The USS Lexington aircraft carrier, known by several nicknames, including the “Blue Ghost”, was launched in September, 1942 and is now a floating museum in Corpus Christi Bay. When you’re in the Corpus Christi area, this is a must-see.
By Corpus Christi’s North Beach.
Since it was Spring Break, we had to park some distance from the ship in a parking lot under the Causeway Bridge. The charge is $4.00 for the day. Most parking meters along the street are for 4-hours only. Four hours is pushing it if you want to see everything. We were there for five hours and didn’t see two of the self-guided tours. There is a little tram that will haul you up and down the ramp.
The flight deck was serviced from the hangar deck below and was lined with aircraft from many eras. (Click Photo to Enlarge)
The flight deck provided a great view of Corpus Christi and a glimpse at some of the anti-aircraft guns that helped to protect the carrier.
The bridge has a bird’s eye view of the activity.
We were amazed at how skinny the Huey Cobra attack helicopter is. I guess it makes it a little target as it approaches.
The F-18 flown by the Blue Angels drew our attention.
Ayden tried her hand in the cockpit.
The ship has a movie theater and we watched a movie about fighter pilots that was quite interesting. Outside the theater, justice was served.
Be sure to wear tennis shoes instead of sandals. The climb up and down between decks was achieved by the original ladders. Don’t worry, even with my back issues, I had no trouble moving around.
We ate dinner at Pier 99, a nearby restaurant. Shrimp dinners and chicken-fried steak were our chosen fare. The food was good. A band began playing on the outside deck at 6:00 PM.
This was certainly worth the trip. Located near the Lexington is the Aquarium, but we didn’t have time on this visit.