For a change of scenery and to escape what seems to be a never ending series of rain storms passing through Houma, LA, we decided to head west and south to Corpus Christi, TX. We decided on Corpus because it appeared to be having better weather than Houma, and to visit our friends Linda & Bill Wagner (another retired CG Captain). Our departure on Monday, 18JAN, was delayed when we discovered the right front tire was flat. Luckily it was an easy fix, and the tire did not require replacing. Because of the delay we only drove two hours to Coushatta Indian “Cypress Bayou Casino”.
http://www.coushattacasinoresort.com/
After two more days driving we arrived at the RV park located on Corpus Christi Naval Air Station. NAS opened in 1941, by end of war was largest naval aviation training center in world. Currently basic flight training for all USA Naval, Marine & Coast Guard pilots is conducted here. Also NAS is home to the Corpus Christi Army Depot largest helicopter repair facility in the world. Unfortunately we could only get a RV spot for two nights and then had to move on Friday morning to a “civilian” RV park right outside the main gate of NAS. For the next few nights we would either get together at the Wagner’s or a restaurant to reminisce about our times together in the Coast Guard at Governor’s Is, NY; Ann Arbor, MI; Washington, DC; and lastly as COs in the 8th CG District.
https://www.cnic.navy.mil/CorpusChristi/index.htm
Thursday afternoon Dan & Bill headed the USN LEXINGTON, CV 16. This WWII aircraft carrier is now a floating museum permanently moored Corpus Christi. Commissioned in 1943, she served longer and holds more records than any other carrier in naval aviation.
http://www.usslexington.com/
Friday we took the Toad and went on a driving tour (including one ferry boat ride) of the small towns of Port Aransas, Aransas Pass, Rockport & Fulton, TX. Regrettably most of these towns had no real town center to speak of, and consisted mostly of small strip malls selling beach trinkets and t-shirts. The most picturesque was Rockport; and there was the Tarpon Inn in Aransas Pass where the wall is covered in Tarpon fish scales with the name of the fisherman who caught the Tarpon (including FDR).
http://www.thetarponinn.com/
Saturday morning Dan took off on a picture taking safari of eccentric sites in the local area. Sites observed included a statue of Harmon Dobson who started Whataburger in Corpus; the demon of Corpus Christi; the dirty car statue; and the memorial to Selena recommended by Bill.
Selena Quintanilla Perez was a Mexican American singer from Corpus who has been called "The Queen of Tejano Music". The youngest child of a Mexican-American couple, Selena released her first album at the age of twelve. Her fame grew throughout the early 1990s, especially in Spanish-speaking countries. Unfortunately, she was murdered at the age of 23 by Yolanda Saldívar, the president of her fan club. As of June 2006, Selena was commemorated with a museum and a bronze life-sized statue (Mirador de la Florr in Corpus Christi, TX), which are visited by hundreds of fans each week. Supposedly you obtain good luck by rubbing the rear end of Selena’s statue (not that Dan believes in superstitions)?
http://www.coushattacasinoresort.com/
After two more days driving we arrived at the RV park located on Corpus Christi Naval Air Station. NAS opened in 1941, by end of war was largest naval aviation training center in world. Currently basic flight training for all USA Naval, Marine & Coast Guard pilots is conducted here. Also NAS is home to the Corpus Christi Army Depot largest helicopter repair facility in the world. Unfortunately we could only get a RV spot for two nights and then had to move on Friday morning to a “civilian” RV park right outside the main gate of NAS. For the next few nights we would either get together at the Wagner’s or a restaurant to reminisce about our times together in the Coast Guard at Governor’s Is, NY; Ann Arbor, MI; Washington, DC; and lastly as COs in the 8th CG District.
https://www.cnic.navy.mil/CorpusChristi/index.htmThursday afternoon Dan & Bill headed the USN LEXINGTON, CV 16. This WWII aircraft carrier is now a floating museum permanently moored Corpus Christi. Commissioned in 1943, she served longer and holds more records than any other carrier in naval aviation.
http://www.usslexington.com/Friday we took the Toad and went on a driving tour (including one ferry boat ride) of the small towns of Port Aransas, Aransas Pass, Rockport & Fulton, TX. Regrettably most of these towns had no real town center to speak of, and consisted mostly of small strip malls selling beach trinkets and t-shirts. The most picturesque was Rockport; and there was the Tarpon Inn in Aransas Pass where the wall is covered in Tarpon fish scales with the name of the fisherman who caught the Tarpon (including FDR).
http://www.thetarponinn.com/Saturday morning Dan took off on a picture taking safari of eccentric sites in the local area. Sites observed included a statue of Harmon Dobson who started Whataburger in Corpus; the demon of Corpus Christi; the dirty car statue; and the memorial to Selena recommended by Bill.
Selena Quintanilla Perez was a Mexican American singer from Corpus who has been called "The Queen of Tejano Music". The youngest child of a Mexican-American couple, Selena released her first album at the age of twelve. Her fame grew throughout the early 1990s, especially in Spanish-speaking countries. Unfortunately, she was murdered at the age of 23 by Yolanda Saldívar, the president of her fan club. As of June 2006, Selena was commemorated with a museum and a bronze life-sized statue (Mirador de la Florr in Corpus Christi, TX), which are visited by hundreds of fans each week. Supposedly you obtain good luck by rubbing the rear end of Selena’s statue (not that Dan believes in superstitions)?
Later that morning Dan & Corrie headed to the Padre Island National Seashore for the 1100AM beach walk with one of the Rangers. As always it was a highly informative presentation where we learned that the National Seashore is the longest (75 miles) undeveloped barrier island in the world. Dan thinks it is a good thing that the USA set this area aside for preservation, but a bit sad that other countries haven’t done the same and 75 miles is the “biggest” in the world remaining undeveloped? Corrie then joined Linda to tour restored houses in the Port Aransas area, while Dan stayed at the Seashore to attend another Park Service presentation on all debris that washes up on the beaches of Padre Island. Due to the Gulf currents that converge on Padre Island, objects (man made and natural) are found that have traveled down the Mississippi River and even the Amazon!
http://www.nps.gov/pais/index.htm
Sunday afternoon we got together with a classmate and friend of Dan’s from the USCG Academy, Adan Guerrero and wife Sylvia. Adan was Dan’s “last” roommate at the Academy their senior year until graduation day. Sadly after graduation their Coast Guard paths had not crossed, except on brief occasions. As always it was great to see old friends and talk about old times, and as always the time together was too short. Hopefully now that we have reconnected, we will have longer get togethers in future visits to Corpus Christi.
Trivia – Who was youngest Naval aviator to ever graduate from Naval flight training (hint – it wasn’t W)? What was the Blue Ghost? What family produced a father and son who graduated from US Naval Academy and became four star Admirals (hint – the grandson spent seven years in the Hanoi Hilton)? What is the difference between flotsam & jetsam?
Sunday afternoon we got together with a classmate and friend of Dan’s from the USCG Academy, Adan Guerrero and wife Sylvia. Adan was Dan’s “last” roommate at the Academy their senior year until graduation day. Sadly after graduation their Coast Guard paths had not crossed, except on brief occasions. As always it was great to see old friends and talk about old times, and as always the time together was too short. Hopefully now that we have reconnected, we will have longer get togethers in future visits to Corpus Christi.
Trivia – Who was youngest Naval aviator to ever graduate from Naval flight training (hint – it wasn’t W)? What was the Blue Ghost? What family produced a father and son who graduated from US Naval Academy and became four star Admirals (hint – the grandson spent seven years in the Hanoi Hilton)? What is the difference between flotsam & jetsam?
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