Find fun in the sun on the sand along Texas-size Gulf Coast

Need a break at the beach? Think about spending just about any time of year on the miles and miles of sandy shores along the huge Texas Gulf Coast.

Just point your Web browser south and see what the Lone Star State has to offer for fishermen, beachcombers and just plain tourists.

For most travelers, visiting the coast means starting out by flying to Houston. Check out the guide from the Official Guide to Houston -- www.houston-guide.com/ -- for help on finding local attractions and places to stay.

From Houston, head out to Galveston and Galveston Island.

Feast your eyes on the beach of Galveston Island with the live Web cams supplied by the local Convention and Visitors Bureau -- www.galvestoncvb.com/ -- and look over the local attractions and concert dates. Then learn about the beaches by clicking on Recreation, and click on Winter Texans to see why you might want to go there in January.

The central part of the coast is called the Texas Coastal Bend, and the Regional Tourism Council -- www.txcoastalbend.org/ -- has suggestions for tour routes, a link to bird watching information, and information on towns in the region.

The biggest city in the Coastal Bend is Corpus Christi. City Hall -- www.ci.corpus-christi.tx.us/ -- has visitors tips under Tourism & Business. And there's more at the local Convention & Visitors Bureau -- www.corpuschristi-tx-cvb.org/ -- with places to stay and links to attractions including the USS Lexington, the historic Navy aircraft carrier that now is a museum on the bay.

One of the communities included in the Coastal Bend is the inland town of Kingsville, home of the legendary King Ranch. The 825,000-acre ranch has its own Web site -- www.king-ranch.com/ -- where you can learn about tours, ranch history and the King Ranch Museum.

A large stretch of the coast is protected in the Padre Island National Seashore -- www.nps.gov/pais/index.htm -- which you can visit near Corpus Christi.

And south of that preserve is 34-mile-long South Padre Island -- www.sopadre.com/ -- where you can go boating and fishing, play on the beach and enjoy a little night life. Be sure to look through their Photo Gallery.

Don't ignore the state parks along the shore, including Matagorda Island -- www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/matagisl/matagisl.htm -- or Mustang Island -- www.tpwd.state.tx.us/park/mustang/mustang.htm -- for more surfing, fishing and relaxing. And click on the Texas Parks & Wildlife logo at the top of the page for more parks, plus hunting and fishing regulations.

For links to more local convention & visitors bureaus around the region, check the state's Texas Accommodations Guide -- www.txlodging.com/index.shtml -- which also supplies a searchable directory of motels, hotels and inns in just about any town you can think of.

And if you want to camp or take your RV, the Texas Association of Campground Owners -- www.texascampgrounds.com/ -- has a directory of places to park or pitch your tent.

There's still more at the state's official Texas Travel and Vacation Destinations -- www.traveltex.com/ -- and look for This Way to Texas, where you can either use the menu or click to the regional map. Both lead you to brief capsules of information and, in some cases, links to everything from beaches and festivals to fishing and shopping.