Among the busiest tourist spots in Texas, Port Aransas is a small city, but incredibly popular due to its excellent fishing and beaches. It's based on small Mustang Island, just off the Gulf Coast. Port Aransas can make the perfect location for a family holiday, but as it is also a popular destination for college students on spring break, you may want to check your dates before you book! A humid sub-tropical climate similar to South Florida is just one of the regions attractions, but the town's small size and the popularity of its beach means that hotel prices can be very high indeed.

The beach at Port Aransas is one of its main draws, and you will probably spend at least a few days here, especially as you're allowed to drive cars and even park (if you have a permit) on the 18 miles of beach! Along with sunbathing and reading a good book, the beach provides opportunities for a wide range of water sports, such as water skiing, parasailing, surfing and windsurfing. You can also perfect your swing while the kids are swimming by trying out the course at the Newport Dunes Golf Club. It's a challenging course, and the views are truly spectacular out over the sea. But in addition to these predictable holiday pursuits, the authorities have also been aiming to build the city's tourism revenues by promoting eco-tourism, so there are also a great many bird hides, kayak paddling trails and there is also a large nature reserve under construction which will soon provide opportunities for hiking and wildlife spotting.

Nestling on the Jurassic Coast of West Dorset, Lyme Regis is a town where you can escape the pace of twenty-first-century life. Famous for geology and fossils, it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that remains unspoiled.You are sure to visit the harbour at Lyme Regis, where there is a famous stone construction known as the Cobb that shelters the boats. Don't miss the aquarium on the Cobb in the summer, especially if you are interested in seeing gigantic lobsters. A Literary Lyme Walking Tour might be more your thing, as the Cobb features in John Fowles' novel “The French Lieutenant's Women” as well as in Jane Austen's “Persuasion”. Plan your holiday for July or August and go on a ghost tour; August also devotes one week to a regatta and carnival. On a rainy day, pay a visit to the Town Mill with its art gallery, craft centre, bakery and brasserie.