We decided to visit Corpus Christi to relax and spend quality time with our dogs. Despite it being the off-season, we were pleasantly surprised by the sunny and warm weather during our stay.
Corpus Christi is a large city with over 300,000 residents, and it is usually bustling with tourists during the summer. However, we enjoyed the peaceful and serene atmosphere.
Wildlife
The shoreline is a major attraction where everyone can enjoy some of the best beaches. The temperature is perfect for strolling along the shore and spotting wildlife such as dolphins, seagulls, brown pelicans, white pelicans, piping plovers, and sea turtles. You can easily spot these animals in the vicinity of Corpus Christi, such as Padre Island, Arkansas Pass, or Rockport.
A bit of history
The historical marker at the Corpus Christi marina commemorates Alvar Nunez Cabeza de Vaca, a Spanish explorer who survived being stranded on the Texas coast in 1528.
As a history enthusiast, I conducted research on this Spaniard. He was a Castilian born in 1490 and served as the treasurer of the Spanish exploration under de Narvaez, a Spanish conquistador.
The story goes that over 570 men initially landed in Tampa, Florida, in 1528, searching for the legendary cities of gold. Within a few months, by September, 60 had died. They then journeyed inland toward Galveston, Texas, and only 15 survived. In 1532, a black Moor, along with Alvar and two other Spaniards, became stranded on the Texas coast. The Karankawa, a nomadic Native American tribe, held them as prisoners for several years.
Alvar Cabeza de Vaca played the roles of a trader and a healer within the community. After escaping on foot across southern deserts, they reached Mexico in 1536.
He returned home in 1537 and advocated for changes to Spanish Indian treatment policies. He briefly served as governor of a province in Mexico and later held a judge position in Seville, Spain.
Why did the city get baptized as Corpo Chirsti?
A Spanish explorer, Alonzo Alvarez de Pineda, discovered Corpus Christi on the Roman Catholic Feast Day of Corpus Christi. Later, the city took the name of the feast celebration of the “Body of Christ.”
What is history? An echo of the past in the future, a reflex from the future on the past.
– Victor Hugo
Padre Island
Padre Island is a barrier island along the southern coast of Texas, home to Padre Island National Seashore, a vast protected area with beaches that shelter rare Kemp’s Ridley sea turtles.
“We take photos as a return ticket to a moment otherwise gone.”
– Katie Thurmes
