Saturday morning, impromptu plan, result … Corpus Christi, a small gulf coast city. In Texas, it is really hard to plan a weekend getaway because it is so huge. Houstonians usually prefer Austin or San Antonio as their choice for weekend getaways, but this time I wanted to explore the “other side of Texas”. I have seen the big cosmopolitan cities but this time I wanted to see something smaller. Corpus Christi is really convenient being just 3 hours from Houston. There is nothing world class about it but it is a pleasant small city along the Gulf of Mexico with numerous beaches.
I wanted to start my trip early in the morning but knowing me it was not possible. Hence, after having my usual chocolate cereal breakfast I was on the road by 10 AM. After an hour on the road my tummy was making weird sounds and telling me it was time for another meal. I decided to take a quick pit stop in Victoria. Thanks to google I found Ramsey’s restaurant. Nope, it is not Gordon Ramsey’s restaurant but just another diner in a small Texas town. Now I know what eerie feels like. As soon as I entered the diner all eyes were on me and I believe it was not because I was looking fabulous. Victoria is not a destination city and Ramsey’s is a locals-only diner. I am not sure they have ever seen someone with a manbun. I know you think I am exaggerating but for me it was not a pleasant experience. After 5 mins my mind was wandering about with absurd thoughts including open gun laws in Texas, people prejudiced about foreigners in a red state etc … etc … etc. Luckily nothing happened. The waitress was efficient and my pork chops with fries were yummy. Still, I achieved a personal best by finishing my meal in 10 minutes.
By the time I reached Corpus, it was noon and after a quick nap I was on my way to Coffee Waves. It is an offbeat cafe with a wide variety of ice creams. The drive to the cafe was picturesque being on the coastal road and I passed many beautiful Spanish styled bungalows. My main reason to go the cafe was to avoid the summer heat. I hung out there until evening when I went on my way to the beaches on Mustang Island. The beaches were clean and filled with locals and tourists. But it was still hot and I was not able to indulge in any of the beach activities. On my way back I took a different route that took me through Aransas to Portland, two small towns on the way back to Corpus Christi. Needless to say the drive was really soothing. There was one weird thing when I spotted a guy on a truck with his gf/wife while waiting for a ferry. The truck had two huge flags. One state flag of Texas and the other a Confederate battle flag. It was kinda creepy and made me cringe knowing the history of the flag and what it represents to some people. For dinner I went to Thai Spice, a place recommended by a friend. It was a small family restaurant just two blocks from the hotel. The food was tasty but the whole experience was weird. A large family with screaming kids came in and took up most of the tables in the small restaurant. I can’t really describe what it felt like but I bet you know what I mean.
Next day … hello breakfast and for this I went to a local diner, Price’s Cafe Diner. It didn’t look like much but it was a perfect local joint with friendly service and great food. I was glad to see that the Corpus Christi was really open to graffiti, murals and underground artists. I even found a mural of Dragon Ball Z. Before heading back to Houston I decided to take a quick stop at the USS Lexington museum. Nicknamed “The Blue Ghost” it is an Essex-class aircraft carrier built during World War II. All in all it was not a bad weekend getaway and a must try if you want an alternative to Austin or San Antonio. Until next time cya … 🙂
