Padre Island National Seashore

Pros: Quiet secluded natural seashore
Cons: Most of the park inaccessible without 4WD

There's something about being on the beach that just makes it absolutely impossible to worry too much about the world. Bills might be adding up, the boss might have just chewed you out for the 20th time this week, and your spouse might have kicked...

Pros: Empty and serene; Easy to escape the annoyance of other tourists
Cons: Only one road, and only a small portion is paved

Padre Island National Seashore is located on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico in eastern Texas, just a little bit southeast of Corpus Christi. This long piece of land is what’s known as a “barrier” island. It’s long and narrow, providing a ...

Pros: Lots of activities such as fishing, sailing, dolphin watch tours etc
Cons: Crowd at spring break; trash

Who can turn down an invitation to go to the beach? Not me. I hope you'll take anybody on a free trip to the beach this year. We, Californians in particular and Americans in general, have love affair with our cars and the ocean. With the right price...

Pros: Unlimited camping sites on the beach, sunsets, and the ability to get away from Houston.
Cons: Fisherman every few hundred feet for at least 30 miles, garbage strewn beach

When I planned my trip to Padre Island last September, I was pretty excited about it. Where else can you drive on a beach to whatever point you want, put up a camp, and enjoy the solitude of a private oasis? I love the outdoors. I like hiking, ...

Pros: Uncrowded in winter.  Close to the water.  Quiet.  Wildlife.
Cons: No restrooms on the wild beach.  Traffic. 

BEFORE:  Padre Island National Seashore is the most unusual beach experience you can imagine. While the sand and dunes are lovely as expected, and being able to drive within mere feet of the water is something of a thrill for an inlander, the ...

Pros: Wild, remote, wonderful beach
Cons: Trash that floats in from everywhere else

UPDATE - September 27 2003 - Check out new travelogue at: http://focalplane.com/travel/p adreisland.html We've been going to North Padre for over 10 years and one thing is for sure - the scenery is constantly changing. Every storm modifies th ...

Pros: Quiet, beautiful beaches with some great restaurants
Cons: Beach not so beautiful this year

I have been to South Padre Island, Texas many times over the last fifteen years or so. The island is at the very Southern tip of Texas and is a wonderful place to relax. Until this year one of the main attractions to me was the beautiful beach. Note I...

Pros: Spring Break 2001!
Cons: Spring Break 2001!

South Padre Island and it's neighboring city of Port Isabel (named after the Spanish Queen Isabella) are full of a unique charm that won't be found in other beachfronts. As you approach the island of South Padre, you will cross the biggest bridge in...

Pros: Solitude, varied wildlife, no condos
Cons: Long walk to avoid crowds

I visited the North end of PINS 14 times in 2002. A native Floridian, I have come to love the beauty and natural wonders of this Texas national seashore. Much different from the South end (can you say SPRING BREAK PARTY), the North end has miles of...

Pros: Beautiful beaches, clean facilities, isolated
Cons: isolated, need four-wheel drive vehicle

The Padre Island National Park is absolutely gorgeous. It consists mainly of miles and miles of beaches and sand dunes. The beaches are not pure white sand with palm trees and crystal clear water, instead they have a whole different feel. The beaches...

Pros: Waterfowl, solitude, wildness
Cons: Trash left by uncaring people

Padre Island National Seashore is a place to be treasured. Walking the beaches after a tide change is shelling at its best, and the waterfowl are abundant. Be sure to take along a favorite guide to the birds, if you aren't an avid birder, because...

Pros: cheap fun, nature at its best
Cons: storms may spoil some activities

My wife and I spent a long weekend at Padre Island. We rented a spa suite in the near by town and then spent the weekend relaxing and enjoying nature. One of our most popular spots was the national seashore.

First, let me say you can not...

Pros: a very nice place to visit
Cons: is hot in the summer

Life is just too short to spend it in one place, at South Padre Island you can enjoy many different activities, including diving, snorkeling, deep sea fishing, or just laying around the beach.

What I like most about it is, that you can always...

Pros: reasonably clean, many activities
Cons: it's a tourist town with tourist prices

Like most lives lived, this beach is not always perfect, but it is a lot of fun. South Padre's beach is sometimes soiled by tar, sometimes other debris, but great effort is expended to keep this beach clean.

I make a trip down to South Padre...

Pros: Great family getaway
Cons: Take the sunscreen!

So you enjoy the sound of the waves crashing onto the beach and the the feel of the sand in your toes? Visit South Padre Island!

Some of the fun things to do at South Padre Island are deep sea fishing (take the sunscreen!), surf fishing, jet...