b'Coastal Bend Tour GuideSTEP ABOARD AMERICAN HISTORYThe U.S.S. Lexington CVA-16 was commissioned in 1943 and christened in honor of the original Lexington, which was lost in 1942 at the Battle of the Coral Sea at the start of World War II. The new Lady Lex set more combat records than any carrier in U.S. Naval history and today rests in Corpus Christi Bay as the U.S.S. Lexington Museum on the Bay, a tribute and memorial to those who served defending America. The Lexington is the oldest remaining aircraft carrier in the world.Famed Japanese propagandist Tokyo Rose, after reporting in error on numerous occasions that the Lexington had been sunk, nicknamed the ship the Blue Ghost, which has stuck to this day. The Lex is credited with destroying over 800 enemy aircraft, 300,000 tons of enemy ships and damaging an-other 600,000 tons, in Pacific War battles that included the Kwajalein Raid, Battle of the Philippine Sea, Battle of Leyte Gulf, and in bombing attacks on Japanese home islands at the end of the war.Eleven of the ships 16 decks are included in tours of the Lex, including the flight deck where 20 military aircraft are tethered, ranging from a vintage N3N-3 Yellow Pearl biplane to a Blue Angels F/18 Hornet. The popular state-of-the-art, 16 passenger Flight Simulator is located on the hanger deck, as is the Virtual Battle Stations game center.The Joe Jessel Mega Theater features both vintage and ultra-modern, aviation and other adventure films in thundering digital sound and brilliant video projection. Give yourself a good half-day to fully enjoy the U.S.S. Lexington Museum on the Bayan unmatched educational experience inLeft: Navy fighter planes on deck of American history. USS Lexington in the Pacific, 1944; 2914 N. Shoreline Blvd. on North Beach(361) 888-4873USSLexington.com Top: War Operations room onboard current museum.Feeling Lucky?Just pull over and start fishing! Pier & Jetty Fishingon our islands is plentiful and accessible from dozens of locations. Bob Hall Pier is located at the Nueces County Padre Balli For lucky Coastal Bend residents, its easy to take forfor Redfish, Speckled Trout and Flounder. Continue onPark, south of the hotels and condos, and is the site of granted the fact that we are surrounded, quite literally,the low side of the causeway toward the island for easyseveral record catches. The Packery Channel Jetties by saltwater. Aside from the Gulf of Mexico, our bays andwade fishing access to Laguna Madre. offer free, direct access to a hot zone of fish migration estuaries provide some very fertile fishing waters, somebetween the Gulf of Mexico and Laguna Madre.of the best in the state of Texas, whichPackery ChannelFrom Padre Island, are virtually all accessible to the public.turn north on Highway 361 towardHorses on the Port Aransas. You will see the Packery Some of the best Fall fishing spots areChannel Bridge and easy parking areasBeachlocated on, and on the way to, Northon both sides of the bridge that providebrings visitors a most Padre and Mustang Islands. direct access to this very busy route formemorable and For easy reference, see Upper Lagunamigrating fish between the Gulf of Mex- exciting experienceMadre Fishing Map in back. JFK Cause- ico, Laguna Madre and Corpus Christihorseback riding on wayThis is the over water highwayBay. Mustang Island State ParkFar- our beautiful North from mainland Corpus Christi (Flourther north on Highway 361 you will seePadre Island beaches! Bluff) to North Padre Island. Take the low road exit be- state park structures on the ocean side, but you will alsoLocated on North fore the curve at Humble Channel, which is straddled bysee unpaved access roads on the west side of the high- Padre Island, past the Cos-Way and Red Dot bait stands, both with fishing piersway, which lead you to productive wade fishing alongentrance to Padre Balli that run along the channel, a major migration routethe back side of the island, in Corpus Christi Bay. Park and Bob Hall Pier.HorsesOnTheBeachCorpus.com88 THE COASTAL BEND MAGAZINEQ2.2020 TheCoastalBend.com'