Vacation 2006: SPI

Welcome to South Padre Island:

The sign below was on both sides of the bridge that connects the island to the mainland. We learned from one of the locals that pelicans fish near the bridge and as they are circling the water, they're often hit by passing cars. Sure enough, the next time we crossed the bridge, a few pelicans flew right by our car:

The view from our balcony:

Question: Two girls are traveling 1,700 miles to spend five days swimming, shopping and relaxing. How many pairs of shoes should they bring? Answer: 13.

Today, the role of “Bad-Ass Biker Chick” will be played by KB:

KB and I as Rastafarians:

Shopping in Matamoros, Mexico:

Biggest straw hat EVER. (Obviously, we think taking pictures of us in ridiculous hats is funny.)

The lighthouse at Port Isabel:

We couldn't have asked for better weather. There was the chance of a thunderstorm every day, but it never happened. It sprinkled a bit the first day, but that gave us a chance to drive around and explore the area. From then on out, it was beautiful -- and I have the sunburn to prove it.

Since it was after Labor Day and still too early for the snowbirds, the island was empty. The only time this was disappointing was when we went out in the evenings. Listening to a live band isn't quite as fun when there are only ten people in the audience. But the emptiness was great otherwise. We pretty much had the beach to ourselves, never had to wait for a table at a restaurant, and found great deals on end-of-season merchandise.

The beach was absolutely beautiful with soft sand and clean water. I hate seaweed (who doesn't?) and after stepping on a jellyfish as a child, I'm always on the lookout for sea creatures. But these weren't issues at SPI and every minute on the beach and in the water was bliss.

Our day trip to Mexico was a lot of fun. We enjoyed a delicious authentic Mexican lunch, followed by shopping and, of course, bartering. I bought a beautiful, unique sterling silver bracelet and a hand-printed ornament for my Christmas tree. KB found a colorful hand-woven blanket and a sterling silver pendant. As enjoyable as the day was, we were very relieved to cross back into the U.S.

It was a great vacation, no question. And I certainly wouldn’t mind returning to SPI one day.