red bay thickets cover deep, sandy soils. Ringed by tidal marches and broken by long, narrow ponds, Aransas is home for cranes, alligators, deer and many other species of wildlife. From Rockport, take SH 35 North to FM 744 East, then follow FM 2040 South to the refuge entrance. Canal Subdivisions Drive to see areas such as Key Allegro, Harbor Oaks, City By The Sea, Palm Harbor, Holiday Beach, Bahia Bay, Copano Ridge and others. Corpus Christi (35 mi from hotel) The city of Corpus Christi, just 35 miles away makes a great day-trip. Corpus Christi features a bay front promenade, an arts and museum district, waterfront restaurants and an entertaining nightlife...all within walking distance. Corpus Christi, Texas attractions include the USS Lexington and Texas State Aquarium. You'll also find golf galore, plentiful shopping and beautiful beaches in Corpus Christi. Be sure to check out the Visitors Bureau calendar of events for annual beach and bay-front activities. Corpus Christi Marina - this scenic bayfront area is bustling with activity...private yachts, sight-seeing boats, water sport rentals and waterside restaurants. Buy fresh shrimp right off the shrimp boats and don't miss the colorful sailboat regatta every Wednesday evening. Downtown Seawall - Impressive waterfront wall and promenade. Bicycle, rollerblade or just stroll and people-watch. Striking Miradores del Mar provide visitors with shady rest spots along the way. And the special Mirador del Flor includes a pavilion and statue dedicated to the late Tejano singing star, Selena. Main Attractions Texas State Aquarium and Dolphin Bay 2710 North Shoreline, Corpus Christi Beach Phone: 1-800-477-GULF or 361-881-1200 Volunteer guides are stationed throughout the Aquarium to explain exhibits and answer questions. The visitor not only travels an aquatic journey from the shore to the depths of the Gulf, but also has the opportunity to observe dive shows and feeding demonstrations and have a "hands on" experience with sharks and stingrays. The USS Lexington Museum on the Bay Phone: 1-800-LADY-LEX or 361-888-4873 One of the top 10 visitor attractions in the state! Bring the whole family aboard for an awe-inspiring look at the most famous aircraft carrier in U.S. Naval history. Brand new aboard the ship is the MEGA Theater! You'll go on amazing journeys of sight and sound as you are immersed in three-stories-tall giant screen images and thundering sound. Lewis & Clark: Great Journey West and Straight Up! Helicopters in Action are showing daily. Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History 1900 N. Chaparral Phone: 361-883-2862 In the Museum of Science and History, view the treasures of the world famous 1554 Spanish Shipwreck and the Smithsonian Institution exhibit "Seeds of Change." Discover the elegance of the "Gallery of Cultural Encounters" featuring an authentic 16th Century carved dome ceiling, originally from Castile, Spain, plus a temporary exhibit: "The Mystery of La Salle in the Gulf." To top it all off, you can take a tour of the replicas of the Spanish ships the Santa Maria and the Pinta on the Ship's Plaza. Art Center of Corpus Christi 100 Shoreline Blvd. Phone: 361-884-6406 Hours: Tues.-Sun. 10 am - 4 pm. Closed Mondays. Watch artists practice their craft, display their accomplishments and teach others new skills. The complex includes a gallery, gift shop and Jezebelle's restaurant. Free. Asian Cultures Museum 1809 N. Chaparral Phone: 361-882-2641 The museum houses over 8,000 objects and documents... the largest collection of artifacts to leave Japan in the 1950s. Plus, arts and crafts from the Philippines, China and Korea. Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens 8545 South Staples Phone: 361-852-2100 This fascinating 180-acre site along Oso Creek entwines nature tourism and eco-education with colorful, exotic floral exhibits and local landscape choices. Tour the Orchid House, Exhibit House, Plumeria collection, Sensory Garden, new Hibiscus Garden and Water Garden; plus shaded Bird & Butterfly Trail, Oso Creek Trail, Gator Lake, extensive natural wetlands and protected native habitat. Padre Island National Seashore At the end of Park Road 22, Padre Island Phone: 361-949-8068 Park is open 24 hrs. Visitor Center open daily 9 am - 6 pm, Memorial Day through Labor Day. Only 15 minutes from downtown Corpus Christi boasts over 130 miles of top-ranked beaches, while Padre Island features Big Shell and Little Shell Beaches which are famous for great shelling and Seagull Park, a perfect site for picnicking families. At over 80 miles long, Padre Island National Seashore is the largest undeveloped barrier island in the continental United States. The park is open year-round for beachcombing, camping, surfing, swimming, hiking, fishing and other activities. The Visitor Center has restrooms with showers, a convenience store and an exhibit/information center. There's a free boat launch at Bird Island Basin and a dump station near campgrounds. Entrance Fee: $10 per vehicle (good for 1 week). $20 pass good for one year. $5 per hiker, biker or bus rider. $8 per night fee for camping...primitive campsites only. Additional $10 annually or $5 daily fee for Bird Island Basin Fennessey Ranch Spoonbill Drive, Bayside, TX 78340 Phone: 361-529-6600 The Fennessey Ranch is part of a legendary 750,000 acre Texas land empire that has remained in the same family for 165 years. The ranch consists of 4,000 acres of abundant wetlands, meadows, natural lakes, riparian woods and brush land and bordered on three sides by the Mission River. The Fennessey is located in the heart of the Central Flyway along a region of the Texas coastline known as the "Coastal Bend." The Fennessey has opened its gates for a wild array of unique recreational opportunities. Fun Times 1211 West Market Street, Rockport, TX 78382 Phone: 361-790-9430 Gilligans 2104 West Wheeler Avenue, Aransas Pass, TX 78336 Phone: 361-758-9665 Lucky Seven 709 South Commercial Street, Aransas Pass, TX 78336 Phone: 361-758-7774 KLUB Rock 1028 South Whitney Street, Aransas Pass, TX 78336 Phone: 361-758-1106 Casinos Texas Treasure Casino Cruise Business Office PO Box 1934, Aransas Pass, TX 78335 Phone: 361-758-4444 Tours Corpus Christi, TX 78401 Phone: 361-289-7113