Corpus Christi Downtown Volkswalk -- Fri., Sep. 21

A day that will live in infamy (in my mind). Yep, this is the walk that finally did me in. (I know I'll do more walks, but it will be a couple of months...have to get over this one first.)

This past weekend was another kidnap* by Bob. (*Kidnap means one of us writes "Kidnap" on the calendar. The person who wrote down the kidnap is in charge of the weekend--or date night, or day--and makes the plans as to where we'll go. What we do is usually decided by both of us.) Bob took me to Corpus Christi, two hours southeast of San Antonio. 

At first we thought about going in the Escape pod and staying in a hotel, but why do that when we can take our home and kitties with us. So The Rig and The Beast were put into action and we left my Escape pod at the RV Park in San Antonio.

In reading RVparkreviews.com, I found Ransom Road RV Park in Aransas Pass, Texas, about 24 miles outside Corpus Christi. How perfect is that RV park name for a "kidnap" weekend?

It was Friday afternoon and the weather was gorgeous, 82 degrees with a slight wind coming in off the water. We got our RV situated in the site, fed the kitties, turned on the air and went out for a late afternoon/early evening 10K Volkswalk (6.2 miles). That was the last I saw of Ransom Road RV Park.

The Volkswalk started at Hotel Corpus Christi Bayfront. Normally I go in and ask for the "walk box" at the front desk. The front desk had a sign on it that said check in at the coffee shop. OK, that's different. Went to the coffee shop and asked for the "walk box." The lady behind the counter looked at me like I was speaking Swahili. She got all flustered and kept asking me, "What?"

"The walk box. You know, with directions for walks," I explained.

After a quickly placed call to someone who knew, she went over to the hotel check-in desk, phone in hand, and was told exactly where the box was. Once I got signed in, I gave her the box back and we were able to start our walk.

It was one of those picture-perfect evenings and we were enjoying all the sights in downtown Corpus Christi...

Banks, hotels, restaurants.

History of the Old Salt Mill

USS Lexington

Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge with Water Garden in foreground.

Water Garden with Art Museum in background.

Water Garden and Harbor Bridge

Bob at Water Garden.

A sculpture in park by Art Museum.

The next five pictures are of Heritage Park.

Real time 6:00 p.m.

Simon Gugenheim House

Grande-Grossman House

Lichtenstein House.

History and style info about Lichtenstein House.

All along the downtown harbor are gazebos with history inside and concrete steps.

The whole waterfront area is beautiful. If you worked downtown you could walk to the steps, sit, eat lunch and enjoy watching ships in the channel, great blue herons, brown pelicans and whatever else was going on in the harbor. Some of those gazebos had homeless people sleeping under them.

Great blue heron in classic stance.

Art downtown

Here's a place along the walkway where children can splash about. Looks inviting.

Splashy fountain for the kiddos.

A different kind of windmill, art, or both?

Brown pelican making sure I wasn't coming closer.

There's also comfy benches--you can face either direction.

Looking toward downtown.

Corpus Christi Marina

All along the walkway are markers depicting our solar system with facts about planets, our sun, moons, atmospheric conditions on planets, and interesting factoids. This was very educational. (And we wonder why we can't get a 10K walk in a new city done in two hours. Go figure. We're too busy reading signs. And I'm too busy taking photos!)

Extra info on comets and asteroids.

We walked around the T-head* in this marina.

Corpus Christi Marina.

 *T-head = roads in marina in shape of a T.

Some kind of fishing/shrimping? boat. Anyone know?

We thought about coming back here for dinner...but..

Corpus Christi skyline from marina.

Another great blue heron posed nicely.

Memorial to Tejano star Selena.

Selena Memorial--Mirador de la Flor (Overlook of the Flower)

 

We also walked a second T-head in the marina.

Another T-head in the Marina.

...another good option for dinner.

Joe's Crab Shack--Peace, Love & Crab

Replica of the Nina.

Being restored by this group.

Downtown skyline at dusk.

Just after sunset.

Along the harbor seawall.

A historic church at dusk.

The Cathedral--last photo I took before I fell.

After the last photo we went down the steps from the cathedral to the street below it. After walking another block is where I broke my face. Does that mean I fell from grace?

Bob took a few photos on his forays back and forth to Aransas Pass to feed the kitties and get some sleep. Here are Bob's photos of his ferry trip. See what I miss when I'm laid up in the hospital?

The big ship channel.

Ferries everywhere!

The Beast on a ferry ride!

Coming into port at Aransas Pass.

Life goes on and I want to go back to Corpus Christi, finish the walk and enjoy more time there: USS Lexington tour, aquarium, South Padre Island, bird watching. We still have those restaurants to try, but they will have to wait a while.

I also found out there's a Harbor Bridge walk every Sunday morning. That's on my bucket list too.

Travel Bug out.