Corpus Christi, Texas

Corpus Christi, Texas          February 5-12, 2020

                                  On Friday, February 5 we arrived at Corpus Christi, Texas. 

We rented  a sweet little one bedroom  Airbnb on a canal on Padre Island. It was great to park the Penthouse and just relax for a full week.

We hiked Mustang State Park Beach on the first day.

 These critters are Portuguese Man of  War, washed up on the beach...and yes they sting...even when they are dead.

                                                    Sunset out our back door....WOW!

                                   Our place is on a canal....so Larry can fish right out the back door.

          Our Pennsylvania friends, Jay and Kim, came over for a day of exploring the Padre National Seashore Park.

                                                     We had a great walk out on the beach!

RVs, cars and tractor trailers move up and down this beach road that goes 70 odd miles to the end of the island. 

    Lots of snowbirds here. You can camp for 14 days free of charge with the National Park Entrance fee.

The flock of birds are amazing to watch here. This is a bird watchers paradise because so many birds pass through here migrating for winter and spring havens.

                                  We enjoyed being the chase van while Jay and Kim rode their cycles.

 The grass lands stretch down the middle of the island leading to the sand dunes and then the beach.

                                       We watched these water fowl behind a viewing blind.

                                                        Signs to other places in the world. 

                                        This area is known for world wind surfing competitions.

                                       Lots of fishermen in the area in both waders and boats.

Another day we went down to the City of Corpus Christi. Jay and Kim rode bicycles. Larry 

and I rode electric scooters

                                                 A pigeon was enjoying the water fountain.

                                             We started our Corpus Christi tour at Cole Park.

  Larry and I rode electric scooters

                                                         Jay and Kim rode their bicycles. 

                                     We passed by Texas A and M. The beach was very scenic!

                                                      A tribute to Singer/Songwriter Selena

                                                                                  

                                                                      I loved scootering.

Aircraft Carrier, USS Lexington

                                             Corpus Christi Marina was  full of grand boats.

                       The front of a tourist store...looked like a giant sand castle. It was unique.

        The canal waters were warmer than the air, creating a mysterious  mist.

Little did we know that crazy weather was about to occur in Southern Texas.

Trip Across Southern USA Clearwater, Florida to Corpus Christi, Texas

 Trip Across Southern USA       Feb 1, 2021 Clearwater Beach, Florida to Corpus Christi, TX

Since the Covid 19 kept us from traveling overseas this year, Larry and I loaded up our Ford Transit that we have nicknamed "The Penthouse" and set out to do some exploring of our own country...the USA!

We purchased the Penthouse to travel to music festivals in the summertime. When the Covid hit, all of our music festivals were canceled and  our travels were minimized. 

This cross country tour resembles our honeymoon which was way back in June of 1977. For five weeks we took Larry's VW Van across the northern part of the US and came back through the south. We both had the travel bug back then. No wonder why we're still doing it and our girls have inherited that ole travel gene.

                                  The sunset in Pensacola, Florida the first night was fantastic.

We scurried across the panhandle of Florida, disappointed to see that high rise hotels blocked the scenic views of the the Gulf of Mexico. 

When we arrived in  Biloxi, Mississippi the drive was supreme! We were happy to see the a gorgeous view of the Gulf of Mexico for miles and miles. 

Biloxi, Mississippi was historic. Although there was evidence of the ravages of past hurricanes, several old mansions dotted the northern part of the street. This particular one is the Biloxi Visitor Center....Closed due to the big C-19.

                                                                Canadian Explorer

                                                                      Biloxi Lighthouse

 The road ran right along the waterfront with striking  views of the Gulf of Mexico. It was really nice to share the Mississippi coastline beauty with all the other travelers as we headed west. It was unfortunate that the coastline view in the Florida panhandle wasn't open for all to enjoy due to the sprawl of  high rise hotels and condos.

                                                    
                                                           

We followed the coastline from Panama City, Florida to Galveston, Texas. Lots of homes were built on the beaches on stilts.

Can you tell we are in Texas?

                                               We rode a free ferry into  Galveston, Texas.

Many homes dotted the beach along the Gulf.

                  Many campers were parked on the beach. Of course Larry had to check that out.

      Even though the sky was overcast, it was great to follow the white sand beaches along the coast.

After five days of boogieing down the road from Clearwater Beach, Florida we arrived on the North Padre Island in southern Texas for a week of warm weather relaxing.