My Day Off

I was driving through Port Isabel, TX on my day off and noticed people in the lighthouse tower. We pulled over to get a picture and I noticed Port Isabel’s got it going on.

Visitors are greeted with well wishes.

The lighthouse district was full of cars.

and people were visiting the shops.

Winter Texans are already down enjoying the 80 degree weather.

A large crowd had gathered and I wanted to see why.

The crowd was enthralled by this pirate’s incredible feats with fire.

This guy was making big fireballs and swallowing fire then lighting torches with the flames in his mouth.

This enthralling pirate had everyone entertained

and amazed.

I did not get pictures of the big flames because of … a technical error, yeah, that’s it.

Everyone’s attention was then called to the cannon.

 

The lady pirate hid from the inevitable, “BOOM!”

It was an Earth-shattering KA-BOOM!

So this is what Port Isabel is doing while I am working, you need to be down here in the great weather having fun with everyone else. For more on the winter fun click here.

Sunny today, high 70’s

 

 Do you want to go to the beach?

 

 or would you like some hot coffee?

We got snowmen salt-and-pepper shakers to match the new blue tablecloth then we found this adorable snowman cup.

He is replacing the recently departed “Pengui” cup that has gone on to the great iceberg in the sky.

It is a weird time here in South Texas where your house is decorated for Christmas with the lights and tree and everything yet we have this outside:

It snowed in Houston and New Orleans yesterday yet we have this down here in Texas.  What a weird world. It should be back up in the high 70’s today here.  Can anybody tell me why everyone isn’t down here enjoying life?

Top 100 Things to do in the South Padre Island Area of South Texas

100. Visit the Sabal Palm Audubon Center and Sanctuary

Long paths lead deep into the forest

Editor’s note: This is the first installment in a series designed to expose rare gems of the area so that the discriminating guest can get the complete experience of this tropical paradise. We begin our journey at the Sabal Palm Grove in nearby Brownsville, TX.

VERY FEW PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THIS GEM ONLY A HALF-HOUR’S DRIVE AWAY

The Sabal Palm Audubon Center and Sanctuary is one of the most hidden gems in Brownsville, Texas, a city approx. 25 miles from South Padre Island. Here, long winding paths lead down into the cool depths of age-old forests of yesteryear that take you back in time before any of this area was populated by man. This is such a pristine area that no visit to South Texas is complete without coming here. Birding and nature lovers can spend all day catching rare peeks at species they will find nowhere else in the United States but in this tropical paradise.

Your trip here is bound to be educational.

 This haven is nestled in a bend of the Rio Grande River along the US/Mexico border. Sabal Palms once grew profusely along the edge of the Rio Grande for about 80 miles upstream but today, only a small portion of that forest remains, protected by 557 acres of this Audubon Sanctuary. You can take a self-guided tour along the nature trails or take a guided tour with one of the helpful and knowledgeable staff.

Taking a tour at your own pace is a nice option.

At the wildlife viewing areas, you may catch a glimpse of migrating warblers, green jays, olive sparrows, long-billed thrashers and buff-bellied hummingbirds.

You can watch for bobcats, armadillos,

jaguarundis, or an ocelot as you quietly explore the wilderness.

There are many places to sit, rest and wait for a rare glimpse of wildlife in its natural environment.

 

No matter which way you choose each step you take leads you on an incredible journey.You can even learn interesting facts about indigenous trees that you never thought would be interesting but are.

The long bridges can be used to view all kinds of wildlife in the water or in the air.

http://www.tx.audubon.org/Sabal_Education.html

Directions from South Padre Island/Port Isabel

Take Hwy 48 towards Brownsville.

Where Hwy 48 intersects with Southmost, take a left onto Southmost Road (FM 1419).

Keep going for 6 miles until you see the entry signs on the right.