I have been parked on the beach for six days near Corpus Christi at Padre Island National
Seashore. This national park’s main claim to fame is that “it’s the world’s longest
undeveloped stretch of barrier island.” This critical ecosystem is the nation’s “prime
nesting beach for the endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtle”, as well as many other forms
of flora and fauna. It is also globally important for migrating birds.

It’s also a boon docking paradise!! The ocean is just fifty yards from my RV…sometimes
closer. My nearest neighbor is two hundred yards away. The entrance fee to the park is
$10.00/week and the beach camping is free. There is a visitor center with free cold
showers, a small grocery store, all the park info you could ever want as well as guided
tours. There is also an RV “camping area” that offers a picnic table, restrooms, and cold
outdoor showers for $8.00/night. There are no hookups available in the park. The entrance
fee also includes use of the RV dump station. Oh…and one other note…I get great TV
reception via my antenna.

There are many things to occupy one’s days here. They include swimming, sunbathing,
hiking, bird watching, kayaking, wind surfing, body boarding, fishing, beachcombing, and
learning about the island’s rich cultural heritage. If you have a boat, you can put it in
Laguna Madre at Bird Island Basin. So far, my favorite activities include watching
glorious sunrises and riding my bike up and down the beach and park roads.
In my last update I mentioned buying some steaks, as it seemed that all the “picnic
areas” in Texas had BBQ pits. I found some great rib eyes, cut to order, at Miller’s
Meats in Fort Stockton TX. When evening came I started looking for a picnic area. Do you
think I could find one with a BBQ pit? Heck no! Anyway, I found a nice quiet picnic area
(minus BBQ pit) to park for the night on highway 55 just outside of Rocksprings TX. I had
it all to myself. The next morning I drove in to Rocksprings, found a place to leave
Classy, and explored this charming little west Texas town on the bicycle. The main points
of interest were the old stone jailhouse and courthouse. (circa 1880). Very gorgeous old
architecture!

 

My next stop was San Antonio, where I spent a couple days riding bike paths. Two of the
three paths were excellent and it was hard to believe I was in a large urban area. The
Leon Creek and Salado Creek Greenways in north San Antonio followed their namesakes on
concrete trails with gentle curves and hills in the bottoms of the waterways. There were
many parks along the way to rest.

The Medina River Trail was a disappointment. The
scenery was gorgeous and the trail surface was good, however, the layout of the trail
made it exhausting. It continually dipped into the river bottom via difficult switchbacks
and then immediately back up the other bank using the same kind of switchbacks. I’m no
engineer but I’m pretty sure I could design a more enjoyable route. Evidently, I am not
alone in my assessment. I was the only person on the trail when I did my out and back!!

One interesting thing about all of the San Antonio trails was the presence of “Park
Police”. They were actual police whose job it was to patrol the trails. They were even
armed. I spoke to Officer Ruiz at length. He was assigned to patrol the Leon Creek trail.
I was curious as to the driver behind such a police presence. I asked him if there had
been any incidents that convinced the city fathers of a need for a police presence. He
said that their city council was very pro-active and it was due to their foresight. The
police were there from the beginning when it was decided to develop these areas.
Between San Antonio and Padre Island, I spent a night at Lake Corpus Christie State Park.
It cost $5.00 entrance fee and $10.00/ night for a spot with water only. It was a
gorgeous, well maintained park on a huge lake. They also have full hook-up sites.
Here are a couple of stories that attest to the friendliness of Texans.

My GPS guided me to one of the trailheads on the Leon Trail that showed parking
available. Immediately I could tell that there was no room for Classy in the small lot. I
drove around the residential neighborhood for a bit looking for a parking place. Then
pulled into a large gravel circle driveway across the street. I could see that the house
was undergoing extensive remodeling and perhaps it was even vacant. I located the owner.
I told him my dilemma and asked if I could leave Classy there for a couple of hours while
I was on the trail. He was all smiles and said “Why, of course you can. No Problem.”
After my ride, I stopped to thank him and we had a great chat about construction and
remodeling.

 

Then….
After riding the Leon Creek trail, I went over to O.P.Schnable Park to FINALLY BBQ that
steak. The park closed at 11:00PM and it was around 9:30 when Officer Patrick Gill of the
San Antonio PD knocked on my door. He had a big smile and was quite courteous reminding
me of closing time. I assured him I’d be gone by then and we then proceeded to have a
nice conversation. Finally, he asked where I planned to park for the night. I said I’d
probably be Sam Walton’s guest for the night. He laughed and then suggested a church
parking lot across the street. He said, “It’s perfectly safe and we (the police) hang
out there during the night.” I was floored! That was a first for me. So, I spent the
night in a quiet, safe parking lot next to the church. Gotta love those Texans!

I almost forgot to mention this.

When I was riding the Medina River Trail in San Antonio, there was a new bridge being built near one end of the trail. As I happened upon it, I saw this scene. I stopped for a minute…even called out…but no answer. The man in the foreground appeared dead. I took the picture and was ready to investigate further when the man on his stomach finally stirred and then I heard the man in the background talking Spanish on his phone.

Must have been siesta time.   

I’m on the road again and will continue to keep “y’all” updated…hehe.
Until next time…Bon Voyage to all.

P.S.- For some strange reason, ever since entering Texas, all I have wanted to listen to
is country music. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy it occasionally but I even went so far as
to create a whole playlist of country music on my phone. Maybe it’s the air down
here….LOL.
P.P.S.- There is a grocery store chain in TX called H.E.B. Any of you non-Texans care to guess what H.E.B. stands for? (no fair using Google.)