74 THE COASTAL BEND MAGAZINE • Early Summer 2018 TheCoastalBend.com Coastal BendTour Guide The U.S.S. Lexington CVA-16 was commissioned in 1943 and christened in honor of the original Lexington, which was lost in 1942 at the Battle of the Coral Sea at the start of World War II. The new “Lady Lex”set more combat records than any carrier in U.S. Naval history and today rests in Corpus Christi Bay as the U.S.S. Lexington Museum on the Bay, a tribute and memorial to those who served defending America. The Lexington is the oldest remaining aircraft carrier in the world. Famed Japanese propagandist Tokyo Rose, after reporting in error on numerous occasions that the Lexington had been sunk, nicknamed the ship the“Blue Ghost,”which has stuck to this day. The Lex is credited with destroying over 800 enemy aircraft, 300,000 tons of enemy ships and damaging an- other 600,000 tons, in Pacific War battles that included the Kwajalein Raid, Battle of the Philippine Sea, Battle of Leyte Gulf, and in bombing attacks on Japanese home islands at the end of the war. Eleven of the ship’s 16 decks are included in tours of the Lex, including the flight deck where 20 military aircraft are tethered, ranging from a vintage N3N-3 Yellow Pearl biplane to a Blue Angels F/18 Hornet. The popular state-of-the-art, 16 passenger Flight Simulator is located on the hanger deck, as is the Virtual Battle Stations game center. The Joe Jessel Mega Theater features both vintage and ultra-modern, aviation and other adventure films in thundering digital sound and brilliant video projection. Give yourself a good half-day to fully enjoy the U.S.S. Lexington Museum on the Bay—an unmatched educational experience in American history. 2914 N. Shoreline Blvd. on North Beach • (361) 888-4873 • USSLexington.com STEP ABOARD AMERICAN HISTORY Left: Navy fighter planes on deck of USS Lexington in the Pacific, 1944; Top: War Operations room onboard current museum. WHERE’S THE BEACH? The Coastal Bend offers more miles of publicly-acces- sible beaches than anywhere in the United States, on both the Gulf of Mexico and Corpus Christi Bay. North Beach—Over the Harbor Bridge, you will find over a mile of pedestrian friendly public beach on Corpus Christi Bay, complete with a wonderful view of the city. McGee Beach—Also on the bay is downtown’s one sandy beach, at the foot of the seawall, just south of the Emerald Beach Hotel on N. Shoreline Blvd. Padre Balli Park—Nueces County beach and recreational area on North Padre Island includes famed Bob Hall Pier, camp- ing facilities, first aid and information center, plus cov- ered picnic tables on pedestrian beach. Padre Island National Seashore—America’s wildest beach runs over 70 miles south of Corpus Christi and is where some of the state’s best fishing and birdwatching can be found. JP Luby Surf Park—Take Zahn Rd. off Hwy. 361 just north of Packery Channel to the widest spread of gulf beach on the island, home to a more raucous and younger beach crowd, as well as fishing on the north jetty of Packery Channel. Port Aransas Beach—The area’s best maintained and most patrolled beach space, both beach parking and pedestrian friendly zones. HURRICANE ALLEY WATERPARK The city’s downtown waterpark features five water slides, including the epic“Cat 5,”which towers 65 feet above the complex and spirals two-person tubes through a thrilling series of turns. The swim-up bar is a big hit with grown- ups. Hurricane Alley is directly adjacent to Whataburger Field, where the Corpus Christi Hooks play, offering the perfect afternoon package of waterpark fun plus a pro baseball game, in one of the most beautiful settings in Texas. Open Daily through the End of Summer 702 E. Port Ave. • hurricanealleycc.com VISITOR CENTERS WILL POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION! The Corpus Christi Convention & Visitors Bureau oper- ates two staffed visitor information centers, the main, year-round location on North Shoreline Blvd. across from American Bank Center, and a summer info center at Schlitterbahn Riverpark & Resort on Commodores Dr. on North Padre Island. VisitCorpusChristiTX.com BEST GOLFING VALUE IN TEXAS The Oso Beach Golf Course is located at the southern end of S. Alameda St. near the intersection of Ennis Joslin Rd. and Ocean Dr., and was the site of major competitions in its early days, featuring legends like Ben Hogan and Sam Snead. The Gabe Lozano Golf Center is located on the city’s west side on Old Brownsville Rd., and features both an 18-hole championship course and a 9-hole executive course. Both facilities are beautifully maintained, offer instruc- tion by PGA certified professionals, both for individu- als and groups, and have driving ranges and putting greens. Best of all, you will find the lowest fees, by far, making Corpus Christi’s courses the best golfing value in all of Texas!