Visit to the Sand Bar

With the temperature hovering around 80 F, I ventured down the highway to the southeast corner of Texas for the first time. My destination was the sand bar/island barrier of South Padre Island.

The island was approximately 1 hour due east from my new 'home base' in Weslaco. I anticipated the small island to be wall to wall with tourists, however, I was shocked to find the island half empty. Restaurants were closed for renovations, store fronts were empty and for sale/rent, and the streets had very few people walking around. In a few weeks this atmosphere will completely change as tourists and seasonal residents return for winter holidays. Damage from Hurricane Dolly was clearly evident throughout the island. Boarded windows, torn roofs, and new renovations greeted all visitors to the island. Compared to the damage in Galveston from Hurricane Ike, South Padre Island faired very well. I spent the day walking around the Gulf of Mexico beaches, walking some of the sand dunes, and driving around the island. I have a few photographs below.