Corpus Christi: seen the city? Then head on out for the following attractions - shown with approximate mile distances from city center - a short drive from …

Travel America, Jan-Feb, 2003 by Christina Victor

A major Texas industrial center and long-time magnet for sun-seeking vacationers, Corpus Christi offers much to see and do. The Texas State Aquarium contains over 250 species of sealife from the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea. See the treasure recovered from a Spanish galleon wrecked off Padre Island 450 years ago at the Corpus Christi Museum of Science & History. The museum features life-size replicas of Columbus' Nina, Pinta, and Santa Maria. Also visit the Corpus Christi Botanical Gardens and Corpus Christi Zoo.

30 Corpus Christi is the gateway to the "Isles of Texas," which have long lured visitors to the area. Padre Island and Mustang Island offer more than 100 miles of beaches, most of them protected by Padre Island National Seashore and Mustang Island State Park (although several resorts are available at the north and south ends of Padre Island). Horseback riding is popular on the Mustang Island beach. Port Aransas on the north end of Mustang Island is a fishing mecca. Nearby Rockport and Fulton offer such attractions as Texas Maritime Museum, which has exhibits on topics from Spanish exploration to the search for offshore oil and gas as well as a hands-on "ship's bridge;" Fulton Mansion State Historical Park, an extravagant 1874 home built with modern plumbing, central heat, and gas lights; and Goose Island State Park, site of Texas' largest coastal live oak. Lake Corpus

Christi State Park near Mathis is a freshwater alternative to the island beaches. Head south of the city to Kingsville and take a narrated one-hour bus tour of King Ranch, one of the largest and oldest cattle and horse ranches in the world. A separate King Ranch Museum traces its history.

75 North along the coast, Aransas National Wildlife Refuge near Austwell is the winter home for endangered whooping cranes. You're also likely to see armadillo, javelina, alligators, and deer. Native American and early Spanish artifacts are among the exhibits at the John E. Connor Museum on the Kingsville campus of Texas A & M University. Victoria is home to the Texas Zoo, featuring native Texas wildlife, and the 562-acre Riverside Park. Goliad is one of the oldest towns in Texas and has several historic battlegrounds, missions, and other sites. Fanin's Grave, Goliad State Historical Park, Mission Espiritu Santo de Zuniga, and Presidio La Bahia are especially interesting.

At A Glance

The aircraft carrier USS Lexington, moored in Corpus Christi Bay, was known as the "Blue Ghost," haunting the South Pacific during World War II.

King Ranch, a National Historic Landmark covering over 1,300 square miles, is larger than Rhode Island.

For great shelling away from the crowds, try Big Shell and Little Shell beaches at Padre Island National Seashore, a recreation area on the Gulf of Mexico. Driving is allowed on most of the island's beaches.

For more information, contact: Corpus Christi Convention & Visitors Bureau, 1201 N. Shoreline, Corpus Christi, TX 78401, (800) 678-6232, www.corpus christicvb.com; or Travel Division, Texas Department of Transportation, P.O. 149248, Austin, TX 78714-9248, (800) 88-88-TEX, www.traveltex.com.