Port Aransas Ferry, USA

Neat free ferry, which crosses the Corpus Christi Ship Channel. During a free ride on this ferry, you can get out of your car and look at the sights. Most of the time, you can spot dolphins in the ship channel.

Corpus Christi is a mid-sized city on the Gulf of Mexico. Due to its consistent wind levels, Corpus Christi is an excellent sailing location. The U.S. Open Windsurfing Regatta is held yearly here. Sailboat Racing is conducted Wednesday Nights at the Midget Ocean Racing Fleet, which is held off the T-heads near the marina near downtown Corpus Christi. Also, larger regattas are held throughout the year. Many sailing courses are held at the Corpus Christi Yacht Club. Also, some off shore races begin out of Corpus Christi. If you are looking for more info on the Wednesday Night races, you can visit www.ccmorf.org. Corpus Christi also is a beach town. You can travel to North Padre Island, a 10 minute drive, for some sun, surf and sand.

The USS Lexington, a proud WWII fighting aircraft carrier known as the "Blue Ghost", sits open to the public (for a small admission fee), near downtown Corpus Christi. With guided and unguided tours, the Lexington has many square feet that you can explore. While this is a great exhibit, remember that there are many ladders and stairs needed to explore the entire ship. You can go from down in the engine room and see the giant engines, to far up forward bow and look at the anchor chain. The USS Lexington was used as a movie set for the movie "Pearl Harbor" which was filmed in 2001. The USS Lexington was actually serviced many times in Pearl Harbor during its service in WWII. In the movie "Pearl Harbor", the Lexington portrayed both American and Japanese aircraft carriers, with modifications put onto its deck to simulate the Japanese fleet. This museum also features an IMAX theater on what was formerly its fan deck. I found this Museum to be a great glimpse into the past of our military.

Located on a floating platform, the Bay Yacht Club provides an alternative for sailors and boaters to the Corpus Christi Yacht Club. Sailing Races start at the white toolbox on the T-head across from the BYC every Wednesday night.

North Padre Island is a short drive from Corpus Christi, TX. Situated on the Gulf of Mexico, North Padre is part of the second longest barrier island in the world. The longest is off of Belize. North Padre Island is one of the only few beaches in the United States, where it is still legal to drive on the beach. For families with children, the ability to drive on the beach, park, and have all of your supplies within reaching distance is a great feature. There is great surf fishing off of Padre Island also.
Insiders tip for a great meal! There is a restaurant on Bob Hall Pier. They have very good burgers and cold beer. Sit up on the pier and watch the surfers, sunbathers, waves and fishermen!

This IMAX theater is located inside the USS Lexington Museum. While this museum features the classic IMAX lineup, it excels in the showing of IMAX features on military craft and history.

While the North Beach offers beach side stays at bargain prices, this beach is less than ideal. Because this beach is off of the Bay of Corpus Christi, and not the Gulf of Mexico, this is not a beach which is on the Ocean. North Beach historically is part of Corpus Christi's vibrant past, when a popular boardwalk populated this area. As the boardwalk is no longer present, many families are drawn to this area as the USS Lexington and the Texas State Aquarium reside close by.

Home of Corpus Christi's baseball team called the Hooks. They are the minor league team for the Houston Astros. The Whataburger Field has an amazing children's area.

Right next to the Ship Channel, the Art Museum offers great views, along with a decent sized art collection.

With full size replicas of the ships Colombus traveled on, the Corpus Christi museum has many exhibits for many ages.

With many sailing classes, and the MORF races every Wednesday night the CCYC provides many amenities to sailors. www.ccmorf.org

Statue / Memorial of Selena overlooking the bay of Corpus Christi, inside its own pavilion.

Nice small beach town. Very relaxed town.