Padre Island, Texas

We entered Padre Island National Seashore 9 August 2011.  Dad discovered his golden age passport entitled him to free Park entrance.   Imagine that, we are now camping on the sandy beach in our van.

Dad Enjoying Padre Island

Those with 4 wheel drive have 60 miles of empty beach to choose from.  Since we are conserving gas, food, etc. (saving up for the expense involved in crossing into Mexico ... car insurance, etc.) we are staying next to mile marker zero which is just as  good ... there's hardly anybody here but us, the seagulls and the occasional vehicle that drives in or out. 
We are planning on staying here for two months to save money and enjoy the beach ... why not?  We are allowed to stay 14 consecutive days in the Park.  Then we must leave for 48 hours before we can return for another 14 days.  We are allotted a total of 56 days in any given year.
There's no fresh water here so we've learned to wash dishes and ourselves using ocean water.  They're not the greatest but there are pit toilets nearby.  We have discovered that if we hike a mile north we can get fresh water showers and fill our water jugs at the visitor's center.  Today, we are doing laundry at the airconditioned North Padre Island Wash and then using the Public Library (Janet F. Harte Library) in Flour Bluff near Corpus Christi, Tx.

Staying At Zero Mile Marker

Dana Got Up To See The Sunrise

Dad Enjoying Watermelon

Sunrise Day 2 At Padre Island