Shake the Winter Chill and Head on Down to Texas

“Winter Texans” from the North experience the great variety of activities Texas offers from beaches, birding and scenic drives to outdoor adventures and golf

Howdy, Winter Texans! Yes, that’s right, we even have a name for our winter visitors to Texas. Many visitors from the northern United States and Canada migrate to Texas each winter searching for relief from the winter chill and to enjoy fun-in-the-sun.

Texas boasts more than 600 miles of sparkling coastline fronting the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Beaches and coastal habitats in Texas offer exceptional fishing, camping, birding, sight seeing and more. The coastal region averages more than 250 days of sunshine each year and offers a variety of seaside destinations and experiences for winter travelers.

History buffs love to explore Galveston Island’s Historic Strand District and its many celebrated mansions when they are not enjoying its 32-miles of beaches. Texas’ central Gulf Coast offers visitors Corpus Christi’s museums, the Texas State Aquarium and sunny beaches of Mustang Island. Nearby, the fishing villages of Port Aransas and Rockport-Fulton have long been destinations for Winter Texans looking for tranquil seaside relaxation. Moving on down Texas’ coast, the Padre Island National Seashore offers 80 miles of unblemished natural seashores. And, visitors to the southern tip of the Texas coast are rewarded with the white sand dunes of the beach resort town of South Padre Island where fishing, nature tours and beachcombing abound.

With more than 650 species of birds to see and catalogue, Texas is arguably the birding capital of America. In fact, according to the American Birding Association, the Lone Star State is the nation's most popular state for bird watching. The Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail runs along the Texas coastline from Beaumont to the Rio Grande Valley. The highway trail connects more than 300 birding sites. It is the first such trail in the nation and, by far, the most diversely populated. Texas is also home to the World Birding Center, a network of nine birding sites dotted along 120 miles of river road from South Padre Island west to Roma in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. Other famed birding areas in Texas include the Texas Hill Country and the Piney Woods of East Texas.

For an exhilarating, outdoor adventure of a more rugged sort, Texas’ Big Bend Country is the ideal location for a three day “gourmet” rafting trip through one of the spectacular canyons of the Rio Grande River in Big Bend National Park. Visitors will enjoy imaginative and unexpected gourmet cuisine while being serenaded by local and regional musicians around the campfire.

Texas is also an important winter golfing destination with more than 900 courses that can be enjoyed throughout the states’ mild winter months. New golf resorts are joining an acclaimed list of existing resort courses in Texas offering a variety of golfing experiences from seaside links to Hill Country fairways. A full listing of the golf courses in Texas can be found in the Official Texas Golf Guide. For a copy, visit www.TravelTex.com.

“Whether visitors are looking for adventure, nature, golf or other exciting activities this winter, Texas is the ideal destination,” said Julie Chase, Chief Marketing Officer for the Office of the Governor, Economic Development and Tourism Division. “Texas welcomes Winter Texans who come for our temperate winter climate and fun-filled activities.”