70 miles of beach. 380 bird species (45 percent of all species in North America). Prime nesting area for endangered Kemp’s ridley sea turtles. Home of the Texas Sealife Center, dedicated to the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of coastal wildlife, such as the tortoise below.
Padre Island is van heaven. You are allowed to drive on 60 miles of beach, and camp on the open beach or in designated areas in the dunes. The seashore has no cell service, which only helps to reinforce the feeling of being in another world, truly away from it all.
We were told to avoid Padre Island because of the potential crush of college students on Spring Break. The only college students we encountered were wonderful, interesting, science-loving undergrads there to pick up rubbish on the beach, view wildlife, and observe the “blood moon” eclipse that by chance occurred during our visit.
A present for Betsy to remember Padre Island was a “Gulf of Mexico” tee shirt with a turtle logo and a tag line: Stay Salty and Resist.
Betsy and Eddie's Van Life 