Weekend Getaways from San Antonio: Comfort and South Padre Island
May 30, 2023 | By Marisa Charpentier
south padre island
Texas Highways Exclusive: The Captured Malaquite Beach Gator Tells All
May 28, 2021 | By John Nova Lomax
Padre Island National Seashore/Facebook
On Monday, National Park Service rangers encountered a live alligator on Malaquite Beach, just south of Corpus Christi.
6 Texas Daytrips to Drive Away the Winter Blues
December 30, 2020 | By Joe Nick Patoski
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, my wife and I have been laying low. Our ages and autoimmune issues put us squarely in the highest at-risk category.
COVID-19 Makes it Harder to Track Kemp’s Ridley Sea Turtles on Padre Island
May 18, 2020 | By Amanda Ogle
Every day, from April through mid-July, the Division of Sea Turtle Science and Recovery at the Padre Island National Seashore combs 80 miles of Padre Island’s beaches in search of Kemp’s ridley sea turtles–the most critically endangered sea turtle in the world–coming ashore. It’s nesting season, but things are a bit unusual this year due to COVID-19.
5 Texas Podcasts to Listen to Now
August 15, 2019 | By Meara Isenberg
These five podcasts highlight unique stories from all corners of Texas
Summer for Procrastinators: Surfside Beach
July 11, 2019 | By Anna-Kay Reeves
The village of Surfside Beach attracts fewer tourists, so those that do find their way there can focus on enjoying the beach.
Visitors from a Distant Sea Bring Tiny Treasures to Texas Beaches
June 13, 2019 | By E. Dan Klepper
Small quantities of a seaweed called sargassum wash ashore all year long. But every few years, beginning in April, the sargassum arrives en masse—a deluge of amber-colored stems, leaves, and tiny gas bladders that help the plants stay afloat (and pop when squeezed). This relatively unpredictable event seems to occur after huge blooms of sargassum in the Atlantic Ocean, some 2,000 or more miles away. While piles of sargassum might hinder swimming and sunbathing, they also provide opportunities for families and other beachcombers to find seahorses, strange shrimp, and other tiny creatures that hopped a ride to Texas.
Endangered Turtle Hatchlings Draw Crowds Along the Texas coast
June 12, 2019 | By Anna-Kay Reeves
PINS has a list of nest locations and projected hatch-dates— the next predicted hatch date for 2019 is June 12-16, with dates continuing through mid-July. However, hatchlings are unpredictable and emerge when they’re ready, according to the park.
Escape to the Mother Lagoon for a Quiet Coastal Getaway
May 30, 2019 | By Joe Nick Patoski
There are few places in and around Texas where the visible fish—plus dolphins, peregrine falcons, and brilliant-pink roseate spoonbills—outnumber the people viewing them. The Laguna Madre is one of those places, the only body of water in the state that truly qualifies as extreme.
Serious Surfers Brave the Winter Chill to Ride Texas’ Waves
November 24, 2018 | By Heather Brand
People who visit the coast during the summer may think there’s no surf in Texas, but that’s because they haven’t seen the waves of winter.
In late January through mid-February, storm-driven northerlies blow across the Gulf of Mexico, roiling the placid surf into choppy waves that can build to heights of 5 feet and taller. Offshore winds then polish these waves to produce smooth, jade-colored swells that build then break, curling in a clean line, row after row. For those willing to brave the chill, there are plenty of destinations along the 367 miles of the Texas coast to give off-season surfing a try.
“Most people are fair-weather surfers,” says James Fulbright, proprietor of Strictly Hardcore Surf Specialties in Galveston. “There are 70 percent fewer surfers in the water in winter.”
Savor the Last of Summer with These 4 Family-Friendly Adventures on South Padre Island
July 26, 2018 | By Paula Disbrowe
Explore South Padre Island with a Drive up State Park Road 100
May 23, 2018 | By W. F. Strong.
I get my first clear view of South Padre Island from the summit of the Queen Isabella Memorial Causeway. At 85 feet above Laguna Madre, the bridge reveals the island stretching majestically on a north-south line, like a thin ribbon of sand floating in a cobalt sea.
South Padre Island Gets in on the Spring Wildflower Show
February 14, 2018 | By
South Padre Island
26o 08′ 43.42″ N
97o 10′ 12.29″ W
Flowering railroad vine and morning clouds present a delightful display along sand dunes near Beach Access No.
10 Epic Summer Travel Adventures
April 19, 2017 | By Clayton Maxwell
Get even more summertime adventure ideas.
Hello summertime! We know it can get hot out there, but that’s no excuse to stay inside: Cool outdoor adventures in Texas abound.
Shore Things
May 11, 2016 | By Helen Anders
Texans storm the beaches for a wealth of reasons. So, when we envision the perfect beach hotel, each of us conjures a different image.
Hello Beach!
May 13, 2015 | By Robb Walsh
After years of visiting Texas beaches whenever I could, this spring I made the leap and moved my family to Galveston.
A Day at the Beach
April 12, 2015 | By Helen Anders
In a family-vacation photo taken in the early 1900s, a family of seven poses at the edge of the surf at South Padre Island.
Texas Top 40 No. 19, Padre Island
May 6, 2014 | By
The beaches of Padre Island are so inviting that inland lakes have been known to import loads of Padre sand for their own waterfronts.
Dive In!
August 1, 2010 | By Melissa Gaskill
Under water, light behaves differently; colors sparkle, then fade. Sounds magnify and distort. Liquid cradles a body accustomed to mere air.
