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South Padre Island

RollLeft

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Bump. It’s pretty perfect here right now.  Extremely quiet, gorgeous weather, just about everything is open. The water is a bit too cold to enjoy for too long, but plenty of other activities are available. Go check the picture thread, I did about three hours on the paddle board this morning before the wind picked up on the bay side and for about 15 minutes a group of three dolphins visited.

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Restinmybones

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My wife and I are considering going down to South Padre in late April or early May, before schools close. We're old farts {63 and 57} and can travel any time the urge hits us. We plan on driving down there from Dallas but we won't have to make that drive in one day, as we plan to visit my mom in Lavaca County on the way down. We plan to stay for 5 or 6 days and do a little fishing, shopping, swimming, and whatever strikes us. The information on fishing charters in this thread will be useful.  We like to cook a bit and would like a place with a decent kitchen. Any recommendations for good condo/vacation house rental sites or properties? Thanks.

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Rip76

Rip76 4987

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On 1/7/2021 at 12:06 PM, Restinmybones said:

My wife and I are considering going down to South Padre in late April or early May, before schools close. We're old farts {63 and 57} and can travel any time the urge hits us. We plan on driving down there from Dallas but we won't have to make that drive in one day, as we plan to visit my mom in Lavaca County on the way down. We plan to stay for 5 or 6 days and do a little fishing, shopping, swimming, and whatever strikes us. The information on fishing charters in this thread will be useful.  We like to cook a bit and would like a place with a decent kitchen. Any recommendations for good condo/vacation house rental sites or properties? Thanks.

This is my cousin’s Facebook page for his guide service.

https://m.facebook.com/captfridy/
 

 

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mchookem

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we are headed down in May...we used to go every August when we were dating, would fly into Harlingen and rent a car, stay at what was then the Sheraton with the great swim-up bar...

been going to Port A regularly for a while now, but since we're doing exclusively road trips bc of covid decided we'd give SPI a visit, first time in 20+ years!

i know everything is going to be completely different. we got an Airbnb with a pool and beach access so that's cool. 

do need some recs/info...

is the section where you can drive on pretty easily accessible? in Port A we love going down in the evenings and building a fire - can you do that in SPI or do you really need to have a 4x4?

recs for seafood specifically? back when we used to go Blackbeard's was the place to go lol... i'm sure that's changed! 😄

i can't remember the name...breakfast place that had a train running around a ledge below the ceiling? we used to love that, great pancakes - still there/good?

anything in particular that's a 'don't miss' nowadays?

thanks!

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mycox

mycox 582

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Pay the fee and enter at beach entrance #5. It's an easy entrance with any car and you can drive north a couple of miles. The sand is not cleared at access #6 and it's very likely you could get stuck in the sand without a 4x4.

There are some good recommendations for seafood in the thread.

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14 hours ago, mchookem said:

we are headed down in May...we used to go every August when we were dating, would fly into Harlingen and rent a car, stay at what was then the Sheraton with the great swim-up bar...

been going to Port A regularly for a while now, but since we're doing exclusively road trips bc of covid decided we'd give SPI a visit, first time in 20+ years!

i know everything is going to be completely different. we got an Airbnb with a pool and beach access so that's cool. 

do need some recs/info...

is the section where you can drive on pretty easily accessible? in Port A we love going down in the evenings and building a fire - can you do that in SPI or do you really need to have a 4x4?

recs for seafood specifically? back when we used to go Blackbeard's was the place to go lol... i'm sure that's changed! 😄

i can't remember the name...breakfast place that had a train running around a ledge below the ceiling? we used to love that, great pancakes - still there/good?

anything in particular that's a 'don't miss' nowadays?

thanks!

Lol, sounds like Rodans.  That place is long gone. Best pancakes and breakfast on the island is at Yummies.  Grapevine Cafe is also very good.  Lots of great seafood, Joe’s Oyster Bar across the bridge in PI is awesome for the fried shrimp/oyster/ceviche traditional spread.  A new place in PI, Causeway Cafe right off the bridge has great shrimp tacos and other seafood with craft beer and prices lower than the island. Blackbeard’s is still awesome. Ceviche Ceviche gives you a TON of food for the money.

No driving or open fires on the beach within city limits. Access 5 is where you would want to enter. 

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Dirty Al’s is awesome.  It and Joes Oyster Bar in PI are my favorites for the fried seafood spread.  If available, get snapper throats. Across the bridge, Pelican Station is the same recipes and owner as Dirty Al’s with an expanded menu, less causal atmosphere and usually less wait. They contract with their own boats and you will not get farmed shrimp. 
 

I was at Dirty Al’s in January for .75 cent oyster night. One of the shoe polished .”75” in the window had been smudged to look a bit like “.15” if you squinted right. Some old Yankee was yelling at the waitress about false advertisement when he got his tab, she told him he would be a true dumbass to eat a fifteen cent oyster. What a dick that dude was./csb 

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mchookem

mchookem 16554

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headed down next week! and of course it's probably going to rain, or be flooded b/c of the rain already...but we'll be there 8 days so hopefully get some good weather! 

have a long list of places to eat thanks to this thread...we would normally eat in a lot, but now that we're vaxed and everything is open...it's on 😎

 

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Llewelyn Moss

Llewelyn Moss 212

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30 minutes ago, Rip76 said:

Welp Manuel’s is closed for good. 🙁

But Isabel’s is just as good.

Noooooooooooooooo

 

I won’t quibble, as Isabel’s has its merits. But I preferred Manuel’s. That is super sad to hear. The guys who ran it were always super nice and friendly. Disappointed for them. 

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mchookem

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scores so far...

Dirty Al's - 2 👎 not terrible, but very mediocre. maybe a bad night? would not return. 

WannaWanna - 2 👍 and 🤘 bartender had Longhorn tattooed on inner wrist 😁 i'm getting one of those! lol

Arturo's (Progresso) - 2👍on a hot humid day...GREAT rest stop! margs are lit!

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mchookem

mchookem 16554

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we went to the one in Port Isabel bc we were over there...wrong one? had a funny tasting house marg to start, i finally concluded it had grapefruit in it. fried shrimp (good) and fish (rubbery), and blackened redfish which was quite meh, bland mashed potatoes and frozen broccoli lol

but! Laguna BOB made it better! lol 😎 good drinks, shrimp and fries were excellent..but the big surprise was the fantastic ceviche! highly recommend

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On 5/27/2021 at 3:20 AM, mchookem said:

we went to the one in Port Isabel bc we were over there...wrong one? had a funny tasting house marg to start, i finally concluded it had grapefruit in it. fried shrimp (good) and fish (rubbery), and blackened redfish which was quite meh, bland mashed potatoes and frozen broccoli lol

but! Laguna BOB made it better! lol 😎 good drinks, shrimp and fries were excellent..but the big surprise was the fantastic ceviche! highly recommend

Pelican Station in PI, I am guessing? Is makes more sense to me. I do think that his restaurant group is not as good at upscale dishes, it is better to stick to their fried seafood baskets which are always fire. 

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abuelo gringo

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On 5/25/2021 at 10:14 PM, mchookem said:

scores so far...

Dirty Al's - 2 👎 not terrible, but very mediocre. maybe a bad night? would not return. 

WannaWanna - 2 👍 and 🤘 bartender had Longhorn tattooed on inner wrist 😁 i'm getting one of those! lol

Arturo's (Progresso) - 2👍on a hot humid day...GREAT rest stop! margs are lit!

Wife and I always loved Arturo's.  Haven't been south for ages.  Between Covid and the threat of cartel violence, it will probably be much longer.

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mchookem

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the number of old, white, retired people getting their teeth worked on, their nails done, and buying their viagra makes Progresso pretty safe i think lol 🙂 

we hadn't been to SPI in 17 years or so...i had forgotten how different it was than Port A (where we've been going 2-4 times per year since).

the beach was SO much nicer! i don't know how but there was hardly any trash, even on the drive-on section. i guess the way the currents run in the gulf, not as much random debris gets deposited down there. very nice.

also...much more diverse, obviously many Mexicans vacationing but also lots of Indians, Asians, black families...

i'll admit, it was a nice change from the giant trucks with gadsden and confederate flags and blaring bro-country 🙄

it actually felt like a resort/vacation destination. really nice. and perfect weather all week! 🌞

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21 minutes ago, mchookem said:

the number of old, white, retired people getting their teeth worked on, their nails done, and buying their viagra makes Progresso pretty safe i think lol 🙂 

we hadn't been to SPI in 17 years or so...i had forgotten how different it was than Port A (where we've been going 2-4 times per year since).

the beach was SO much nicer! i don't know how but there was hardly any trash, even on the drive-on section. i guess the way the currents run in the gulf, not as much random debris gets deposited down there. very nice.

also...much more diverse, obviously many Mexicans vacationing but also lots of Indians, Asians, black families...

i'll admit, it was a nice change from the giant trucks with gadsden and confederate flags and blaring bro-country 🙄

it actually felt like a resort/vacation destination. really nice. and perfect weather all week! 🌞

SPI really is the nicest beach in Texas, and especially within city limits they take care of it. And yeah, it is a real resort destination now.

Progreso has always been the safe option but when cartel violence was at its peak, even there people were getting frog marched to ATMs to empty accounts at gunpoint. But Arturo’s is and always has been awesome. 

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bmbmd

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I’ll be there the second week of July.  We’ve stayed at Isla Grand for a meeting several times over the last decade.  It’s a typical beach resort with sketchy internet and subpar water pressure.  We are staying in a recently renovated king so maybe it will be a little better.   We’ll hit Pier 19, Blackbeard’s, Dirty Al’s, and Ceviche Ceviche.  Fly fishing the flats with Captain Tim one day.  Lots of painkillers. 

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Helobious

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Went there this past memorial day. Roughly 25% of the population of Texas and 10% of the nation of Mexico was out there. Never seen traffic that bad. Still had a good time. It’s cool seeing the SpaceX stuff off in the distance as you cross the bridge too.

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Nueces River Rat

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On 5/30/2021 at 11:01 AM, abuelo gringo said:

Wife and I always loved Arturo's.  Haven't been south for ages.  Between Covid and the threat of cartel violence, it will probably be much longer.

Nuevo Progresso is 'safe".... At least in the few blocks all the pharmacies', dentists and other landmark restaurants and stores are located which is the first eight blocks from the bridge.  The last thing the cartels want is a bunch of Americans getting caught in a cross fire, especially elderly who are going across to get medical care or their meds.   But this is the only border town I'd go down there and probably the entire Texas/Mexico border.  

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Nueces River Rat

Nueces River Rat 5606

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On 5/30/2021 at 12:13 PM, mchookem said:

the number of old, white, retired people getting their teeth worked on, their nails done, and buying their viagra makes Progresso pretty safe i think lol 🙂 

we hadn't been to SPI in 17 years or so...i had forgotten how different it was than Port A (where we've been going 2-4 times per year since).

the beach was SO much nicer! i don't know how but there was hardly any trash, even on the drive-on section. i guess the way the currents run in the gulf, not as much random debris gets deposited down there. very nice.

also...much more diverse, obviously many Mexicans vacationing but also lots of Indians, Asians, black families...

i'll admit, it was a nice change from the giant trucks with gadsden and confederate flags and blaring bro-country 🙄

it actually felt like a resort/vacation destination. really nice. and perfect weather all week! 🌞

i much prefer to go to SPI and I say this with Port A and North Padre being a short distance for me exactly for the reason you said about the beak being nicer.  Somewhere down the PINS, the water quality and appearance changes.   Yea, we get a lot of crap from the Mississippi River that comes up on our  beaches up here.   Especially after a major flood event.   After Katrina, we had all sorts of stuff from New Orleans wash up on the beaches.  

I don't have an issue with vehicles on the beaches, but I also do like the fact SPI has a large section that is restricted in front of the condos and hotels that are kind of bunched up together.  It made a visit to the beach more enjoyable when our kids were much younger not having to worry about them getting hit by a car,

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RollLeft

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On 6/28/2021 at 11:04 AM, Nueces River Rat said:

Nuevo Progresso is 'safe"....   But this is the only border town I'd go down there and probably the entire Texas/Mexico border.  

I here to cross the "safest", if headed to the interior, is the Anzalduas bridge.  

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Nueces River Rat

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3 minutes ago, RollLeft said:

I here to cross the "safest", if headed to the interior, is the Anzalduas bridge.  

You do avoid most of Reynosa and Rio Bravo where a bunch of the latest violence is taking place.  Looking at Google Maps, the road from that bridge ties into a bypass around Reynosa to another road that goes North to South toward San Fernando and then toward Ciduad Victoria .   Hwy Two which hugs the border is a no go for sure and the highway between Reynosa and Monterrey is risky.   Bottom line if you want to go to Monterrey, it's much safer to fly.   I think you can fly out of McAllen now at fairly reasonable fare on a Mexican airline.

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