763 March 30-31, 2022 Last Beach Overnight Trip

Wednesday was a weird weather day.  During the night it had been really windy.  With the dawn it was cloudy and still.  I tried a walk and when I was 1 mile away from the campsite, it began to rain.  Tim came with the Jeep to rescue me.  I waited a while and then went out again.  It was sunny but it was quite windy again. 

In the end, I walked even further than usual just in 2 parts.  I saw three deer near the road.

Beach blanket flower.

We wanted to go out on the beach and camp again.  We were waiting for the winds to abate.  We watched the windsurfers in Laguna Madre.  Most of our neighbors here at Bird Island have all the gear.  They wait for optimal conditions and when the winds are just right…out they go!  People with smaller sails and boards like it windier.  People who have larger sails like less wind. 

We left in late afternoon.  We stopped at the pond to check on the turtles.

We traveled 22 miles on the beach and found a great spot.  Just as we arrived at 3:38, it was high tide.  We knew if we set up the tent above the high-water mark, we would be just fine with the next high tide at 1:21am. 

We passed a pleasant evening watching the birds and the waves.  We enjoyed our dinner and a fire.

Sunset.

When we settled for bed, the ocean waves sounded very loud but they proved to be very soothing and we were soon asleep.  Tim was awake at midnight and he checked the tide line.  It was far enough away from the Jeep.  In the morning though, he realized that the tide had come all the way to the ladder.  The water had wrapped itself around the large log we had used for our fireplace.  Ocean water had flooded the firepit.   Shew…that was close!

Sunrise.

On the way out this morning, we passed this stuck truck.  The owner had tried to dig his way out with a shovel.  We saw this same guy stuck in the sand yesterday at about MM10.  We stopped then to see if we could help.  A guy with a pickup truck had tried to use a tow strap to pull him out but was not successful.  A young man with a Winnebago Campervan used his winch to pull the box truck out.   Tim suggested that the box truck turn around and go back.  Only high clearance 4WD vehicles are advised beyond MM5.  So, the driver of the white truck must have decided to continue on his way down the beach.  The tires were mired in deep soft sand.  There was nothing we could do for him…we are too light…even so, you would think after being stuck yesterday, he might have made another choice!  Who knows just how many times he had been stuck in between!  Maybe he relies on the kindness of strangers to help him out.  Maybe he drives along for awhile until he gets stuck and then waits for someone to yank him out before he drives on again…

Tim discovered a couple of cracks in the Jeep rack the holds the tent.  We aren’t sure yet what the permanent fix will be.  A new part takes 12-16 weeks to fabricate and ship.  In the meantime, Tim propped the rack with piece of wood and fastened it with wire.  We hope that should hold until we get home.

It took us an hour to drive the 22 miles back to the RV.  We unpacked and rested for a short time.  We went to Corpus Christi for supplies.  We also found a carwash.

We got some exercise in this afternoon.  I took a walk to the boat ramp.  These white pelicans were hanging around, waiting for the castoffs from the fishermen coming in. 

Paddleboarder with dog.

Tim had another flat tire and had to use my bike.

This is our last evening on Padre Island. One last sunset on the bay.

Tomorrow, we will drive north toward Houston.

762 March 29, 2022 Beach Day

I walked the park road this morning.  I saw this deer standing in the road and startled another as I passed by.

Bright yellow splashes of wild indigo among the tall beach grasses.

We packed a picnic lunch and took the Jeep to the beach. 

We gathered some more litter…combs and razors and shampoo bottles and spoons and forks and flip flops and bags and mylar balloons and ribbon and ropes and fishing line and loads of bottle caps and all manner of other plastic stuff.  We have written before about how the gulf current brings trash from the Mississippi and as far away as the Amazon to the shore at Padre Island. It is a continuous battle to clean the beach. 

There are also seabeans here. These are seeds that drop from trees on tropical shores and in forests all over the world. The seeds either fall or are washed into rivers and then they find their way to the ocean where they are washed onto islands and beaches. Most of the seabeans on Padre Island acome from South and Central America and the Carribbean. Today we found a hamburger bean, a sea purse, a tropical almond, and a sea-coconut.

We sat for a while at the seashore, using the Jeep as wind protection.  Tonight, the forecast is for sustained high winds with gusts to 50mph. 

Tomorrow the wind is supposed to lay down and if it does, we want to have one last beach camping trip.

761 March 28, 2022 Bird Island Basin

I took one last walk at Isla Blanca this morning.  It was 10:30 before we got on the road.  If you look at a map, it looks like a short distance from South Padre Island to Padre Island National Seashore.  We drove 200 miles and it took a little more than 4 hours to get here.  We traveled first on highway and then onto farm roads.

We went through Corpus Christi and then we entered the park.

After we were settled at Bird Island Bay, we drove to the visitor center.  Our first order of business was to get a tide chart.  You can camp on the beach and you can drive for 60 miles to the end of the island.  It is very useful and important to be aware of the rising water!  We also did some shopping for the grandchildren.  The national parks always have great nature related books and things for kids.  We also picked up some trash bags so that we could do our part out on the beach.  I was happy to see that the park has switched to biodegradable bags in lieu of plastic.

We drove onto the beach.

We stopped to gather debris…so much plastic!

This caracara sat on the dune supervising our work effort.

Oh buoy…this doesn’t belong here!

We decided on a vegetarian meal; squash with basil pesto, baked grape tomatoes, garlic, and feta.  Cooking at the water’s edge with mild temperatures and a gentle breeze while the fish jump…it’s a pretty sweet gig!

I watched this heron feeding in the shallow water of the bay or Laguna Madre.  It carried off a long thing, an eel or maybe a snake.

760 March 27, 2022 I Love A Farmers Market

One more walk in the park and another dolphin sighting.

After Tim finished his exercises, we went to pick up his bike from Native Island Surf Shop.  $10.00 for a new inner tube…what a deal!

Next, we went to the South Padre Island Farmers Market.  We got some organic, vegan, gluten free spelt bread.  We found a nice wheat sourdough loaf.  We got granola with toasted coconut and pecans.  We found some local coffee.  We got some mangoes.  Our best find of the day was from Christa’s Kitchen; homemade guava butter and a cherry amaretto chocolate jam.  Both were amazing!

Tim watched NASCAR.  We both took bike rides.  I worked on a project and did some cleaning. 

We watched one last sunset on South Padre Island.  Tomorrow is moving day.  We are planning to go north and we want to visit Padre Island National Seashore for a day or two.  The campgrounds there are first come first serve with no hookups.  We aren’t certain that we will have service but we will post again when we do.

759 March 26, 2022 Being Active

I walked the loop around Isla Blanca and Tim did his yoga and stretching and then he headed to the gym. We try to hold the morning exercise time as sacrosanct. It is so much harder to get it done later in the day. This has become our routine and it works.

We took Tim’s bike and went across the bridge to Port Isabel. We went to find This Little Bike Shop. It was no longer there! Boo!!!

We got groceries and filled our water bottles. We went to the seafood market and bought some more red snapper.

I took my bike for a ride this afternoon and then Tim took my bike for a ride.

We had one more possibility for bike tire repair. Island Native Surf House. We stopped and they had the correct inner tube and they will have Tim’s tire fixed tomorrow morning. YAY!

We went to Berry divine Acai Bowls for our dinner. Acai berries have all kinds of antioxidants and have lots of proven health benefits. We had seen lots of acai bowl places in California and our interest was piqued. Tim chose a Volcano Bowl. His acai was topped with kiwi and strawberries and granola and blueberries and coconut oil. I had a Maui Waui Bowl which was topped with granola and pineapple and cashews and cocoa nibs and bee pollen and honey. The yummy bowls were loaded with fiber and protein and we were satisfied.

We walked to the water’s edge to watch the sunset. It was a quiet day but it was a very good day!

758 March 24-25, 2022 A Night Among The Dunes

We spent Thursday morning walking and exercising and biking and taking care of business.

We packed the Jeep and left for an overnight beach roof top tent camping trip.

We spent the early evening just sitting on the beach, enjoying the sunshine.  We saw lines of pelican traveling along the breaking waves in search of supper. 

We saw strings of brilliant white snow geese flying north in a beautifully executed zipper-like ballet. 

The surf was much calmer but it was pretty breezy.  Tim found a spot tucked among the dunes and out of the wind where we set up our home for the night. 

I made omelets and we sat by the fire.  We stood on the tops of the dunes watching the sun go down over the bay.  We watched the stars pop out.  Such a nice night.  We are so fortunate to be doing this together.

Morning coffee on the beach…nothing better!!

We had a quiet “recovery” day on Friday. I walked to Isla Blanca.

Tim biked into town and walked his bike back with a flat rear tire.

We went to dinner at Sea Ranch. We had delicious mussels and then salads with blackened tuna and big Gulf shrimp for our dinner. We watched the pelicans feeding in the marina.

757 March 23, 2022 Dinner On The Bay

I began the day with another 4 mile walk from the campground and around the perimeter of Isla Blanca.  I stopped for awhile at the mouth where the bay meets the gulf and watched dolphins feeding.

Tim prepped our bikes with lubricant to knock off some of the desert dust. 

We cycled into town, down to the water tower.  We took a more leisurely ride back, stopping on a pier.

We found this sandcastle exhibit as we biked on.

We took the pedestrian boardwalk under the highway and then back to the KOA.

This evening we took the Jeep to the bayside.  We packed grilled salmon and salads for our meal.  We watched kiteboarders grabbing wind.

I waded out into the shallow water.

As the tide receded, we watched grackles feeding on small flies at the water’s edge.

The sun appeared to melt into the water.  Another good day on South Padre Island.

756 March 22, 2022 Dinner On The Beach

Last night the wind finally subsided a bit and we had a fairly quiet night. 

This morning, I walked to Isla Blanca State Park.  I saw lots of shore birds.

The park memorial to fishermen lost at sea.

The Gulf of Mexico.

Tim went back to the gym and then took a bike ride.  I went to Port Isabel to get groceries.  Raul came and washed our RV; it was desperately dirty!

This afternoon, we took the Jeep to the beach.  The surf was rough and the tide was high.  The beach was narrow but the Jeep had no trouble passing through.  We found a spot and sat awhile to watch the water.  It was very breezy.

We were given a trash bag when we entered the park.  We filled it with debris.

Tim walked around and found a better place to park where we could still see the shore but where we were also more protected from the wind. 

We enjoyed the afternoon.  I cooked some very fresh red snapper on the cookstove.  The fish was fresh and dense and sweet and delicious…the best fish I have had in a long time! 

755 March 21, 2022 The Wind Is The Story

I took a walk this morning along County Road 402.  I was walking along when two dogs charged toward me.  The little dog was yipping and annoying and the bigger dog more menacing with spittle flying.  I tried screaming at them but they continued to walk alongside me barking their “fool heads off.” They finally gave up and went back home but in the meantime my heart was pounding.  I was done walking on this lonely country road.  I went back to the pecan farm and walked back and forth among the rows of trees. 

We traveled again today.  We left Falfurrias and Tim drove to South Padre Island.  The wind was relentless with sustained winds of 25-30 mph and gusts greater than 50.  I know that Tim wasn’t having much fun driving, particularly when there were crosswinds. 

The wind turbines were still today.  I read that with winds around 55mph, they automatically shut off.  More wind it not a good thing for them. 

We made it safely.  I took the laundry across the road to the laundromat.  I walked again while the clothes were drying.  Tim found a decent gym here in the resort and did his workout.  Otherwise, we hunkered down in the RV protected from the wind. 

When we watched the news this evening, the wind and weather was THE STORY. 

754 March 20, 2022 Boykin Pecan Farm

This morning I was able to walk a portion of the Salado Creek Trail. This multiuse greenway was adjacent to the RV park.

Welcome Spring!!

This would have been a nice place to ride our bikes but we had plans to move on again today.

We drove from San Antonio south to a small town called Falfurrias. Here there was a Harvest Host site, the Boykin Pecan Farm. Larry is the host/farmer/cowboy/owner in charge of this beautifully kept farm. He met us with a warm Texas welcome and told us to make ourselves at home. He invited us to come to the house once we were settled. We met Larry’s wife Sophie and we enjoyed chatting around their kitchen table and getting to know more about their family and their farm. These were such kind and authentic, hardworking people. We left with a 5 pound bag of pecans and a dozen fesh eggs…so fresh that Tim went out and helped to gather them from the chicken coop.

We spent the remainder of the evening parked in the orchard among the pecan trees. It was peaceful and lovely.