2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited Platinum Interior Measurements (Or: will my windsurfing gear fit?)

Unlike windsurfers, I guess most folks don't buy Sports Utility Vehicles for their utility. Good luck finding measurements for the interior cargo-area of most SUVs. Yes, you can find the cargo area volume. But when's the last time you filled your car with a liquid? Did you even fill the whole thing up?

Thanks to this oversight, I had to visit car dealerships with a tape measure. Yeah, I was the dork measuring SUVs.

I personally made the following interior measurements with a tape measure. Beware: these measurements are rounded to the nearest half inch, and the geometry inside cars is complex. The Highlander is much more complex inside than the box-like Element.

Also, these measures come from a 2017 Highlander Hybrid Limited with the Platinum package. The batteries and electric motors go somewhere. Specifically, I believe the batteries live under the floor of the rear cabin.

These measurements will vary depending on where exactly you measure things. For instance, the diagonal measurements below start from a little cubby area under the rear window on the driver's side. A mast or a boom could probably fit in that cubby, but a bookshelf wouldn't. The bulkier an item, the less of that lengthy you will be able to take advantage of. Also, the cargo opening is curved in multiple dimensions. The distance from the back of a seat to the rear of the vehicle gets shorter as you move the measuring point to the outside of the Highlander.

Remember: if you're trying to fit something more bulky than a tape measure, assume you have a shorter distance to work with. Don't base the purchase of a vehicle only on my measurements -- try to fit your stuff first!

2017 Highlander Interior Cargo Measurements

1. Rear opening height 31"
2. Rear opening width 41.5" near the top, 47" near the bottom
3. Minimum rear width at floor 45.5"
4. Distance from the rear to the back of the front passenger seat (seat all the way back) 77.5
5. Distance  from the rear to the back of the front passenger seat (seat all the way forward, probably not comfortable) 90"
6. Distance from rear to the dashboard along the center 112"
7. Distance from the rear to the center console 81.5"
8. Height in rear cargo area 32.5" 
9. Distance to the back of the middle seats 43"
10. Distance along the ceiling from front to rear over passenger seats 98"
11. Ceiling width at the side doors 50"
12. Height behind front seats 46.5"
13. Height at front seats 43.5
14. Diagonal from the rear on the driver side to the back of the front passenger seat (seat all the way back)  95"
15. Diagonal from the rear on the driver side to the back of the front passenger seat (seat all the way forward, not comfortable) 102"  

The 2017 Toyota Highlander vs. The 2006 Honda Element

The Highlander is a significantly larger vehicle on the outside than the Honda Element, so my measurements had me double-taking. The shorter, narrower Element wins a few dimensions!

In Favor of the Element

• Rear opening height - a nine and a half inch advantage for the Element
• Cargo area height  - a nine and a half inch advantage
• The height from the floor to the ceiling in front of the driver's seat - a four and a half inch advantage

In Favor of the Highlander

• Distance from the rear to the back of the front passenger seat - an 11 to 15 inch advantage to the Highlander
• A 13 inch advantage to the diagonal cargo area with the passenger seat all the way back
• A 16 inch advantage from the rear to the back of the second row of seats

I also documented measurements of my 2006 Honda Element, along with a description of my my windsurfing gear fits in it.

Read how I battled 11 car dealerships to buy the 2017 Hybrid Highlander Limited Platinum here.

2006 Honda Element Interior Measurements (Or: will my windsurfing gear fit?)

Until very recently, my 2006 Honda Element has been my primary means of windsurfing transportation. One of the primary reasons I purchased the Element was to haul my windsurfing gear. The Element has the footprint of a compact car and the capacity of the Grand Canyon. Almost.

I physically made the following measurements with a tape measure. Beware: these measurements are rounded to the nearest half inch, and the geometry inside cars is complex. These measurements will vary depending on where exactly you measure things.

If you're trying to fit something more bulky than a tape measure, you might have difficulty. Don't base the purchase of a vehicle only on my measurements -- try to fit your stuff first!

1. Rear opening height 40.5"
2. Rear opening width 43.5"
3. Minimum width at floor 38.5"
4. Minimum rear width 4" up from floor 42.5" *
5. Distance from the rear to the back of the front passenger seat (seat all the way back) 61"
6. Distance  from the rear to the back of the front passenger seat (seat all the way forward, collapsed,  not usable) 75"
7. Distance from rear to the front console (where the gear shift is) 94"
8. Height in rear cargo area 42"
9. Distance to back of the rear seats 27"
10. Length along ceiling from front to rear over the passenger seats 103"
11. Ceiling width at side doors 50.5"
12. Height behind front seats 46"
13. Height in front of front seats 48"
14. Diagonal to the back of the front passenger seat (seat all the way back) 82”
15. Diagonal to the back of the front passenger seat (seat all the way forward, not usable) 98”

Carrying Windsurfing Gear

When I go windsurfing, I usually remove both rear seats from the Element. You almost certainly will need to remove or fold one to get a board to fit.

The Mast

I run two NRS loop straps along the ceiling of the Element. One strap I run between the rear grab handles. The other strap I run between the metal loops the back door latches on to.

The two NRS straps let me suspend my mast just under the ceiling from the rear window of the cargo hatch all the way to my front window. This renders at least one of the sun shades unusable. Obviously I must disassemble the mast first.

The Sail and Boom

Both the sail and the boom run straight back from the area between the front seats to the rear of the Element.

The Board

My Fanatic Skate is about 91 inches long. It too fits inside my Element by sitting alongside my mast and boom. The nose of the Skate curves towards the passenger seat, making it pretty much unusable (unless you don't mind being incredibly uncomfortable). 

My JP Australia X-Cite Ride 145 is much larger, and would fit inside the Element in an emergency. However, if my roof straps haven't suffered a catastrophic failure, I prefer to put the large board on top. I mount the board to my roof using a set of Yakima crossbars and NRS Loop Straps. Unlike my previous straps, my new ones are rated for 1500 pounds.

I mount the X-Cite ride upside down with the front pointing to the front of the Element. The curve of the nose of the board almost matches the slope of my windshield.

I use one NRS Loop Strap pair per crossbar. One loop strap wraps around a tower, so it can't shift from side to side. The other strap loops  around the crossbar. A pad goes over the bar, the board goes on the pad, and the strap tightens over the board.

I'm extra cautious after my board surfed on Interstate 37, so a final loop strap connects to one of the foot-straps to a crossbar. This is probably overkill -- the board seems quite stable without it. However, I hope to never again watch my board cartwheel across 3 lanes of traffic as I yell like a maniac. Once is enough.

I also documented my interior cargo-area measurements of the 2017 Toyota Highlander Hybrid Limited Platinum.

†Moving Average Inc. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Buying items through this link is appreciated -- it helps sustain my windsurfing habit!

Fixing a Slipping Mast Extension

Last time I sailed, I noticed I couldn't keep as much downhaul tension on my sail as I like. The downhaul line slowly slipped as I sailed. By the time I returned to shore, I had lost more than an inch of downhaul.

At first I thought it was because the cleat on my mast extension had some sand and shells stuck in it. Next time I rigged up, I cleaned the cleat with a bit of driftwood. The downhaul still slipped.

Time to see how these things are built. I have a typical Chinook aluminum mast extension (only an older model I think).

The bottom of the extension has a couple of pulleys, and the jam (or clam) cleat.

The design is clever. The cleat is held in with a screw that prevents it from falling out, but it isn't load bearing at all. Instead, when under tension, the cleat is pulled up into the pocket it is mounted in. It's a nice design that alleviates the need for a strong fastener.

This also means the cleat is easily replaceable. I removed the screw, and used the hook remover in a knock-off Swiss Army knife to gently wiggle the cleat in it's plastic cave. After wiggling for a minute, the it loosened enough to pop out with my fingers. It, and several years of sand and salt. Poof!

The cleat was marked CL712. A little searching, and I found several retailers selling the exact part. for less than $6. Amazing. An off-the-shelf part. Thanks for making easy-to-fix stuff Chinook!

I ordered the part from Winddance Boardshop. It cost a buck or two more than another shop. Why not support some fellow sailors in Hood River? A week later, I had the cleat. It even included two iron-free screws that look like an exact match for the screw in the photo above. Except these screws didn't have a head worn away by years of sand and water.

You can see above how worn the original cleat and screw were. Also note the collection of tiny shells and sand that has turned into cement in the old one.

I cleaned the salt and sand out of the pocket before slipping in the new cleat. I then used one of the new screws to finish the job.

As good as new. I can't wait to try out my new cleat!

Come Windsurf in July - Corpus Christi

Join us for some beach time July 24 - 26, 2015 at the Padre Island National Seashore. You don't need to know how to surf, windsurf, or sail. Worldwinds can train you -- as long as you sign up in advanced. Be sure to check out my advice on preparing for a Windsurfing trip here.

The general outline of one of these trips is this:

We all arrive late Friday morning. It's OK if you can't take Friday off, just show up at the beach Saturday morning.

If you're new to Windsurfing, you'll need take the beginner class at Worldwinds. The rest of us will rig our boards while you learn the basics on the water. Be sure to reserve some gear if you plan to rent!

We'll enjoy windsurfing until late afternoon. Around 6pm or 7p we'll meet on the island to share our sailing stories over dinner and beer. After all that, I guarantee you'll sleep like a baby.

The next morning we wake up, eat breakfast, and then do it again. I usually Windsurf until 3 or 4pm on Sunday before packing up and driving back.

Beginners should only plan to spend 2-3 hours on the water each day. There is plenty to do in the Padre Island National Seashore and Corpus Christi if you decide to turn your board in before the rest of us.

I'll be staying at the Best Western on the Island. You can read my thoughts on Corpus Christi accommodations here.

Windsurfing Shoes and Knives

This post is of a slightly commercial nature. Since it can be difficult to find reviews of windsurfing equipment, I hope you find this kind of content useful. I've purchased all of the items mentioned below with my own money. Excepts the socks, which I've never tried. You can find a full disclosure at the end of the post*.

Footwear

Last year I had the unpleasant experience of falling off my board and getting a nasty fish hook and a length of leader wrapped around my ankle. Luckily, the water wasn't rough. I was able to stand on one leg, hold my rig, and tediously unwrap the leader one-handed. I then sailed the hazard back to shore to dispose of it. Surprisingly, I managed the feat without tearing my skin.

This incident, along with sharp rocks, is why I suggest folks wear some kind of footwear when windsurfing on the Laguna Madre. There is a lot of stuff hidden in the mud.

Until recently I had been windsurfing in Vibram Five Fingers. These are form-fitting, glove-like shoes with a thin rubber sole, and separate "fingers" for each toe. I liked them because they are quite low to the ground and so present less of a risk for twisting your ankle like some modern water shoes. You can feel the board through the sole too.

The Five Fingers also do a good job of sticking to your feet so they don't slide as much inside the shoe. They got lots of comments for their strange cartoon-like appearance.

My first pair was a basic model with a velcro strap. Once I wore a hole in those, I purchased the KSO model (i.e. “Keep Stuff Out”). Each of these expensive shoes developed holes between the toes after about one season of windsurfing use.

Although the "board feel" was good, I didn't find them very comfortable for more than an hour or so of windsurfing. My small toes began to feel crushed by the shoes, especially if I was surfing in the straps. The shape toe area made it difficult to get into the straps on my board. Somehow it was always my poor pinky toe that wouldn't make it through the strap.

The Five Fingers could also get very uncomfortable if your toes were forced to share their pockets with sand, pebbles, and tiny shells. Even the “keep stuff out” model still ended the day with a random sampling of beach debris stuck to my feet. It was a relief to peel off the shoes at the end of the day. The KSOs were especially difficult to get on and off.

Since both pairs of Five Fingers had holes in them, I started researching other kinds of footwear for windsurfing. There weren't many thorough reviews, but I did discover some interesting products like kevlar socks.

Before my most recent trip, I purchased a pair of O'Neill Superfreak Tropical 2mm split toe boots to replace the Five Fingers. Sorry, Swiss Protection Socks!

I've only used them for two days, but so far I like them. Because only your big toe gets an individual pocket, the boots are much easier to get on than the Five Fingers. Like the Five Fingers, the boots have a velcro ankle strap to hold your foot in place. Unlike the KSO, there isn't a connecting strap behind the ankle. Because of this difference, I think my feet tend to slide more inside the boot when applying board pressure. The Vibrams seemed to really lock on to my feet.

My favorite feature of the boot is the elastic strap around the ankle opening. You can tighten it to create a snug seal. I didn't get any noticeable debris in either boot on either day, which is a lovely thing. After a day of surfing in the Five Fingers, my feet would be crusted in stuff like a holiday cheese log. Getting bits of shell ground into your feet isn't a pleasant thing.

Since I've only used the boots in light wind, I didn't try getting into board's straps. Considering the rounded design of the boots, I think they will be easier to slide in than the Vibrams.

The boots also seemed to have a grippier sole than the Vibrams, which tended to slip on the deck of my board. I won't know for sure until I have stronger winds to contend with.

Overall I think O'Neill boots are more comfortable for windsurfing, but not perfect. I did have pressure on the big toe when pushing the board forward. It became a little uncomfortable after a few hours. Next time I'll try tightening the ankle strap more to see if that reduces the pressure.

O'Neill also makes a version of this boot without the separated big toe. Those might help with the toe pressure, but maybe at the cost of less robust connection to the front of the feet. In principle, I like how the split toe gives you more to push against than just the side of the shoe. I don't know if it makes a practical difference or not.

I'm curious what these O'Neill boots will feel like in summer. Unlike the Five Fingers, they have very little ventilation, and cover more of the foot. The boot is made from a 2mm neoprene material which has some insulating and padding properties. This is good for preventing sand and rocks from bothering your feet, but it might get hot.

Neither the O'Neill nor the Vibrams feel very comfortable for walking on uneven surfaces. They're especially uncomfortable for walking over gravel and rocks. They have very thin soles. That’s nice for feeling the board and making a solid connection to it, but unlike sneakers, there isn't much of a padded barrier to rocks beating up your feet. It helps to walk with more weight on the toes, which requires some effort.

A Windsurfing Knife

After the fish hook incident, I've also begun to carry a two and a half inch Spyderco Ladybug3 H-1 serrated knife on a lanyard around my neck. I've carried it on several trips where it has been immersed in the hypersaline water of the Laguna Madre. It's unusual formulation of stainless steel shows no sign of rust, and seems to stay sharp.

The knife blade has round opening about 1 cm in diameter on it's back, just large enough to pry the blade open with my thumb. Even after spending time in the salty, muddy Laguna Madre, I can easily open the knife using one hand. This is a critical feature for a knife you might need to use while holding on your board for flotation. The blade locks open automatically.

The lock release mechanism requires two hands to close the knife safely. The release is located on the back. The natural way to press the release puts your fingers between the blade and its home in the handle. This lock arrangement is common, but will make it a little trickier to close the knife when you're on the water. In a knife that's less than 6.5 cm long when folded, there probably aren't many other options.

Hopefully I'll never get tangled in another nasty piece of fishing gear, but I'm quite happy to be prepared.

*Moving Average Inc. is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com. Buying items through these links indirectly helps sustain my Windsurfing addiction and is much appreciated! :)

Windsurfing in November

The Peconic Puffin is right, there is a lot of fun to be had in light wind. Two weeks ago, I enjoyed the lowest winds I've ever windsurfed in. Saturday’s winds were forecast in the 6-10 MPH range. Even the flimsy flag on that old mast over Worldwinds looked disappointed. 

Clearly it was uphaul weather, not water start weather, so I initially wanted a lighter sail than my 6.5 Meter. Something nice for practicing freestyle tricks. When I asked Olivier at Worldwinds about renting equipment, he told me to consider renting a Kona longboard with a 7.5 meter sail.

I've never sailed a longboard, but I've seen them used when an instructor wants to round up a wayward student. Olivier sold it when he said that I could do some "actual sailing." That sounded pleasant. Why not? 

Olivier advised me to put the daggerboard down when I'm sailing upwind, but to only lower it to a 45 degree angle to discourage seaweed from wrapping around it. He also promised that I could sail downwind on the Kona without any problem.

After my first beach start, I practiced tacking on the Kona. The giant board turned slowly in the light wind, but it felt no more difficult to turn than any other board. The real sticking point was getting the daggerboard down. It took some elbow grease to get the lever to loosen up.

From the shore of Bird Island Basin, there are a handful of islands visible. One of them is a spoil left from the dredging of the Intracoastal Waterway. It has several fishing cabins on it, and that’s where I aimed the board.

I crossed the shipping channel and tacked just 50 feet shy of the docks on the spoil. It felt strange sailing in the backyard of a fishing cabin. When I say cabin, don't think of a log cabin, or Walden Pond. These cabins look more like pre-manufactured homes. Boxy shapes, siding, and a foundation of raised piers.

On the tack back to Worldwinds, I made significant progress upwind. When I hit the shallow water near the beach, I performed the first half of a jibe, tilting the mast windward, then I stood square on the board as I sailed straight downwind. As promised, running downwind was easy. I balanced the sail on its tack and trying not to rock the board side to side much.

When I got close to my launch site, I pulled the mast back, pointing the clew skyward to turn the board upwind. I then flipped the sail to complete the second half-jibe.

Now I was roughly aimed me back at the spoil where I could see two other windsurfers circumnavigating it. It looked like a fun way to test my skills, so I decided to follow their lead. 

I didn't quite make it far enough upwind of the island on my initial approach. I had to tack two or three times to get upwind of the docks that reached from each cabin out to the deeper water surrounding the spoil. I was impressed with how much progress against the wind I could make with each short tack. Daggerboards are nice in light winds.

As I passed near the end of a dock, it occurred to me that the spoil was probably uninhabited. There were no boats docked, no sounds, and no visible inhabitants. I later learned that the cabins on these spoils are leased out in five year increments by the Texas General Land Office. They're intended for recreational purposes, not as residences. If you look at the satellite view of the area on Google Maps, you can see the hundreds of cabins built on or near spoils along the Intracoastal waterway.

I grew up in Florida where the spoils are unspoiled. They're just piles of sand with lots of vegetation growing on them. It's interesting that Texas allows folks to build on them, although I can't say that the boxy cabins do much for the view. I bet it's a lot of fun to camp in one though!

I turned the board downwind to sail behind the spoil, making another wide jibe that pulled me around the island. As I passed the sandbar on it's downwind side, I flipped my sail and glided back to Worldwinds.

Before the sun started to set, I aimed the Kona at King Ranch, on the opposite shore of the Laguna Madre, which is more than two miles wide at this point. After crossing the channel a bit downwind of the fishing cabins, the pond-like waters gave way to a little more chop.

This would have been fine, but the wind dropped even more and the waves slapping the board’s bow made the job of holding the sail more tricky. It's amazing how much more effort a sail is to handle when the wind is so low.

At first I didn't realize what had happened. I thought that things were becoming more difficult through some failure in my technique. I used my usual trick to get reoriented: I tacked. The slowness of my tack, halfway between Worldwinds and the King Ranch, revealed the truth: the wind was dying. I didn't want to get stranded on the wrong side of the shipping channel as the sun was setting, so I started slogging back to Worldwinds.

As I sailed back across the channel, I saw a barge approaching from the West. Despite my fears of the wind dying, I couldn't resist hanging out to get a closer look. I timed a few tacks so I could stay a safe distance from the main channel. The towboat was pushing a wide rust-colored barge towards Corpus Christi Bay. Other than a few bits of piping sticking out here and there, it was just a feature-less geometric shape plowing through the water. Happy seagulls followed in the wake, feasting on something stirred up in the foam from the tug's props.

After satisfying my curiosity, I tacked again towards Worldwinds. Just outside of a comfortable walking distance from the shore, the wind dropped again. I adjusted my stance and hoped that I wouldn't have to make a cold, exhausting walk back to the beach. My headway was barely evident in the tiny ripples behind the board. Soon the wake looked more like wrinkles than ripples. As soon as the daggerboard hit bottom, I carried the rental equipment back to Worldwinds, satisfied that I had wrung the last puffs of air out of the day.

On Sunday, the wind conditions were similar. The Kona was already on the water so I rented a 190 liter Fanatic Viper, a stubby board in comparison, but still equipped with a daggerboard. I stayed closer to shore this time, renting a smaller sail and choosing to practice technique instead of repeating yesterday's expeditions into deeper waters.

I played with more tacking and jibing, including clew-first sailing. I even did some clew-first tacks, awkwardly pulling the clew over my head instead of stepping in front of the mast. I also practiced some back-winded sailing. Mostly just goofing off and making things up. Why not?

Jennie rented a beginner board. In the light wind, it wasn't much use. The small sail and table-shaped board makes balance easier in the wind, but it just behaved like a mule in the light breeze. The table-sized board only wanted to go downwind. At Randy’s suggestion she traded the beginner board in for my Viper's twin, and a 5.3 square meter sail.

The smaller, more rounded board and larger sail were much more suited to the conditions. Jennie had a much easier time staying upwind, tacking, and jibing, and quickly remembered her skills. Soon we were both sailing around each other on the Laguna Madre. Slowly.

The winds were so low that an instructor taught her student how to self-rescue when becalmed: lay the sail down on the back of the board, lie on the nose of the board, and paddle home. They paddled much faster than I could sail. I sometimes forget that walking isn't the only method of self-rescue, spoiled as I am to sail the (mostly) shallow Laguna Madre. It was a nice reminder.

I knew it was time to drive back to Austin when the winds died nearly completely. It was difficult to know if my tacks worked because of the wind, or just from my flapping. Judging by the bubbles I passed, the wind was blowing enough to move me at a rate of about 1 foot per second, which is around 1 MPH. 

Corpus Christi News

I have sad news for starving surfers. Ichiban, the Japanese buffet on South Padre Island Drive has closed. I guess we won't be stuffing our faces with all-you-can-eat sushi anymore.

The Surfside Sandwich Shoppe serves delicious hot and cold sandwiches on the island off of SPID near Whitecap. Nice guys, tasty food, and I loved their craft beer selection. 

JB’s German Bakery is another good option for food on the Island. We stopped here on our way back to Austin. I highly recommend their German Burger, which is giant meatball with german potato salad and a freshly baked bun. I also enjoyed a fresh apple strudel. It’s not health food, and they definitely operate on Island Time. The burger makes up for it.

I'm happy to report that Dragonfly is still a great place to get a fancier meal, and a decent cocktail on the island.

Speaking of Dragonfly, I noticed a castle-like structure being built behind it. My first thought: huh, that looks like Schlitterbahn! So it is. Schlitterbahn is opening a new park and restaurant on North Padre Island in 2015. It looks like a lot of fun!

Corpus Christi Hotel Wisdom for Windsurfers

My windsurfing buddies and I used to all stay downtown at a hotel like the Best Western Marina Grand Hotel, the Bayfront Plaza, or the Omni. All of these hotels are in walking distance of downtown restaurants and bars. You may wish to try bidding on a hotel on Priceline -- downtown Corpus is the "Corpus Christi Beach Area".

More recently, since some of my favorite restaurants have closed, I have stayed close to, or on North Padre Island. There are some great dining options on the island, like Dragonfly,  JB's German Bakery and Cafe, and Surfside Sandwich Shop.

Motel 6 #413

Recently I have been staying closer to the island. The budget / convenience option is the Motel 6 #413, which is closer to the beach, and also closer to some of the better Corpus restaurants. Motel 6 keeps you close to The Island, but I've had comfort and convenience issues there -- it isn't luxury. You may not find the service helpful.

Some folks have been disappointed with the cleanliness of this Motel 6. If you know Jason, he can share his crazy experiences there. One nice thing about Motel 6 is that they are quite dog friendly, and quite cheap. It seems like a lot of recreational fishermen stay here.

Best Western on the Island

The Best Western on the Island, is clean, allows pets with a fee, and isn't far from Worldwinds. I find the place comfortable, but not fancy. It is designed like a motel. This is good, because it is quick and easy to get to your car, but the view from the rooms tends to be cars, not the beach. Also, they currently offer a free breakfast that usually includes eggs and some other protein.

When there are good deals available, I think this is a great location for getting to and from Worldwinds fast. The island now has several decent dining options, so you can save yourself lots of driving by staying here. This is currently my preferred hotel.

Best Western Paradise Inn

I consider the Best Western Paradise Inn clean yet affordable. This motel is half way between downtown and the island, is pretty clean and comfortable, and has easy access to lots of chain restaurants. Like the Best Western on the Island, it is arranged like a motel. Getting to your car is easy, which is good, because you'll probably be driving, not walking, to anywhere you go.

This hotel is right off of South Padre Island Drive, which is a highway. If you stay here, you'll definitely save some time driving compared to staying downtown. The downside is that the closer dining options are similar to a strip mall in Austin.

The Omni

There are actually two Omni hotels in Downtown Corpus Christi, right next door to each other. There is the Omni Corpus Christi Hotel Bayfront Tower, and the Omni Corpus Christi Marina Tower. These are two very different hotels, even though reservations are maddeningly accepted as if they were the same hotel.

The Bayfront Tower is a very nice four diamond hotel with a fancy restaurant at the top. The Marina Tower is an OK three diamond hotel. They are both fine hotels, but it is a huge letdown to expect the Bayfront and get the Marina. It seems to me that they benefit from this confusion, and might even intentionally sow it.

One time I booked at what I thought was the Bayfront, but turned out to be the Marina Tower. I drove to the Bayfront Tower, checked in there, was given a key, and hauled my stuff up to the indicated floor. I spent probably five minutes wandering from one end of the hall to the other trying to find my room, confused and irritated.

Finally I ran into an employee and asked where the room was. I couldn't believe when he told me it was in the other hotel! Was there a bridge to the other hotel, I asked. No, I had to drive.

I schlepped my stuff back down to my car, drove to the other hotel, and then carried it back up to the correct hotel room. I was pretty mad that they acted as if it was perfectly normal to get the key for one hotel at another hotel, and as if every idiot knew that room numbers below a certain number were at the other hotel.

Lesson: when dealing with the Omni, call ahead and be sure you know which hotel you'll be staying at.

You can often get good deals on one of these hotels on Priceline (see above).

The Best Western Marina Grand

This hotel used to be my favorite because it is usually inexpensive, clean, and it stands within easy walking distance of the marina, a few shops, some OK restaurants, many iffy bars, and a few OK bars. For a fee, your pet can stay.

One downside to this hotel is that it is tall but only has two elevators. The insiders know to ask for a room at a lower floor so they can skip the elevators. Another downside is that occasionally folks will have noisy parties in their rooms, and the place will sound like a vibrant dormitory late into the night. Also, be prepared to wake up to the 3 AM illegal downtown drag racing.

The staff here is usually nice, and the rooms have a bit of a view.

The Marina Grand also provides a free, but not-so-great breakfast. I suggest walking to Agua Java (update: closed!), or La Bahia, unless you'd rather save money.

Renting a Condo

Last year I rented a condo on Mustang Island through Coastline Adventures. The particular condo we rented was just a few blocks from the beach and had two bedrooms, two baths, a kitchen, and a living room. They even allowed dogs!

Depending on the season and the number of people, a condo might save you a lot of money. Driving to Port Aransas from Worldwinds is easy, but I'm not sure it takes less time than driving downtown.

Port Aransas is a cute touristy town with lots of shops and restaurants, including the Port Aransas Brewing Company, which makes a mean hamburger. They also have about five different tourist shops with giant concrete sharks in front of them.

You can drive on the beach in Port A -- many streets there just end in the sand. It feels very different from Corpus Christi, which is fun. I should also plug HomeAway as a source of vacation rentals, since I now work there!

Share What You Know

What are your tips and tricks for Corpus-area hotels and lodging? Comment below.

*Updated 4 March 2012 to add Condo information.
*Updated 17 July 2015 to add HomeAway, new restaurants on the island, and to indicate closed businesses.