Sunday, October 21, 2001

30 Spring break

David Pellerin/Caller-Times

More than 60,000 people a day crowd Nueces County beaches during spring break, including college and high school students, and families.

Beginning in early March, about 44 public school districts, colleges and universities from Texas and Oklahoma adjourn for a week. About 18 more break before the end of the month.
   Thousands come here, with friends or families, to live out what will become some of their fondest memories. The crowds generate entertainment for the locals, who can gawk at the flower of youth and the rosy-ness of ill-advised sunbathing. March madness also makes merchants mighty merry.
   Estimated beach crowds in Nueces County
   60,000 to 70,000 a day
   Number of visitors through Corpus Christi Visitor Information Centers in March
   20,114
   Number of visitors through Corpus Christi Visitor Information Centers in January
   10,361
   Visitors at Padre Island National Seashore during March
   26,000
   Visitors at the seashore in January
   12,491
   Some spring hotspots
   Lexington Museum, Texas State Aquarium, Texas Treasure, Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, Heritage Park, Christopher Columbus ships, Botanical Gardens.
   Percentage of annual retail collected during spring
   20 percent
   Demographics of visitors
   50 percent families, 50 percent students.
   Cases of beer sold at Sharkey's Beach Club in Port Aransas
   300 to 400 cases a week
   Cases of beer sold during the winter months
   10 to 20 a week
   Sources
   Precinct 4 Constable Robert Sherwood; Shana Beck, day manager for Sharkey's; John Trice, board member for the Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau; and Kimberly Lemley, director of tourism for the Corpus Christi Convention and Visitors Bureau.
  
  

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