Monday, January 28, 2008

Padre Island National Seashore




After all the rain, we finally had a couple of nice days. Went for a bike ride and took lots of pictures of flowers. Yesterday, the weather was even warmer so we decided to go to Mustang Island Sate Park.
The drive was only 2 miles and involved riding on the ferry, a short ride and a small ferry. Renita did see a dolphin. I would not like taking our home on this ferry but we did see a fifth wheel loaded on the other ferry so it would be possible.
Anyway we drove though a lot of developments, I was not impressed, until we got to the state park.
It's really nice! We drove to the beach and discovered that people here drive onto the beach itself. I tried, promptly started spinning my rear wheels, and put it into four wheel drive ad escaped. We parked and walked back onto the beach. There were lots of people shelling and fishing, and lots of shells. We found four sand dollars in a short time. Of course Renita found the biggest ones! I walked out onto the Jetty and found a nice bobber and the bottom half of a cooler. Flotsam is so much fun! Watched some people fishing for pompano but didn't see them catch any.
Returning to the vehicle we decided to drive further south and crossed onto Padre Island, where we saw signs directing us to the national shoreline. As we followed them we lost almost all the traffic, went through the park entrance where our parks pass worked, and discovered a wonderful place!
The shoreline runs for 70 miles and is the longest undeveloped Gulf Coast shoreline in the United states. We listened to the park ranger explain the various wildlife exhibits and then drove onto the beach itself. It was wild. The camping on the beach is free! There was fifth wheel as big as ours,(we did find a campground that has electricity and costs 8 bucks a night, that we would prefer as there is no way we are driving our house onto the beach)!
The ranger suggested we drive 18 miles south until we came to big shell beach and then walk it,(in a short walk we found coral that looks like electrical wire and a complete inkpen shell)! . We did drive a little ways but the speed limit is 15 mph and it was too late for such a long drive so we returned to the road. Definitely a place to return to. We returned by going through Corpus Christi and then home. A long and tiring and enjoyable day. Clear skies.

2 comments:

Patty said...

Nice. We were wondering if you needed to go to a thrift store and purchase some "new" pants after ripping the crotch out of yours from hiking your leg up onto the truck's bumper!

Patty said...

Matt wrote that!