We’re closing up our first trip to Corpus Christi and we are sad to go! We were lucky enough to swing five days to bring our recreational vehicle (RV) to the beachy Texas city. Thankfully, the mini-vacay took off once we got over the terrible gas mileage we got towing the 5th Wheel with the truck:

10.4 miles per gallon!  Awesome!  Ugh.

We pulled into Colonia del Rey RV Resort on Waldron Road.  It’s in a great location- close to everything, if you are looking for an RV resort.  The gym has a decent treadmill in the rec center, or you can jog around the park and outside the gate.  The best part is that you can purchase tickets for attractions at the front office- and the resort website has a lot of good information about things to do in Corpus:  http://www.ccrvresorts.com/

This was the view on our first evening from a delicious eatery  “Doc’s Seafood and Steaks” at 13309 South Padre Island Drive.  You gotta go. My husband loved the margaritas (no skimping on the tequila, apparently), and the food was awesome! They even blackened a portabella mushroom on request to replace the mahi-mahi in their delectable fish taco recipe for me. If you’re a vegetarian, I highly recommend them!!!  Even if you’re not, my family LOVED the seafood and service here!  Check them out here:

http://www.docsseafoodandsteaks.com/

After dinner, we walked around the corner to a little ice creamery called “Snoopy’s” where we tasted a life-changing dessert.  It’s a dessert I am hereby obsessed with learning how to make.  Experiments will begin immediately upon our return.  Here’s the website:

http://www.snoopyspier.com/index.php

And this is it:  Snoopy’s Signature Dessert – A Sticky Rice Praline Sundae

I must admit, it didn’t sound good to me at first. I don’t like bread or rice puddings and I’m half-Asian.  My husband bought this for himself and had to go get another one when I wouldn’t give it back.  It is decadent and scrumdillyicious.

I believe that it is tightly packed rice combined with a heavy caramel-cream with a scoop of praline ice cream on top filled with pecans that have had their cellular walls overtaken by melt-in-your mouth sugar.  The rice is satisfyingly chewy, the ice cream is, well, creamy; the pecans are salty and crunchy, the caramel is sticky and it is all over-the-top sweet in the most heavenly way.  In short, it is culinary perfection.  And, I’m going to make it-  I’ll post a successful recipe attempt as we experiment with homemade ice creams, caramels, candied pecans and sticky rice in the coming weeks!!!

There it is-  pure decadence.

The next day, we went to the Texas State Aquarium.  You can’t not go.  It is right next to the USS Lexington and in the same area as a slew of museums:  an Art Museum, Science and History Museum, even an Asian Cultures Museum!  Here’s the link to the aquarium:  http://www.texasstateaquarium.org/

After the Aquarium, we went back to Snoopy’s:

On day 3, we went to the beach.  We built sand castles and moats.  We sat in the shallow water and let the tide wash over us.  Keep a good hold on your little ones-  The undertow was STRONG around 3 PM.  This flock of pelicans flew past us in a perfect line every five minutes.  They’d circle around and take turns diving after fish about 20 feet in front of us, to come back and do it again.  Way cool.  We highly recommend purchasing the annual beach parking pass (we got ours at a nearby gas station), if you plan to come a few times during the year.  It allows you to pull right up on the sand near the shoreline! 

Later, we went back to Snoopy’s. 

On Day 4, we went to the Botanical Gardens:  http://www.stxbot.org/   Kids under five get in free and adults pay $6 each.  It was a nice way to pass the morning.  It is quaint, but the kids loved it.  There’s a little play park there and a variety of tropical birds (macaw, parrot, cockatoo, cockatiel, parakeet and others).  There are a couple of turtles and a bunch of different plants and flowers.  The Butterfly Exhibit was a real favorite-

The Butterfly Exhibit

In the Orchid Room

Later, we went back to Snoopy’s.  Not really.  We went to Marble Slab because we went to the Palmera Mall afterward.  We ate at PF Chang’s…mmmmmmm…..And as good as Marble Slab was, we wished we would have gone to Snoopy’s.

Anyway, we’re getting ready to pack up the RV to head back to Laredo in the morning.  Our itinerary was pretty set when we got here, but Lynne Nava, the Director of Keep Laredo Beautiful, passed along some advice about places to visit since she spent some of her childhood in Corpus.  On our next visit, we’re going to try out her suggestions!  Here they are:

“Take the bay water taxi if you get the chance! Very inexpensive and it will take you from (people’s street t-head) to the tx state aquarium where you can get out and explore or just stay on for the return trip! It’s like $3-5 for everybody. My kids loved it! Also if you go to Port Aransas you have to picnic at St. Jo’s Island (it’s a water taxi trip too) and collect shells ! Early morning is best time!”

Thanks, Lynne!  If you go to Corpus Christi or have already been, please feel free to leave some suggestions here for us and others!  This place is great!  The best part, it’s probably just as humid as Laredo, but that beachy breeze cuts the bite!  And, if you come, you’ve gotta go to Snoopy’s to try the Sticky Rice Praline ice cream!!!