Padre Island National Seashore

This past weekend Tom, Pepper and I decided it was time for a vacation. My school year jobs are done, Tom is about to start TAing this summer and soon my summer student teaching will start. We packed up and headed south. To the Gulf of Mexico. We drove the back roads down to the coast. Stopped in Corpus Christi for a while and then headed to the National Seashore. North Padre Island. We camped on the ocean and spent our days romping in the sun, sand and salty water. It was beautiful, relaxing, and so much fun. Here are some highlights. We decided ... Read Full Story

Whether you're looking to join in spring break fun or you're waiting for those crowds to go away, the Gulf Coast of Texas should be on your list of places for a spring vacation. Not familiar with the area? Go to the state's official Texas Travel — http://www.traveltex.com/ — click on "Cities & Regions" and find Gulf Coast on the map for a quick primer on the region that stretches along more than 600 miles of shoreline on the warm Gulf of Mexico. Then look to the right side of the page for the videos under "Gulf Coast Cams." The Corpus Christi area has ... Read Full Story

Michigan State senior Paul Bonenberger avoided temptation during South Padre Island's season for wild spring break partying by leaving his passport at home. “I’ve heard tons of (stuff) about the border,” said Bonenberger, 21, two beers in hand and surrounded by hundreds of Midwestern spring breakers on the beach. “I’ve heard it’s unsafe. I’m not about the border anymore, it’s not worth the risk.” Once, most spring breakers to this Texas border town visited nearby Matamoros, Mexico, for the touted “Two Nation Vacation.” But news of gun battles between soldiers and drug cartels in Mexican border cities this winter appears to have reached even ... Read Full Story

Michigan State senior Paul Bonenberger avoided temptation during South Padre Island's season for wild spring break partying by leaving his passport at home. “I’ve heard tons of (stuff) about the border,” said Bonenberger, 21, two beers in hand and surrounded by hundreds of Midwestern spring breakers on the beach. “I’ve heard it’s unsafe. I’m not about the border anymore, it’s not worth the risk.” Once, most spring breakers to this Texas border town visited nearby Matamoros, Mexico, for the touted “Two Nation Vacation.” But news of gun battles between soldiers and drug cartels in Mexican border cities this winter appears to have reached even ... Read Full Story

Located in the Padre Island National Seashore is Bird Island Basin. Bird Island Basin is popular for it's near perfect conditions for windsurfing and beginner sailors. It looks like the perfect family spot really. Just a place to spend a day on the beach and enjoy life. So what's up with the cameras at the check in area where people pay their fees to use the national park? Visitors are greeted with cameras that photograph their faces, their profiles, their license plates, and obviously their cars. What would the government spend so much money tracking those who use this beach? Read Full Story