No doubt we’ve been having the time of our lives on this trip, but there are a few little luxuries that we’ve missed. You are probably tired of hearing us complain about the cold nights in the camper, and how we were in a constant state of searching for warmth. Most nights we were able to build a campfire to stay warm beyond the evening hour, but because of burn bans exist in the drier parts of the country, we found ourselves heading to bed at 6 or 7 pm and searching for ways to stay entertained into the night (we ran out of dvd’s). As the night waned on, there was only so much body heat that could compete with the cold metallic frame of the camper.
There does come a point where, enough is enough.
Showering had been sparse on some parts of our trip, but not so bad. In fact, my hair grew longer and healthier because of the lack of washing it! But there does come a point where, enough is enough.
Also, for those of you who haven’t met Kiwi, she’s not so much of a dog. She likes carpeting, sleeping, cuddling, and a little freedom to roam. But she’s not the most savvy outdoorsy kind of dog. A small apartment suits her much more than the confines of a campsite where I’m constantly tethering her to avoid a rattlesnake encounter, or worse. But she sure does love the beach! Still, the bed in our camper is just a wee bit too small for the three of us to have a good and comfortable night’s rest.
Finally, our goal is to be in Minneapolis by Christmas to celebrate with Sam’s family. This is probably the least convenient place to be, but as Sam’s future wife, I am determined to experience one of Aunt Margaret’s Christmas Eve extravaganzas! We worried that if we traveled too far east, we would waste a lot of time back-tracking to get to Minnesota.
Sam had been to Padre Island, TX briefly a few years ago during a college spring break road trip. He also knows that I’m a beach girl at heart, and after having traveled through the dry desert for a few weeks now, we both wanted to see the ocean again. It would be two days of driving to get there, but we figured it would be our best bet for our next stop.
Seminole Canyon seemed like it would be a great place to stay on our way to Padre Island. Our friends had mentioned it was a great hiking spot and it was right where we wanted to be after a full day of driving. As we turned into the state park, our efforts were thwarted by a group of rangers locking up the entrance gate. They let us know that they were closed for their “annual hunt” and would not reopen for another handful of days. Since we’re used to these kinds of setbacks, we carried on our merry way and landed at the Amistad Reservoir near Del Rio.
The following day, we made a beeline for the beach. After another uneventful day of driving, we finally made it to Malaquite Beach on the Padre Island National Seashore. At first glance, I could have sworn we were at the Outer Banks, a place very near and dear to me and my family. The beaches were sprawling with few people within visibility. We felt as though we were in just the right place. Kiwi pranced around the sand as soon as we arrived. She was happy to be there too!
Although the weather was warm, the wind got the best of us camping along the beach. Though our site was only $7 and right on the beach with an amazing view, it was pretty difficult to be outside all day. We decided we should probably find another place to stay, especially if we were planning to be here for a while – one that was indoors and afforded us all the things we had been missing on this long journey of ours.
It’s the little things you miss while on the road!
Our search led us to the Anchor Resort via AirBnB. Here we had a cute little studio-sized condo with indoor pool. But, a vacation from camping isn’t just like any vacation – we were most excited about having a bathroom to shower in, a small kitchen to cook in, and a tv with cable to watch! It’s the little things you miss while on the road!
It is also here that reality is starting to sink in for us. While we’re not trying to let it ruin the rest of our travels, we’re realizing that we’ll need to go home soon… but where? We left our apartment in Brooklyn, so we’ll have to figure out some kind of a living situation. But we also need jobs before we can establish a permanent address somewhere. It’s all starting to feel a bit overwhelming.
We’re realizing that we’ll need to go home soon… but where?
Our days here in Padre Island have been a healthy combination of work and relaxation. Sam and I spend our mornings in the building’s library, updating our resumes and job hunting. We’ll usually get out in the afternoon and go for a drive, run some errands, and do some shopping/sightseeing. At night, we cook dinner and enjoy a movie.
The weather hasn’t exactly been beach-weather this past week. We’ve had windy days, rainy days, and chilly days with a little bit of sun. Still, it beats being in arctic climates! We’ve even had a few chances to throw our lines in the water, but so far we’re 0-3 for catches on this trip.
Some of the more notable places we’ve visited here were the Black Sheep Bistro, where a wonderful bartender named Ben and his wife gave us plenty of recommendations for how to spend the week here. We had incredible tacos at Irie’s in Port Aransas, and burgers at Padre Island Burger Co. We shopped at Roam and Roam Home, trying not to buy everything we saw. There was the incredible BBQ spot down the road from our condo, Texas Mesquite BBQ & Grill, where we noshed on the most amazing brisket. We’re still dreaming about it!
After a week in Padre, we’re ready to get back on the road again. For the last several days, we’ve still been longing for our beloved teardrop camper, which sits parked in a lonely parking lot across the street. We’re also eager to celebrate the holidays with our family and friends. Having broke the news of our engagement has made us a little homesick and wanting to be closer to them. In a few days, we’ll be heading north for the next exciting chapter.
Going Over There 
If you see a N.Y. license plate, Dave and Sharon Kitchie ar near Padre Island somewhere. They sold their house and left for there to enjoy retirement.
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Oh wow! I’ll keep my eyes open for them!
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Can’t wait to hear all about your trip and see all your pictures. Sounds like a great trip to me.
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