Did you get restless this summer? COVID made travel kind of a sad situation, didn’t it?
Like most of you, we had plans. When plan A fell apart, we enlisted plan B. Then plan C. We went through summer plans along with the stages of grief. By the time plan C fell apart, we mostly landed in a state of acceptance.
That acceptance, however, didn’t change the fact that 4 of us were working our rears off and 2 of us were bored stiff. COVID did not slow down the need for donut- makers, pizza-deliverers, and HR directors. Go figure. Thing 4 and I were left dreaming of vacations and avoiding cleaning our bedrooms.
One day we found, much to our joy that the Hubs FINALLY had a day off. All the stars aligned and 5 out of 6 of us could take off.
We drove four hours there and four hours back to spend the day on one of the best beaches in Texas. It also happens to be a National Park! In fact, it is the longest stretch of undeveloped barrier island IN THE WORLD! Wow!
Padre Island National Seashore is located in Corpus Christi, Texas. There are many public beach access points in the near vicinity, but there are things that make this particular beach special.
- National Park status means it is $10 a carload to for entrance. What?! Why would I bring that up as a perk on a website devoted to making memories while saving cash? Well, for starters, the cost of admission means other people go to other beaches. They go to FREE beaches. Less crowds in my book always make for a better experience. Admittedly, I’ve only been there twice and one of the times was during COVID. I maintain this cuts down on the crowd level. This and other reasons that I will mention soon, also make it a rather family-friendly beach option. $10 is a small price to pay for a family-friendly, low-crowd option.
- It’s a little off the beating path. Because it’s undeveloped barrier, there are no condos, big hotels or restaurants along the shore. Code for: LESS CROWDS. If you haven’t figured out by now, we are fans of this.
- Baby turtle releases! Ok, these aren’t public in 2020 (you stink Rona), but they usually are! Here are the details according to the National Park Service’s website:
“During the summer at North Padre Island National Seashore we release Kemp’s ridley sea turtle hatchlings from nests that were laid in the park and along parts of the Texas coast.”
“Hatchling releases typically occur from mid-June through August. Most releases that are open to the public take place at 6:45 a.m. on Malaquite Beach in front of the Visitor Center at Padre Island National Seashore on North Padre Island in Corpus Christi, Texas.”
This event is on my bucket list for summer 2021. My friends, the Cochrans, hooked me up with some pictures of their experience. Thank you Cochran family!
4. Your kids can become Junior Rangers! What exactly is a Junior Ranger? Well, they are kids (or kids at heart, according to National Park’s website) that want to participate in various activities set up by the park. Here’s how it works per the park’s website:
“How to Become a Junior Ranger:
1) Pick up a Junior Ranger booklet from Malaquite Visitor Center.
2) Complete the booklet by doing as many pages as you are years old. For example, if you’re 7 years old, you have to complete 7 pages.
3) Bring your completed booklet to Malaquite Visitor Center, scan and e-mail it to us, or send by mail.
4) If bringing in your booklet to Malaquite Visitor Center, you will be sworn in as an official National Park Service Junior Ranger and will receive your official Junior Ranger badge!”
As you’ve probably guessed, 2020 is not a great year to do this in person. HOWEVER, you can participate from home by downloading the booklet and mailing it in. For more information, go to:
https://www.nps.gov/pais/learn/kidsyouth/beajuniorranger.htm
5. There are beachside shelters to eat and stay protected from the extremely strong sun. If you get there early enough, you can score one of these beauties. I wish I had a picture of one for you. Sadly, I never get there early enough, so umbrellas are my best friend.
Additionally, near the visitor’s center, there are many well-maintained picnic tables. We eat there and then hit the beach down the ramp below.
This leads me to the real reason we go. We go to play in the sand, jump the waves and take walks along the shore. We go to bury each other, create sandcastle masterpieces that are obliterated by waves or unruly siblings. We go in secret hopes that our phones won’t work and that out sunscreen will. We go hoping to come home a little healthier and happier and ready to handle all the things that life throws at us.
So, when are you heading to the beach?
