South Padre Vacation Slide Show 08.2024

Old friends and new, thank you for joining me for my South Padre Island vacation slide show 08.2024, our family vacay in review.  I have never really written posts about trips we have taken.  I guess because I kind of feel like no one wants to read about them or see my vacation photos slide shows.  However, early in the summer, in response to a Where Bloggers Live series prompt – vacations – I wrote this post about the trips we were planning this year.

Then I realized that I have begun really enjoying the vacation and getaway posts of my blogging buddies.  Marsha just shared a very interesting post about traveling on Amtrak.  That has been one of my ‘bucket list’ dreams.  And Amy and Joanne often share hikes they’ve taken…oh, the pretty walks they’ve trekked.  Carrie and the fam just returned from a Disney cruise and I daydreamed through her posts about their adventure.  And Laura and her fam visited some of the national parks out west this summer, with some great tips for saving money traveling with children.  Then there’s the Debs, one in England and one in Australia, and Joanne in Australia, too, and Gail in England, all of whom visit some pretty amazing places.  The Cotswolds?  Tumbarumba.  Christmas in Britain.  The Epping Forest.

Through their words and images, they have all taken me places I hope to go but in reality, might never see.  So, I am thankful to them for taking me with them.  And now, allow me to take you to South Padre Island, Texas.

Annual Birthday Bash

My daughters were born 2 years and 1 day apart so we have had 2-day birthday bashes celebrating both girls since Lauren was born.  I was so worried that Lauren would be born on Brennyn’s birthday and wouldn’t have her own day.  We celebrated Brennyn’s second birthday on 07.30.1986 and then I woke up at 2:00 am on 07.31.1986 in labor with Lauren.  Whew, that was close.  My due date for both babies was 07.19 so by the end of July, I was ready to pop with both pregnancies.

The girls have almost always had their own birthday cake except Brennyn usually wanted a big birthday cookie.  They each had a present or two on the other sister’s day.  And once they were young adults, we tried to have birthdays at that beach as often as possible.  This year was a beach birthday bash at South Padre Island.  In the past we have done Galveston birthdays several times, and South Padre for the first time in 2021.  At that point, Brennyn was about 5 months pregnant with Declan.  So happy that this year, our family was complete and everyone was there to celebrate together.

Suntide III Condos

In 2021, we stayed in 3 separate condo units within the same building but down the beach a block from where we stayed this year.  Each family had their own unit but we were on 3 different floors and spent a lot of time going up and downstairs trying to coordinate things.  This year we found 2 units next door to each other at Suntide III Condominiums.  Much handier!!

The condominiums were centrally located beachside just off the main drag, Gulf Boulevard.  Brennyn’s family drove down from Ft. Worth.  Lauren’s family flew into Harlingen, Texas, picked up a rental car and drove the hour to South Padre.  PC and I flew into San Antonio, Texas because we were going to spend a few days there after the family beach bash.  Our drive was closer to 4.5 hours from San Antonio to the beach.

Suntide III truly had something for everyone.  A heated, indoor pool and hot tub and an outdoor pool and hot tub.  A sauna.  A short board walk way down to the beach.  And:

• tennis
• pickleball
• basketball
• shuffleboard
• cornhole (aka bags)

With all sports equipment available at the front desk, free of charge.

Amenities

We had two 3-bedroom units (the same floor plan) on the 11th floor with beautiful views of the beach by day and night.

PC and I bunked with Lauren’s family and Brennyn’s crew had an apartment of their own.  Our master bedroom windows faced east so sunrise might have come into our apartment a little too early, but we did have blinds and blackout drapes that helped keep things dark.  The windows in the smaller bedrooms faced west so those rooms were pretty warm in the late afternoon.  All bedrooms had ceiling fans, though, which made them more comfortable.

Two of the bedrooms had en suites and there was a third bathroom beside the third bedroom.  The kitchens featured breakfast bars but both apartments had large dining room tables, too.  And our condo had a cozy breakfast nook where Cia and Cam ate, watched their blah-blahs (iPads), colored, played.  Brennyn’s apartment had a darling boat-shaped bar in that same spot.  Both apartments had wine frigs, which came in very handy for keeping all of our family-friendly beverages handy and cool and available even to the little ones who could easily access them there.

The Positives

• the kitchens in both units had coffee makers, blenders, crockpots, can opener, cork screw, an assortment of pots and pans, and of course, table settings enough for large families.
• both units had a washer and dryer, dishwasher, full-sized refrig, oven and microwave – hallelujah.
• bathrooms had plenty of bath towels but no beach towels
• there was a bathtub in our unit and 2 showers; Brennyn’s unit just had showers so they bathed 2-year-old Declan in our tub
• all of the bedrooms had flat screen TVs with a large TV in the common area of both apartments
• the balconies featured beach views and lots of patio furniture on which to lounge

And both units had lots and lots of beach toys, chairs, umbrellas, boogie boards…all the things.  Brennyn always brings a shade for the beach but we could have gotten along okay without it.  We had small beach umbrellas with each apartment and the condo rents chairs and umbrellas beachside, too.

What was Missing?

I think you can see that all the big essentials were available to us.  But there were a number of less significant things that were missing that made a big difference in the ease of our stay.  The condos we rented in 2021 came with many of the things we found these apartments to be lacking.  And our rental houses in Galveston were always well stocked too.

The Negatives

We never dreamed we wouldn’t have:

• salt and pepper
• nonstick spray
• basic spices like garlic powder, onion, Italian seasoning
• coffee or Kcups
• napkins
• paper towels
• garbage bags
• laundry soap
• dishwashing soap
• dishwashing pods
• aluminum foil or plastic wrap
• baggies

Not having these groceries available and not knowing they wouldn’t be available meant a quick trip to the Blue Marlin, an IGA grocery store, which is within walking distance of Suntide III.  But we had stopped to pick up grocery orders – all 3 of us – at the Port Isabel Walmart Superstore about 5 miles away, before arriving at the condominium. So we had to run back out again.  And didn’t really realize what we didn’t have until we started looking for the salt!!  And the dishwashing pods.

I wish the condo owners for our 2 units had told us that we would need to pick up the above items.  Or maybe we have just been lucky with what has been available in other places where we have stayed.  What do you think?  I was especially surprised by not having trash bags available. I think we had 2.  Which we promptly filled the first evening. Yikes.

South Padre Vacation Slide Show 08.2024

The beach at South Padre Island is very nice.  White sand.  Clear water.  Very little to no seaweed.  Small shells and crabs.  During our 2021 visit, we found out too late what the gray warning flags and jellyfish kites indicate!!  Sure enough, Cady was stung by a jellyfish our second day.  This year, worries over jellyfish and stingrays took a backseat to concern over shark attacks as 4 people were enjoyed (oh, my gosh, I meant INJURED) over the 4th of July by a shark at South Padre.  Didn’t notice any warning flags this year.  Jellyfish, shark or otherwise.

I didn’t get very clear photos of the living area but both apartments had multiple couches, chairs and were very comfortable.  There was a king sized bed in the largest bedroom of both units, a queen sized bed in a second bedroom and 2 full sized beds, I think in the 3rd bedrooms.  Have a look…

The beds were comfortable.  Plenty of hot water.  Comfortable air conditioning.  Overall, both units were very nice.  Just wish we had known ahead of time the kinds of things we needed to buy to really be able to use the kitchen.

The Island

The island itself is not overly commercialized (yet) like a lot of beach resorts.  There are a number of local restaurants and national fast food chains.  We ate breakfast and lunch in all week and picked up dinner most nights to eat back at the condo.  I fixed this chicken Alfredo one evening in the crockpot.

The main drag, Gulf  Boulevard, is littered with surf shops and discount souvenir places that promise bathing suits and swim trunks for under $10.  There was a small amusement park within walking distance of our condos.  They had a sand castle display, Ferris wheel, putt-putt, arcade and other similar attractions.  We spent a little time there one evening.

Up and down Gulf Boulevard, there were at least a half dozen candy shops!! I’ve never seen anything like it.  We walked to one for sweets one evening and then stopped at the amusement park before walking back to our condo.  The candy shop we visited had every kind of candy imaginable – a lot of candy I remember eating as a kid.  There was also a counter where you could buy ice cream in cups or designer cones.  And an arcade.  The kids were in pig heaven.

It had been 3 years since we had been together at the beach.  When we started talking about taking this trip to South Padre, I told the girls I absolutely wanted family pictures on the beach.  AND WE GOT THEM!!  I think I might do a separate post to share the different pictures.  But here is one of PC and I with our grands.

I love these people.  And the people that aren’t in this particular photo, my daughters and their husbands.  I am a lucky lady.

Your Turn

Have you ever vacationed at any of the beaches in Texas?  We have visited Galveston several times, South Padre twice now, and Corpus Christi once.  The sand and the water at South Padre give Cancun a run for its money.  Not quite as gorgeous but beautiful in its own right.

Tonight I am worn out.  Lucia and Cami had early release from school so we picked them up and brought them over so they could swim and play at our house.  And let Lauren work (from home) in peace.  Francisco and Lauren came about 6:00 pm for spaghetti and then they all went home.  I had bathed the girls after swimming and we got most of the homework done.  Hope the kids had an easier evening that way.

Need to whip this house into shape tomorrow or Friday.  And guess who only has 5 pieces of ironing to do?  Woohoo!!  PC’s retirement is agreeing with me in more ways than one.

Thank you for spending some of your day with me.  I appreciate YOU!!

Hugs and kisses,