Corpus Christi
A character-filled throwback to the days when drugstores all had lunch counters, this is the real 1960s deal. Sit on a barstool or in a tiny booth and have a bowl plus something luscious from the soda fountain. The cook, Jesse Lerma, has been manning the grill since just a few months after the fountain opened in 1960.
Hamlin is in a vintage strip mall about 5 miles south of the marinas. The on-site bakery, with a more modern menu of items such as macarons and key lime pie, is also worth a look.
5.21 MILES
Learn about Gulf Coast marine life, just across from downtown at the southern end of North Beach. Three large handling tanks let you get close to sharks,…
5.29 MILES
Moored just north of the ship channel and aquarium, this 900ft-long aircraft carrier dominates Corpus Christi bay. The Lexington served in the Pacific…
5 MILES
Enjoying a spectacular seafront setting, across from the Museum of Science & History, this modern museum focuses on changing exhibitions of contemporary…
4.73 MILES
Originally a neighborhood of old homes, Heritage Park has morphed into a theme park of old homes. A dozen Corpus houses, from humble to grand and dating…
5.63 MILES
Overlooking Oso Bay, this city-run nature reserve of 162 acres has 4 miles of trails to wander. The surrounding wetlands are a haven for birdlife, and…
Padre Island National Seashore
18.65 MILES
The 60 southern miles of 'North' Padre Island that lie beyond Corpus Christi city limits are protected within the Padre Island National Seashore…
22.16 MILES
A privately owned island just across the ship channel from Port Aransas, known as St Jo to locals. This squat desert island, 2 miles at its widest but 21…
21.59 MILES
The main access point to this county-run park is via Beach St (try to remember that). The park has rest rooms, the Horace Caldwell fishing pier and…
3.62 MILES
This is the least exciting of the three main piers for visitors, but the views back towards downtown are nice.
3.82 MILES
Home to a view, a few chain restaurants and the luckless Niña Ship Replica.
3.9 MILES
Once a small display area tucked inside Surf Club Records, this museum has now taken over completely with a range of displays on the history of surfing in…
4.04 MILES
The life-sized statue of late Tejano singer Selena Quintanilla-Perez (1971–95) still draws an estimated 30,000 well-wishers every year more than two…
4.04 MILES
The busy fleet of shipping boats that dock here, along with the various restaurants and activities that have set up shop on the jetty, make this the most…
4.13 MILES
This small space hosts contemporary-art exhibitions, which rotate every four to six weeks, with a penchant for emerging artists. The often-provocative…
4.73 MILES
Originally a neighborhood of old homes, Heritage Park has morphed into a theme park of old homes. A dozen Corpus houses, from humble to grand and dating…
4.91 MILES
This small but well-curated museum is worth a look if you have an interest in art from across South and Southeast Asia, but particularly from Japan. There…