Lodging/Travel
Hotel Information
The 2008 SEAFWA Conference Host Hotel will be the Omni Bayfront and Omni Marina in Corpus Christi, Texas. Delegates to the conference will have a reduced rate of $119 Single / Double plus 15% tax. (Additional guests are $10 each.)
For Reservations: Utilize the SEAFWA Conference Block designation.
Please make your reservations before Friday, September 19, 2008 to receive the reduced rate. The Omni Hotel is 15 minutes from the Corpus Christi International Airport and does offer a complimentary airport shuttle.
Rooms for the SEAFWA Conference have also been added to the Best Western Marina Grand Hotel at 300 N. Shoreline. Please call 361-883-5111 and ask for the SEAFWA Conference rate of $95.00. The hotel is across the street from the Omni Marina with access to the Convention Center Shuttle.
For SEAFWA housing: Participants staying at the Omni Hotel have a rate of $119. Students have a special student rate at the Omni Marina Hotel of $78. This housing block will open in August and will be available only for students with a college ID.
Travel Information
Corpus Christi, Texas is located on the Gulf of Mexico, about halfway between Houston and the U.S. Mexico border. Nestled on a bay and surrounded by islands and hundreds of miles of beaches, Corpus Christi is about 220 miles from Houston (approximately a 3½-hour drive) or 150 miles from San Antonio (approximately a 2½-hour drive).
Air travel is through the Corpus Christi International Airport. The following airlines have service to Corpus Christi:
- American Eagle
- Continental Express
- Southwest Airlines
As the official SEAFWA 2008 Conference airline, Continental Airlines is offering SEAFWA delegates discounts off published fares of 2% to 15% or Zone fares. Call your travel professional or Continental MeetingWorks at 800-468-7022 for reservations. Refer to Z Code ZDK5 and Agreement Code: A7S3ZY. Or, save an additional 3% off by booking your own reservations at www.continental.com. Choose your flight times and access your meeting discounts by inserting ZDK5A7S3ZY in the Offer Code box.
Avis Rent A Car is also offering discounts to SEAFWA attendees. Reservations may be made by calling 1-800-331-1600 or online at www.avis.com. The Avis Worldwide Discount (AWD) number is J900817.
SEAFWA Conference Spouse Tours
Monday, October 13, 2008
King Ranch
Cost: $ 50 (Cost includes bus, tour fees and lunch.)
Schedule: 8:45 a.m. – Meet in the Lobby of the Omni Bayfront Hotel to ride the charter bus
Return to the Omni on the charter bus by 4:30 p.m.
An eleven year old indentured apprentice to a jeweler, named Richard King, stowed away on a ship headed south out of Manhattan and eventually found his way to South Texas where he built a legacy that would become known far and wide as the birthplace of American ranching. The day begins with a guided bus tour of the famed King Ranch including an overview of the history and modern workings of the Ranch, the horse cemetery, Mrs. King’s Carriage House, the Commissary and the main house. The guided tour will be followed by a Texas BBQ lunch at the Caesar Camphouse on the Ranch. After lunch, wander through the King Ranch Museum. We’ll finish the day with shopping at the King Ranch Saddle Shop in Kingsville.
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Lunch at The Dobson Café & a Guided Tour of the Art Museum of South Texas
Cost: $ 25 (Cost includes lunch and museum fees.)
Schedule: 11:45 a.m. – Meet at the registration desk to walk 1 block to The Dobson Café inside the Art Museum for lunch at noon. Tour the Museum at 1:00 and return to the Convention Center at your leisure.
The Art Museum of South Texas contains 1,300 works of art in the media of painting, sculpture, prints, drawings, collages, mixed media, ceramics, and textiles. The focus of the Permanent Collection is on fine art and craft of the Americas with particular interest in Texas and surrounding states, including those in Mexico. The Dobson Café sits within the Art Museum and has a sweeping view of Corpus Christi Bay.
Sign up and pay for these tours at the Registration Desk. For more information call Marla Bays at (512) 389-4959.
