Corpus Christi Impressions

Overall: Corpus Christi was lucky last fall when Hurricane Ike turned north and hit Galveston. They had only minor wind and damage. Some shops, stores, homes and even one large hotel downtown are closed but I think the economic downturn is the cause and not Ike.

Tourist: So far I have visited the beach, downtown entertainment district, USS Lexington, Texas State Aquarium, South Texas Botanical Gardens & Nature Center, Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History and the Corpus Christi Art Center. The Chamber of Commerce says this has been a good summer but there are very few tourists anywhere and only moderate crowds on the beaches. They say house prices and sales declined the first half of this year for the first time in over twenty years but that sales picked up again in July.

Weather: Upper 90s but much more comfortable than Galveston because the humidity is much lower and there is a constant wind off the Gulf. The locals say August is the worst month with higher temperatures and humidity.

Beach: Corpus Christi beach sand is coarse but Port Aransas and Mustang Island beaches are comparable to Atlantic beaches. The water is a beautiful emerald green and its temperature is about as warm as Ocean City MD, which was a surprise to me.

Seafood: Overall disappointing. First I tried Pier 99 on the beach that is supposed to be a tourist favorite. I had seafood gumbo soup and grilled amberjack. Okay but average. An Internet date took me to dinner at the Water Street Seafood Co. in the WaterStreet Market. The crab stuffed mushrooms were good but the crab cakes were disappointing. Problem is crab cakes in Texas have so much stuffing that you can barely taste the crab. The WaterStreet Market is a funky open-air courtyard of unusual shops in the downtown entertainment district. More on that later. So far my favorite is Blackbeard's On the Beach, a small grungy restaurant one block off the beach. I love their Pirate's Stew. They start with a tortilla soup base and add crab, shrimp, rice, veggies and a little hot sausage. I also liked their Seashell Salad, which is a salad with crab, shrimp and avocados in a tortilla shell.

Photos and More Comments: Will add later.