This past weekend Eric, Maddie and I went to Corpus Christi for a mini vacation.  We had a great time.  Here's our trip in pictures:

Checking out the beach from our balcony on the first morning.

Telling us what she thinks she's going to see at the aquarium.

First stop?  Texas State Aquarium.

Waiting for the dolphin show to begin.

Maddie LOVED the dolphins.  We ended up buying a stuffed one to bring home with us.

The otters were probably her second favorite thing at the aquarium.

Outside Blackbeard's restaurant.

Maddie enjoyed getting splashed by the waves, even when they got her face.

Before we saw three jellyfish. . . . 

Playing in the sand.

Padre Island National Seashore

Sifting for clam shells.  She could have done this all day.

Yes, we fed the sea gulls.  Shame on us.

Completely worn out from a morning at the beach.

Outside a souvenir shop.  Did I mention Maddie has a new found love of dolphins?

We HAD to stop and get a picture of this since Maddie likes sharks.

When planning a trip I love to get advice from people I know.  It's obviously far more trustworthy than the "anonymous" and/or angry reviewers on travel websites.  So if you're considering Corpus Christi, here are my thoughts:

1. Don't stay at Villa del Sol condominiums.  Although our view was great, the complex itself was VERY dated.
2. Stay on Padre Island.  You'll be much closer to the nicer beaches and there are plenty of places to eat.  We stayed in Corpus Christi on the mainland and about the only thing we were close to were the bay beaches (see below), Texas State Aquarium, and the Lexington.
3. Skip the bay beaches of mainland Corpus Christi.  The sand is gritty, the water is murky, and there are quite a few jellyfish.
4. Do visit Padre Island National Seashore.  The sand was soft, the water was clear several feet out, and the shore is teeming with wedge clams which is great fun for little ones.
5. Also plan to visit Texas State Aquarium.  If it had been just Eric and me, we probably would have breezed through it, but with Maddie it was an all day event (with lunch and a nap squeezed in, of course.)
6. Don't eat at Blackbeard's.  It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great.  We only ate there because it was on "our side" of town.
7. Corpus Christi doesn't have a whole lot to do unless you want to spend several days at the beach, so plan a short visit of two or three days.  That's about as much sand as Eric and I could handle!