From Mission Texas? Just go east 85 miles turn left and go north 10 miles – you can’t miss it….

South Padre Island 17 February 2014

You can’t get lost driving north on South Padre Island’s Ocean Boulevard.

Here’s why:

For those of us who are a bit slow - they explain the barricade

We could have driven out to the beach a little farther south but since I was only holding the steering wheel and not actually making driving decisions Smiley ended up in this position:

No Photoshop work here

 

OK it wasn’t as bad as that looks. From another perspective you can see he’s hunkered down safely just like the other chicken cars….

Chicken car.

 

Other Chicken cars

And before you decide that only the really brave would try to drive the beach look below. It ain’t just horses and walkers out there – this is beach is almost a highway.

This one is for all the girls who want to ride a horse in the surf.You know who you are.

So we walked in the sunny 70+F weather even dipping our toes in 55F water to prove just how Canadian we are (you can see other northern newbies in the background).

Dry warm sand is over there.

Don't be a wuss

This surf fisherman was also barefoot – the rest were in hip waders.

If I remember correctly the catch is in my right hand. Bait on the left.

On the Gulf of Mexico side the beach stretches unbroken for miles. Almost flat and really stroll friendly. Not so the Laguna Madre side – desert like low growth clings to the dunes and brackish pools abound. Pretty forbidding without hiking boots so we confined our wandering to the beach.

Completely forgot to take photos of the gazillion beachwear shops and all of the usual tourist destinations. You can probably get a Google-full of South Padre Island man made attractions if you are still awake at the end of this entry. CAUTION! If you are already feeling drowsy place a favourite pillow close to the monitor!

So lets plow ahead here. I still have a favoured "artistic" picture to share…

Oh look honey - it's all swirly and dappled and foamy and....

and yet another bird picture:

Bird

You can go now.

Hello!

HELLO!

WAKE UP!

Yes you did.