Driving to Texas!
Winter Texans. That's what they call a "snowbird" in Texas. Of course Texas would have a different name for it; they do things their way.
After leaving Memphis, we drove all day and arrived just inside the border at Texarkana. A combination of Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana as it sits on all three borders. It's a sad town as many businesses have not survived Covid. A local told us that business owners can't get people to work as the government cheques for Covid relief are more of an incentive not to work. This has been an all to familiar comment as we've travelled through Canada and the States.
We got in late afternoon and after a quick workout and shower at Planet Fitness, we found a campground a few miles out of town. I was a bit nervous as it was getting on in the day, the sun was going down and to be honest, the area of town seemed a bit desolate and sketchy.
We arrived to an empty campground with just a few permanent residents in very old mobile type homes. It definitely had a "Stephen King" feel to it, but for $20 dollars US, I wasn't expecting much. As we were setting up, we noticed a neighbour out walking his dog. I can never resist a dog so we went over for a chat.
During the conversation, Brent suddenly started to chuckle and asked the guy to turn around so I could see his back. I thought I was about to see a T-shirt logo from the past, but instead Brent wanted me to see his gun that was shoved down the back of his pants. Wow! Welcome to America! You need to understand that this is so strange and foreign to a Canadian. We aren't used to gun carrying citizens. Anyway, the guy laughed at us and explained that he's had to shoot the occasional wild pig and poisonous snake. Two things I had read about and conveniently forgot existed in these parts. Guns, wild boar and snakes - welcome to Texas folks!
The next day, we drove straight to Austin and spent the morning biking Lady Bird Lake. They've done a great job opening up the waterfront to the people and many were out exercising and using the space. There's been a massive immigration to Austin during Covid times, especially those from California. From our short visit, I can see the attraction; great weather, food and music. For sure, I'm going back to Austin.
From Austin, we drove a short distance to San Antonio for dinner reservations at Boudros on the Riverwalk. We normally don't eat out when travelling, so this was a really nice treat and the food was fantastic, along with the atmosphere. It's located right on the riverwalk.
The Riverwalk is a pedestrian walkway built along the San Antonio River. It is lined with shops, bars and restaurants. Our waiter informed us it is actually quite shallow and muddy. We extended our date night after dinner by taking a boat road along the canal. You can even take an alcoholic libation on the ride - my kind of ride.
The next night the town hosted a parade on the river to celebrate Night of the Dead. It was packed and I have to say it was nice to be part of a community event in light of what we've all been going through the last two years. On the road, I have to find "community" when and where I can.
The next morning, we made our way back downtown for a tour of the Alamo. If you go, avoid the audio tour and book a private or group tour as it's well worth the extra facts and tidbits of information you receive along the way. Time your tour so you can take in the bonus musket fire demonstration that takes place daily.
Before departing the next day, I snuck down to the Historic Market Square. There you can buy the usual trinkets one might expect along with some authentic food and drinks. A visit to The Mia Terra Cafe is a must. The bakery has been opened from the 1940s and specializes in a host of baked sweets and coffee. The long is line to get in, so go early.
After three nights in San Antonio, we made our way to Rockport and stayed there for a couple of nights. Rockport is a quaint beach town with a small town feel. It's got a cute Main Street with plenty of restaurants and shops. The beaches in the area are well used by locals and tourists and offer a great spot for frolicking, walking and biking. There is great fishing in the area if you are into that sport. Me - not so much. Make sure you eat at Charlotte Plummers for your seafood and pub type food. Sit outside to catch the beautiful view of the marina (and feed the stray cats please).
While in Rockport, we took a drive into Corpus Christie for a visit to the USS Lexington Museum. This aircraft carrier was commissioned in 1943 and retired in 1991. Lexington joined the Fifth Fleet at Pearl Harbour in 1944 and participated in almost every major operation and was named "The Blue Ghost" by Tokyo Rose as a tribute to those she served. Apparently, the Japanese reported they sunk her four times...apparently not! It was a great tour, especially the upper deck.
After two nights we headed to our final destination of Texas - South Padres. Brent really wanted to spend time here as he had heard the kiteboarding was great. For two weeks, Brent kited and we biked and golfed. It was truly a gift just to get off the road after seven weeks of travelling and just chill.
South Padres is home for many Winter Texans and a Spring Breaker paradise. It certainly has that beach town vibe with its golf cart rentals and sugary drinks, but if you look closely and slow down, it also offers a calming and slow paced way of life. There is no better way to experience this than early morning walks on the beach watching the sunrise and driving or biking to the dunes, far from the main town to take in the sunset. I cannot say enough about South Padre. Again, this has great potential for retirement plans.
For more info on our Texas trip, you can check out our YouTube channel at Texas Y'all and South Padre
