I am finally writing about Texas. It is 2016 at this writing and, although I’ve been to this state a few times, I’ve not set foot on its soil for more than 40 years. Not my favorite state, Texas needs to be in my list of icons.

I’ve been to both Huston and Dallas. Both because of business while working at NCR. When in Huston one time, I recall it was during the summer and the temperature reached 120 degrees, unusual for even that southern state. Other times were tolerable but I was so overworked I had no way of enjoying my time there.

That repeated itself when I visited companies in Dallas. Work, then more work, then back to the airport and happy to get home.
Ever sense Jerry Jones fired Tom Landry as coach of the Dallas Cowboys, I’ve chosen to hate all that is Texas. It’s a football mentality thing.

“To be a great football coach, you have to be smart enough to know the game and dumb enough to think it matters.”
– I forget who said that.

South Padre Island 2024

Forget the notes above. We now have spent a period of time in Texas, albeit , on an island just off the coast of Texas.
South Padre Island has a feel of its own. This long, narrow strip of land is different from every other experience we have had.
Ramona and I spent eight days on the beaches of South Padre Island in March of 2024. Although many tourists were there during our stay, the island does not feel touristy. It seems, and is, a git away destination for Texan citizens.
Our hotel was filled mostly with Texans who lived not far from the island.
Ramona and I spent much of each day walking the beautiful beaches that we could also view from our room’s balcony. We walked about 5 miles each day, then returned to our rooms balcony to enjoy our daily martini made supplies we brought from home.
Weather ever being difficult to predict, we did have cooler than expected temperatures and windier days, but those did not prevent us from enjoying our outdoor environment.

Our hotel provided a much better free breakfasts than we have had at most other hotels. We frequently had omelettes hand made for us, waffles that were made for us. They actually had a variety of fresh fruits that most hotels do not provide. And - the coffee was great.
Dinners had us frequently choosing fish dinners of types we had not experienced previously. The island had a number of really great restaurants.
During our stay we spent some of time visiting the islands bird & alligator sanctuary and the turtle sanctuary.
The bird & alligator experience had walking 3/4 miles of boardwalk through 43 acres of coastal wetland environments, five shaded bird blinds with seating along the boardwalk, butterfly gardens and trails surrounding the visitor center.
Our time at the turtle sanctuary was not as satisfying. 3 large tanks with one large turtle in each only seemed to be a cruel way for an animal to spend its days. The organization is currently building a turtle clinic. That might be interesting someday.
All in all, we had a wonderful time enjoying a beautiful location away from our winter weather.