A lot of you already knew the destination (so thanks for just sending emails with your confirmation!) The closest guess was Sinai. Yes, we are heading to South Padre, TX, rated one of the Top Ten Beaches in the United States.
I'm a homeschooler, you know, and we never just take the easy route. I can't just tell the kids, "hey we're heading out on a road trip, to Texas and we'll see the beach." No way; I had the kids look up "verifiable, unusual facts" about our destination. Might as well learn as much as we can beforehand, to make the experience really stick. If they read enough about the history of the area, it'll be more interesting to see the "real place."
3. Pirates!! South Padre was apparently a popular location for pirates, and numerous treasures have been found buried on the island. They still offer Treasure Hunts, for eager tourists. 
4. The lower Laguna Madre Bay is a hyper-saline estuary bay system, one of only a few in the world. Because of the extra salt, jellyfish and Portuguese Man O War are much more common. Did you know that salt water & vinegar are the best treatments for a sting? I never would've guessed. 
5. Padre Island is the longest barrier island in the United States, and is home to 11 endangered species.
I'm a homeschooler, you know, and we never just take the easy route. I can't just tell the kids, "hey we're heading out on a road trip, to Texas and we'll see the beach." No way; I had the kids look up "verifiable, unusual facts" about our destination. Might as well learn as much as we can beforehand, to make the experience really stick. If they read enough about the history of the area, it'll be more interesting to see the "real place."
Soooo, these are the things they came up with:
1. We'll be crossing over on Queen Isabella Causeway, which is the longest bridge in Texas, and the only road connecting South Padre to the mainland.
We'll also visit Port Isabel. Unusual for us, because The Artist is an Isabelle. We've never visited a place that carries her name (different spelling, but close enough!)
2. Every Friday night, there is a fireworks display over the ocean. Really, how many places do this? It's obviously a year-round tourist location.
3. Pirates!! South Padre was apparently a popular location for pirates, and numerous treasures have been found buried on the island. They still offer Treasure Hunts, for eager tourists. 4. The lower Laguna Madre Bay is a hyper-saline estuary bay system, one of only a few in the world. Because of the extra salt, jellyfish and Portuguese Man O War are much more common. Did you know that salt water & vinegar are the best treatments for a sting? I never would've guessed. 5. Padre Island is the longest barrier island in the United States, and is home to 11 endangered species. 
Fun stuff! We're busy planning and packing!
I love how you get all the history and info. about places. Whenever we go places, Luke loves to stop at EVERY historical marker/sight that he sees to find out about this place.
ReplyDeleteHope you have the MOST wonderful time, Sweets!
ReplyDeleteI played around with my blog a bit. Will you tell me if the writing is still messed up? Thanks!:) Lori
I love the ocean. Have fun!
ReplyDeleteIf you are taking Oklahoma 69/75 South past McAlister stop in at the Confederate War Museum in Atoka, OK. It is north of Atoka and a gem. It is free and small. They have a large yard and confederate graveyard in the back. We used to live in Dallas and often stopped there to stretch. They also have a Reba McIntire section.
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