When the cooler temps come in one of the things I like to do is explore the Texas coastal towns. During the summertime I tend to be a beach bum and don’t really enjoy all that they have to offer. With that said, I made my way down to Corpus Christi, Texas with my sister in law and twin nephews to see the sights of “The Sparkling City by the Sea”. Corpus Christi, the eighth most populous city in Texas, is about 130 miles southeast of my hometown, San Antonio. After an easy 2-hour drive to Corpus Christi and ready to relax, we checked-in at the Holiday Inn Corpus Christi Downtown Marina hotel and went for a swim in their heated indoor and outdoor pool with great views of the Marina and Corpus Christi Bay. The hotel was conveniently located in downtown Corpus Christi and near most of the sites we planned on visiting and our room had a nice view of the bay where we could see the sunrise. The rooms are spacious, cozy, and I could get a bit of work done with the free WI-FI that they offered. I liked that they provided their own parking area right under the hotel making it easy and feeling safe leaving my vehicle overnight. The staff was especially friendly and checked on us to make sure we were settled in and had all we needed.
Saturday morning came, and we fueled up at the two-story Whataburger by the Bay before getting our day started. Our first adventure of the day, we visited the popular Texas State Aquarium. The mission of the aquarium is to educate its visitors about the preservation, rehabilitation, and conservation of animals. We spent a few hours there checking out all the marine life, otters, alligators, and other animals, engaged in live-touch exhibits, and saw some cool dolphin and trainer interactions. One of my favorite parts was the jellyfish exhibits. Be sure to check out their new exhibit Caribbean Sea that combines a thrilling look at the ocean’s most infamous predators with the experience of diving a real-life Caribbean shipwreck, all without having to get wet. A nice touch added to the aquarium was the 12-minute complimentary educational movie you can enjoy.
For those who know me well, know I love art museums. Paying a visit to the Art Museum of South Texas was a must. The art museum brings awareness, knowledge, appreciation and enjoyment of the visual arts for residents and visitors of South Texas. The Digital Darkroom exhibit was deep and unique and the Christmas tree forest with different decorated trees is perfect for those who love decorating for the holidays.
Our Sunday Funday began with a day at the Woodhouse Day Spa. Being tourist and lots of driving can wear you out. Nothing like a Swedish massage to relax the mind, body, and soul before getting back on the road to continue our weekend of sightseeing.
Our last and final spot to visit, was Malaquite Beach. You can’t visit the Sparkling City by the Sea and not stop at the beach, right? The day was breezy and warm, which made it perfect to roll our jeans up and sink our toes in the sand. Taking in all the beauty of the beach was a perfect way to end our weekend in Corpus Christi before heading home.
A big thank you to the Visitor’s Bureau for hosting my family and I to a wonderful weekend. All opinions and images are my own.
