BAY CITY

 Established in 1894; seat of Matagorda County. Today commercial center for farming, ranching, oil, and nuclear energy. Port on Colorado River Feeder Channel connecting with Intracoastal Canal; recreation on river includes boating, skiing, fishing and a 28-space RV park. On the bank of the Colorado River, park features 40 campsites with full-service RV hookups. Other facilities include jogging trail with a 10-station exercise course along the way, boat ramp, day pavilion, and fishing. Adjacent to park is Rio Grande Golf Course, a beautiful 18-hole Gary Player designed course.

Matagorda County Museum - Early clothing, books, Texas maps, furniture, paintings. Century-old carpentry tool collection, late 17th Century music, archives. Children's museum features exhibits and activities for kids. It's in the basement of the museum.

Travel Texas

CASTRIES

 Mountainous and lush, St. Lucia offers a wide range of things to do amidst great tropical beauty. Dive, hike, shop or sightsee and enjoy the tasty local cuisine at the end of the day. Here and all over the country, the warm St. Lucian people will welcome you, and the island's fine resorts will spoil you. The weather is remarkably consistent all year round fabulous sunshine. Ever present trade winds make for perfectly comfortable days and nights.

  CASTRIES, ST. LUCIA, WEST INDIES

St. Lucia is the perfect place to come do nothing at all. Here, you'll find some of the world's finest beaches. In all shapes, sizes and colors. Some dotted with plush resorts - others simply with palm trees. Some stretching for miles and miles - ideal for endless hand-in-hand walks. Others cozy and crescent shaped - just the thing for hiding away. And the soft as powder sand comes in white, salt and pepper, gold and coral pink.

Caribbean Tourism Organization  

SUFFOLK COAST

 The Suffolk coastline has plenty of sleepy, old-warm charm. Its shingle beaches, low cliffs and marshes fight a constant battle with the sea's eroding power. The 40-mile Suffolk Heritage Coast, which wanders northward from Felixstowe up to Kessingland, is one of the most unspoiled shorelines in the country. The lower part of the coast is the most impressive; however, some of the loveliest towns and villages, such as Dedham and the older part of Flatford, are inland.

OULTON BROAD *  FELIXSTOWE
LOWESTOFT * KESSINGLAND

  

The best way to experience the countryside around here is to be willing to get lost along its tiny, ancient back-roads. Try to avoid the coastal area between Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth; it has little to offer but run-down beach resorts.

Sandy Lowestoft combines a mainstream seaside resort with a large, commercial fishing port. There are guided tours of the fish markets and docks in summer.

ST SIMONS ISLAND

 Along the incredible 100 miles of Georgia's coastline lies the magical seaside retreat of the Golden Isles. Nestled along stretches of sand dunes and salt marshes, the mainland city of Brunswick and its four beloved barrier islands offer breathtaking landscapes, a variety of recreational pursuits, and an inherent tranquility. Georgia's Golden Isles, with its storied past, provides a magical retreat. It's bound to be a slice of heaven.

St Simons Island East Beach

The largest of the isles, St. Simons Island (Voted both America's Most Romantic Town and Favorite Beach Town), features moss-draped, oak-lined streets, sandy beaches, and hundreds of quality dining and shopping options to please any taste. The picture-perfect barrier island is filled with exceptional historic sites, museums, plantation era ruins, and a National Historic Monument. Uncover an array of island activities, including kayaking, fishing, paddle boarding, biking, and golf, as well as accommodations that fit any budget.

Explore Georgia

LAC ST JEAN

It's so big that it's often impossible to see the other side. Yet some people swim across every summer! Pass through the villages along the shoreline, explore heritage sites, treat yourself to a  gourmet snack, or simply enjoy the great weather. Imagine 200 km of shoreline and 42 km of sandy beaches! Whether you're just dipping your toes in or diving in head first, treating yourself to a foodie tour or riding around it on your bike, Lac-Saint-Jean makes for a giant-sized vacation! 

What a treat! Around the Lac-Saint-Jean, we don't do anything by halves. The cheese squeaks louder here than anywhere else, and the craft beer tastes heavenly. Cycling fans ride through paradise while a kayak trip gives you wings. The fish also love the lake's warmth! Get out your fishing rods! Throughout the four seasons, this vast and beautiful inland sea provides with an amazing array of activities and a constantly changing landscape!

Tourisme Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean

DUNBAR

 The little  east-coast town of Dunbar boasts Scotland's best sunshine records - as long as the haar (sea mist) stays offshore. A small resort that grew from a port, evidence of its early prosperity can be seen in elegant, handsome Georgian town houses. Dunbar was also a strategic place of defense, overlooking the main coastal route to Edinburgh. The shattered fragments of the town's castle - now home to nesting kittiwakes - still perch above the harbor. With a plenty of atmosphere and historic places of interest, Dunbar also makes a good excursion from Edinburgh, taking in North Berwick, another attractive little coastal resort, along the way.

 The East Beach, off Town Centre, Dunbar

 

A slightly faded but still attractive resort with some fine Georgian architecture, Dunbar shows its layers of history in its fragmentary castle, its two harbors (the first associated with Oliver Cromwell) and its handsome 17th-century town house with steeple.

RAROTONGA

 An Unforgettable South Pacific Experience!

The Cook Islands consist of 15 islands scattered over some 2 million square km of the Pacific Ocean. An unspoiled paradise, complete with white sand beaches, blue lagoons, and lush green mountains. The Cook Islands enjoy a pleasantly warm and sunny climate all year round. The hospitality is warm and spontaneous, the dancing exuberant, the mood relaxed. The old culture lives on with song, dance and an easy pace of life uncomplicated by the turmoil of the outside world. 

 BEAUTIFUL MURI BEACH AND LAGOON,
Rarotonga, Cook Islands

  Rarotonga, the hub of the Cook Islands, has so much to see and do, yet remains unspoilt. No traffic lights, no McDonald’s and no building taller than the highest coconut tree. Round Rarotonga Road Race (32 km, first Saturday in November) is extremely popular and many international runners participate. Rarotonga offers an interesting variety to tempt the taste buds from high class eateries to friendly "island style" cafes. Don't miss special "Island Night" cultural show for an unforgettable experience!

COOK ISLANDS TOURISM

PORT GLAUD

 The Seychelles - the name alone conjures up images of hidden pirate treasures and a tropical island paradise. Yet even the most vivid imagination can barely touch the living beauty of these islands, discovered just two centuries ago. Spread over 400,000 square kilometres of the Indian Ocean the islands are quite literally a thousand miles from anywhere. The Seychelles manage to remain just as they were. Unhurried. Uncrowded. Unspoilt and Unique - by a thousand miles.

 The beaches rank among the very best in the world. Silver white sands stretch as far as the eye can see - and beyond - encircling the islands like a giant shimmering necklace. There are miles of white coral sands that dip invitingly into clear, warm turquoise waters. Holidaying in the Seychelles is like having a dream come true!

LAHINCH

 CLARE: This western county, known traditionally as Thomod, is mostly flat, and occupies the area from the River Shannon estuary, guarded by Loop Head, to the broad waters of Galway Bay. Amongst its many outstanding tourist attractions are the Cliffs of Moher, Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, and the amazing limestone district called the Burren, with its many caves, underground streams and rare flora.
Edna O'Brien an Irish novelist, memoirist, playwright, poet and short-story writer described as "the most gifted woman writing in English" was born in County Clare.

Lahinch, fronted by a mile long sandy beach fringing Liscannor Bay is a popular resort for bathing and golf. The golf course (18 holes) is situated in the sand dunes backing the beach. There is good coastal scenery on either side of the town and inland are some pretty glens, including the glen of the Cullenagh River to Ennistymon. Across the bay is the fishing village of Liscannor where John P. Holland (1841-1914), the inventor of the submarine was born.

Visit Clare

ABERDEEN

 No other Scottish city is like Aberdeen, with its remarkable granite character. Bold blocks of gray granite buildings, silver when the sun shines, lend distinction to this northern place. Granite may be austere, but the city is softened by an emphasis on flowers. Aberdeen is also the oil capital of Britain. It offers a good range of places to see within the old core of the city and makes a good base for exploring the hinterland with its castles, coastline, whisky distilleries and royal connections. 

The Promenade and Beach

Downtown Aberdeen's main street is Union Street, with the oldest part of the city at the sea end, known as the Castlegate. Down towards the harbor, Aberdeen's Maritime Museum on the Shiprow is housed within Provost  Ross's House of 1593. Aberdeen's name turns up in the song The Northern Lights of Old Aberdeen. However, downtown Aberdeen is not the place to see this night sky phenomenon. 

VisitAberdeenshire

PARROT CAY

Parrot Cay, the only private island resort in the Turks and Caicos, combines unspoilt nature with relaxed luxury, beachside villas and estates, a mile of pristine white sand beach. It is one of the most secluded and exclusive resort islands in the northern Caribbean. Here you'll have no choice but relax. Aside from just plain basking in the sun, major attractions are diving, snorkeling, fishing, boating, golfing and bird-watching.
The island was originally named Pirate Cay because of a local legend that famous female pirate Anne Bonny camped here in the 1720s. It was renamed Parrot Cay as to not frighten visitors. The island is a popular retreat for celebrities who have fallen in love with the altruistic hospitality which is as exceptional as the natural beauty of Parrot Cay.

 

Received from Thomas Goatherd, Northamptonshire

BRAY

 The thriving town of Bray is situated approximately 20 kms south of Dublin. Backed by the Wicklow Mountains which rise in great heather-clad masses behind the town, Bray is the gateway to the Garden of Ireland - Wicklow. Bray's sandy beach and esplanade are popular with both tourists and locals alike. Once a refined Victorian resort, Bray is nowadays a brash holiday town, with amusement arcades and fish and chip shops lining the sea front. Its beach attracts large crowds in summer, including many young families. The annual mid-summer seaside festival attracts thousands of visitor every year.

BRAY, CO. WICKLOW, IRELAND

The fine expanse of sandy beach, mile-long esplanade, charming harbour and variety of recreational and entertainment amenities make the name of Bray renowned throughout Ireland. The resort is enclosed at the southern end by Bray Head which rises boldly to a height of nearly 800 feet, and from whose summit, partly reached by an aerial chair-lift, spectacular panoramic views are obtained of the district.

DOUGLAS

 ISLE OF MAN. This self-governing part of the British Isles, 33 miles long and 13 miles wide, is situated in the middle of the Irish Sea. It has its own laws and parliament (the world's oldest), it issues its own currency, has its own Celtic language (now rarely heard) and tailless cats, called, like its residents, Manx. Steam railroads and electric streetcars add to a sense of dislocation. The Victorian resort of Douglas may be past its prime - offshore banking is the big business now - but along the south-west coast you will find picturesque ports, sandy beaches and glen-cut cliffs. The magnificent sweep of Douglas Bay, against the background of green hills, has a charm hard to equal anywhere. Douglas was a pioneer in illuminations and at night presents a scene of spectacular beauty, never to be forgotten.

DOUGLAS, ISLE OF MAN. This lovely expanse of sandy beach offers every facility for safe bathing.

PORT ELIZABETH

 Only a few minutes away from the city centre, the beaches on the long graceful sweep of Algoa Bay provide unlimited opportunities throughout the year for swimming, rock and surf angling, deep sea fishing, boating, surfing and diving. The yachting fraternity tends to gravitate to Hobie Beach and the placid waters of the Swartkops River. The historic heart of the city and traditional gathering and bartering place. Trading still takes place here at the flea market on Saturday mornings. The impressive city hall dates from 1858. Steam train enthusiasts come from afar to ride on the Apple Express which runs from Port Elizabeth on a narrow gauge (610 mm) railway line to the fruit-growing valley of the Long Kloof.

Views of beach front and main beaches. Yachts sailing past beach front 

JERSEY

 14 miles from France, Jersey is the largest and most southerly of the Channel Islands possessing great natural beauty and has the highest sunshine record in the British Isles. St. Helier is the capital of the island. The cosmopolitan harbour town is bustling with life, shops, restaurants, bars, and galleries. There are over 20 beaches, all different with many small and picturesque fishing harbour around the Island's magnificent coast. In the south west of the island stands St. Brelade, most known for its beach culture: the sheltered sandy bays of St. Brelade, Portelet and Beauport and a special fisherman’s chapel “La Chapelle ès Pêcheurs.” An island of natural beauty, where you’re free to reconnect and revitalise in the fresh sea air. A land of sunshine, sparkling blue seas, and hot white sand. Somewhere a little way apart, a little bit different, ever so slightly exotic.

ST. BRELADE'S BAY  * THE BEACH, GOREY

PORTELET BAY *  LA CORBIERE LIGHTHOUSE

[1972]

Visit Jersey

BARABOO

 Baraboo, 13 miles to the south of Wisconsin Dells, attracts visitors with Circus World Museum. The city was the hometown of the "Ringling Brothers". Their famous circus wintered  there at the turn of the century. Just outside Baraboo, Devil's Lake State Park is a geologic gem. Created by the glaciers, the park's spring-fed lake is surrounded on three sides by 500-foot-high bluffs. Beautiful Devil's Lake was named Minnewaukan by the Indians, meaning Evil Spirit. The unusual echos in the area created a mistrust of the lake and the Indians feared to camp here. The Lake, a mile and a quarter long is simingly dwarfed by sheer cliffs standing as sentinels around it.

Beach scene at Devil's Lake, Wisconsin State Park (1040 acres) near Baraboo, Wis.

Many great Universities maintain summer Geology camps here, where students study the myriad rock formations in their unusual and beautiful, natural laboratory. With the excellent sand beaches, giant bluffs and fascinating natural rocky formations, swimming, hiking and climbing are enjoyed here.  

For more information visit baraboo.com

HERMANUS

 Fashionable seaside resort Hermanus dubbed 'the Riviera of South Africa'. Stretching along the shore of Walker Bay, a much favoured resort, renowned among fishermen and watersport enthusiasts. A collection of old fishing boats, some more than 100 years old, have been restored and may be seen at the Old Harbour Museum, a national monument, constructed on the slipway. Semi-precious stones, jewellery and ornaments are sold at a manufacturing outlet in Arum street. Beaches are safe for swimming and surfing, especially at Voëlklip and Grotto beaches. A yacht club is situated on the Kleinrivier Lagoon. Fernkloof Nature Reserve offers a number of signposted walks, an abundance of wild flowers and a prolific bird life.

 

Voëlklip Beach, Grotto Beach, Kleinriviervlei, Hermanus Yacht Club [1994]

MARGATE

It's always exciting. It's always different. It's always full of fun. That's Margate, the sun soaked centre of Natal's warmhearted holiday coastline ... South Coast. The palm-lined main beach is equipped with everything you need for fun in the sun, from safe surf and sunbathing lawns to paddling pools, a supertube, ice-cream parlours and entertainment centre. In peak season beauty competitions and variety shows are held on the beach. And some of SA's top beauties started out put by winning beach queen titles at Margate! This popular resort with its many restaurants, discos and live cabaret is particularly favoured by the young. Holiday makers flock to Margate to sunbathe, ride the waves, eat, drink and generally jollify.

MARGATE,  "Hibiscus Coast",  NATAL

One of the Republic's most renowned seaside resorts with amenities and attractions for holidays - and "Fun in the Sun" for all the family.

EAST LONDON

Situated on one of the most attractive stretches of coastline on the eastern seaboard, East London's broad beaches extend for miles - unpolluted, uncrowded, unspoilt. Swimming, sailing, water-skiing, boardsailing and boating are enjoyed all year round, while the river mouths, lagoons and gullies provide a paradise for fishermen. East Londoners are extremely conservation-conscious, and several well-preserved examples of the 19th century architecture enhance the charm of the city. East London Yacht Club hosts many regattas held off the coast and is the finish of the annual Vasco da Gama Yacht Race between Durban and East London. And when the sun goes down the city, there are theatres, cinemas, and a selection of restaurants to pamper the discerning palate.

COASTAL CAROLINA

 The North Carolina coast comprises 300 miles of barrier-island beaches, each with its own unique vibe and variety of things to do. And quaint coastal towns and endless activities guarantee there’s always something new to explore – a fresh perspective in a familiar setting that brings visitors back year after year. Carolina beaches are beautiful, with creamy-colored sand gentle slopes. Sand fences are used for the purpose of building sand dunes by trapping blowing sand, and also to protect existing dunes and their vegetation. They are placed so as not to entrap sea turtles. Hundreds of sea turtles come ashore to nest on North Carolina’s beaches each summer.

Coastal Carolina

Postcrossing Postcard US-4092303 received from Tanja