The Southern Apex

South Padre Island, TX checked all the boxes for our beach destination expectations. It was the perfect point to start our journey north and gave us a much welcome taste of summer after wintering over in the van in Colorado.

We camped at Isla Blanca Park, it was very tidy and had easy access to the beach. The beach was beautiful and full of little seashells which we found fascinating. We were too early for the cactus blossoms, late enough to miss the spring break wackiness and just right for warm weather with cool breezes. We were especially thankful for the cool breezes as Our Ramblin Van’s air conditioner decided to quit working just when it got hot enough on the trip to turn it on. Luckily, the unit was still under warranty, and we were able to get a replacement part that fixed it within a few days.

We have some heavy driving days head so took full advantage of the lounge time we had on our southernmost stop. It felt good to open up the doors, put down the screens and nap in the soft sea breeze. It was so enjoyable to stroll on the beach and wade in the warm waters of the Gulf of America. This place was the point when the full realization of our ‘officially retired’ status hit us. It must be said: it feels GOOD.

We’ve enjoyed a few days of driving reprieve at the home of some friends while waiting for our AC part to arrive. While here we were able to take advantage of the time to clean and reset the van, repair a window chip (PRO TIP: Invest in a chip repair kit!) and install some window tinting.

The Texas phase of our journey has been time well spent seeing family and friends, soaking in the seaside and acclimating to life on the road and retirement. We’re glad we’ve had this time and these experiences and now we’re ready to begin the push northward.

Time to ramble on!