Good bye to the Lone Star State

Armadillo Willy isn't he cute? Guadalupe State Park, Texas











Today is our last day on Mustang Island.  What a great day.  Temperatures were 80, winds were slight, it was just a great day.  We did the wash, then loaded up the jeep and drove to Padre Island National Seashore.  Padre Island National Seashore is a 60 mile long barrier island (the longest in the the US)  wild sand dunes, 60 miles of beach, areas to kayak and to fish, and great Bird watching.  Its ok to both drive and camp along the beach, $8.00 a day to camp.  We drove along the beach for 5 miles, lots of birds, people fishing, camping and just hanging out on the beach.  It must be nuts here at spring break and during the summer.  Its not really season here until April.  Water temperature is just 55 so not a lot of people in the water.  Nevertheless it was a great day.  Other than the beach, fishing, and birding, there isn't much to see in Corpus Cristi.   We did have a nice lunch at a place named Snoopys located at the end of the bridge leading from CC to Padre Island.  Funkie place along the water just perfect.  Great sea food.  Jack had an oyster sandwich which consited of perfectly fried oysters on a roll with letuce and tomato, I had shrimp creole wonderful shrimp cooked in a spicy tomato sauce served with cole slaw and rice.  Both meals were perfectly cooked along with wine and beer it was only $20.00.  .

All that I can say is  beach here on Padre Island is very nice and I would certainly come back for the beach.  If we didn't have to be in Florida I would consider staying here for a few more days.  But we need to move on, if not because of the need to get to Florida but also the weather is changing and we want to get ahead of it if we can.

Camp Site at Mustang Island State Park, Corpus Cristi Texas

Padre Island National Seashore

Jack- Fishing Mustang Island State Park

USS Lexington Corpus Christi Tx

Campsite- Guadalupe State Park Tx

Today, Jan 31 we left Mustang Island and headed toward Louisiana.  The weather is changing today its expected be 75 in south Texas today then perhaps snow tomorrow.  So were off.  Headed toward Huston then east toward Lake Charles LA.  Once again the landscape in Texas changes heading from CC to Houston. The landscape near Houston turns from dry looking mesquite land to farm land.  The first real row crop looking ranches that we have seen.  Quite pretty land, flat but nice green and attractive.  About 25 miles from down town Houston the affluent burbs of Houston begin.  Everything is big, big malls, big houses, big office buildings, big medical centers.  The skyline of Houston is big and tall.  We stop at only one of two Costcos in Houston to buy coffee, wine, bread and gas.  Costcos are very few and far between in Texas.  It turns out the gas at Costco was not the cheapest that we saw.  Gas ranged from $2.75 to $3.05 between CC and Houston.  Costco was priced at  $2.95.  Once we gassed up we headed east.  The weather is falling apart so we stopped for the night just outside of Lake Charles LA at an RV park off the freeway.  Nice place, A+ Motel and RV Park.  For $25 per night you get a concrete site with table, wifi, cable tv.   Not a bad place just down wind from an oil refinery.  I wouldn't want to spend a great deal of time here but for a night or possibly 2 its not bad.  rI weather permits its off to Baton Rouge LA for a few days then off to New Orleans.

One last thought.  Both Jack and I enjoyed Texas.  The land in interesting, the people are friendly, the roads are excellent, and the food good.  Texas was not what I expected.  

Texas State Capitol, Austin Texas