Corpus Christi Scrapbook

A new Conference, a new location…

The Sparkling City by the Sea, Corpus Christi, will be home to the Texas SILC’s 2014 Texas Statewide Independent Living Conference, BEACH.

What will participants DO at BEACH?

•Become their personal best. •Corpus Christi BEACH 2014 participants can make waves in Independent Living by learning how to build their personal or organizational capacity. When people reach the full potential of their abilities, they can achieve goals on the horizon. Teams of people operating at a higher potential can expand ideas, programs and organizations, making enough waves to create an ocean of opportunity in Texas.

What will participants LEARN at BEACH?

•How to make the most of their abilities. BEACH participants will learn skills and resources that will make the most of their individual and organizational abilities: grant writing, team building, social media, employment strategies and resources, assistive technology, adaptive sports and hobbies and more—all in the midst of the Corpus Christi beach and sun.

The Conference will be held at the Omni Corpus Christi, which is on Shoreline Drive, next to the marina. All rooms have balconies.

The Omni has a fixed pool lift and 8 ADA rooms. Nearby hotels have more ADA rooms.

The Omni has a variety of accessible features in its ADA rooms and has sidewalks that cross to the seawall, from where you can head to the marina!

The Omni Corpus Christi has plenty of room for the Conference’s expected 300 attendees.

The Conference room is spacious.

The foyer has room for 26 exhibitors..(The set-up above is not the same set-up the Texas SILC will use. Exhibit booths will be against the walls.)

Daytime views from the Omni include accessible gazebos, the marina, and the U.S.S. Lexington.

Look for pirate flags on local ships in the harbor.

Nighttime views from the Omni include the marina and the Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge.

After a great Conference day, guests can walk or roll across the street from the Omni to the marina.

The Harrison’s Landing gift shop has good prices too!

Harrison’s Landing’s restaurant and shop are accessible.

The restaurant has a ramp.

The shop has a spacious bathroom.

Corpus Christi

is lit up at night.

The Corpus Christi Harbor Bridge has color-changing LEDs. The U.S.S. Lexington, the “Blue Ghost,” is lit up blue next to the bridge.

Reflections on the water make the evenings special.

The Mirador de la Flor, the Selena memorial, is in front of the marina entrance. There are many places where Selena lived and worked in the city.

Selena was here…

Corpus Christi is one of the “birdiest” cities in the country. Most

people have never seen a Great Blue Heron. You might! Their

wingspan is often over six feet! You might hear them fly overhead!

You will see or hear many seagulls and

pelicans, even from your hotel balcony.

Never try to feed a pelican by hand. They accidentally bite!

Seagulls are always looking for a handout, though some locals will frown upon you feeding them.

The Bob Hall Pier is a great place to fish nearby.

Fishing is also good directly from the dock at the marina across the street from the Omni.

Renew your fishing license if you plan to fish wherever the urge strikes you. Corpus

Christi has 11 beaches and many piers.

Catch the accessible ferry from the marina. In

30 minutes, you’ll be at North Beach, home to the Texas State Aquarium, the Lexington—and the

beach!

At the Texas State Aquarium, visitors can see all types of animals and fish.

Smaller children love playing in the aquarium’s water park.

Aquarium visitors can watch dolphins play basketball, or pet a sting ray. The

aquarium’s pink roseate spoonbill is native to Corpus and is pink like a flamingo with a spoon-shaped bill.

Your kids will want to borrow your cell phone to take pictures!

The U.S.S. Lexington is within walking distance of the aquarium. It has games, interactive experiences, a movie theater, and planes inside and on its top deck. The entry-level floor is accessible. As you can tell, strollers would be needed for small children.

Kids and adults enjoy the Lexington’s

interactive games, seeing planes and exhibits, shopping in the gift shop, and watching movies on the accessible floor. The bathroom is accessible.

Other floors of the Lexington are tight spaces. As long as these floors aren’t

accessible, entry to the Lexington is free for people who can’t access the other floors. It’s not appropriate for people with claustrophobia.

The flight deck of the Lexington has many planes, a plank to walk (and look, not jump), and battle stations for people to

try. Visitors can sit in the captain’s chair.

Thanks for sharing this Corpus Christi experience! We hope to see you at the 2014 Texas State Independent Living Conference next March 30-April 1 at the Omni Corpus Christi!

Pictures were taken by Christina and Gerald Goebel in April 2013. Do not reuse without permission. Request permission from Christina at cgoebel@txsilc.org.