Beach camping. That's right, beach camping. Even if Galveston Island State Park offered nothing else, beach camping would put it on our "must-visit" list. Of course, the park does offer lots more, including fishing, birding, kayaking, biking, swimming and hiking. There's an observation platform, boardwalks, trails, overnight sites and even a freshwater pond. (We're not sure how that got there.) We suggest a visit to Karankawa Reef. It's under water, so there isn't much to actually see when you get there, but it might be your only chance to visit the home of reputedly cannibalistic Native Americans in Texas, who would reportedly wade from the reef to the mainland, where we're pretty sure they scared the hell out of early settlers.