DAY 67
Week 10
CORPUS CHRISTI (Texas, USA)
Saturday August 26th, 2006
TODAYS MILEAGE – 71 miles or 114 kilometres
TRIP MILEAGE – 8255 miles or 13285 kilometres
Welcome to surf city Texas???? 
Sunrise over Corpus Christi (Texas) was a little different to what I was used to in other coastal towns. The sky was a battleship grey kind of affair with no colorings of the usual reds, yellows and orange that normally greet anyone silly enough to be up at that hour.
After a lazy breakfast it was of to the USS Lexington to check out this former fighting empress of the seas. Whilst she was not a big as the USS Midway that I visited in San Diego (California), she has a lot of history that gets the grey matter working:
• Was the first US Navy vessel to have permanent female crew members.
• Supplied power to the city of Tacoma (Montana) when they did not have enough water in their dams to produce hydro-electricity.
• Carried enough fuel to cruise 33,000 miles / 53,108 kilometres.
• Was the first US Navy vessel to enter Tokyo Bay.
• Was a star in the 2001 movie Pearl Harbor.
The curators of the Lexington have done a wonderful job in presenting not only what life was like aboard, but the displays on Pearl Harbor, fighting in the Pacific, Prisoners of War and access to the bridge make any visit rewarding and worthwhile.
In order to head over to Mustang Island, you head Northeast to catch the ferry at Aransas Pass. It's only a 5 minute trip for the twenty or so vehicles on each ferry (I counted 5 of them working) and is free to all comers. You are deposited on the docks of Port Aransas. After a quick stop to wet the whistle at the local it was of to drive the Port Aransas Beach Road.
As you can see from the photos, the locals have carved out a road on the wide sandy beach, that stretches for miles. This was the first time I've ever driven on a beach like this and it was fun just to poke along taking your time checking everything out.
The sun was setting and the worms were a biting, so it was back to the hotel for a quick "4S" session - sh!t, shower, shave & shampoo and we're off over to the Water Street Oyster Bar for a feed, as it was recommended by several locals as being the place for seafood in town.
To be frank, the food was average, the service left a lot to be desired and should they try and seat you upstairs - decline the offer. It's hotter than a pizza oven up there, which makes me irritable & annoyed when trying to dine while sweating my arse off. You may have better luck.
All was not lost. Lance the barman at the Omni looked after me with a couple of Long Island Ice Tea's that tasted a lot like the non-alcoholic Lemon, Lime & Bitters, but packing a whole lot of giddy up. I got to bed near midnight, talking left handed braille, but all the better for it.
I think I like the coast. See ya tomorrow.
• CORPUS CHRISTI ~ Sun, Sand & Ships (Texas, USA)