Los Fresnos

Tom and Aggie(our friends and hosts)

Friday party with the neighbors

can you speak Mexican?  LOCO MUCHO

Loader clearing sand from road in So Padre Isl

20 miles and then this  Road just ends(expected)

shrimp boats

So Padre Island downtown 

Hi all,

 I must apologise for not keeping the blog updated, we were having so much fun and doing all kinds of things that by the end of the day we just quit. This may be misorganized but I write as I think. We made it to Los Fresnos, that is just inland from South Padre Island, and where our friends Tom and Aggie live. We are now in Hondo, Texas at a small quiet country Rv park that is really nice. When we woke up this morning ,for the first time, we both agreed that we will stay another day and get caught up with plans, blog and maybe even  get the banjo out for another test drive. So on to telling our story.

We were about 150 miles from our friends Tom and Aggie King and couldn’t not stop to see them so we drove  down from Corpus Christi  .   I had also had been hearing about So Padre Island(SPI) for a long time and wanted to check it out too.  SPI  is very close to them and Tom drove us to the island for a nice tour. I had expected a remote island with a national seashore that you can drive onto the beaches and park you camper right by the water, but what we saw once we crossed the bridge was very tall buildings and lots of motels, retail, restaurants, rv parks and a big looking city. We drove around and saw that and then drove a few miles and came to the beach access where we went onto the beach and there is nothing but dunes, sand, beach, and the Gulf of Mexico. There were a few campers parked here and there within feet of the water. Quite amazing that it’s free and anyone can park and live right on the beach. We continued up the road and after miles there was a large frontend loader clearing sand from the road, where it had been blown in by the wind. Further up the road, it just stops with a huge sign that says “road ends”. From that point it is a national park and no cars.  We had lunch at a authentic Mexican place and we were happy with the food and Marguritas!!

Aggie and I talked about computers and laptops and she decided that since her computer was in need of repairs that she would like to get a laptop so we shopped around and found a great deal  that she purchased and I tried to help get it up and running. I do hope that it stayed  that way , up and running and not to confusing.  Hang in there Aggie!!! Jeff S. wish you had been there to help and do it Right!!

We went to a coffee and donuts at the town hall where they live and met some of the neighbors and Linda won a door prize. On Friday Tom and Aggie’s neighbors  have a cookout and party so on Friday we went with them.  It was a ball!  Everyone brings something  to contribute and the food was amazing. The  beans(all kinds) , cabbage and kilbasi, and cakes were great and the neighbor grilled a mexican meat that is all spiced up and sliced really thin.  (It was a real Mexican party as the neighbors whose house we were at are Mexican).  I have to get the actual name and try it at home. Great food and friends. We played bean bag toss with folks from all over and it was neat to hear them go from english to spanish without even slowing down.  Lots of fun and laughter.  I tried the mexican hot sauce and as a “gringo” I survived. 

Saturday morning we packed up and headed northwest.  Along the route, about 50 miles from the mexican border there is a checkpont that everyone has to stop at. They have dogs that sniff around and guards that ask questions. We had never crossed the border so we were’nt to worried, but it’s still something different.  They asked if we were American citisins (I just love my husband’s spelling!)  and let

us right thru.  Driving thru Texas at this time of year it’s a lot of dry brush and flat barren fields, but the buds are starting to come out and the grass is starting to get green.

Linda now.  Russ is ready to post and right now I have nothing to add.  We are enjoying ourselves, and realize that we have been gone for a month tomorrow.  That’s along time to be away.  Met a woman yesterday, here in Hondo, who told us that she and her husband sold their home and this is what they do all the time now.  Just don’t think that I am ever going to want to do that.  We know where our home is and love it very much.  We thank  those who are taking care of it-we owe you a lot. 

Now, I think I’ll go sit in the sun!

Love to all-linda & russ