Port Aransas, TX March 1 - 7

Our first week in Port Aransas, Port A everyone calls it, on Mustang Island, or could be called North Padre Island, as it is the same beach, just divided by a channel at Corpus Christi. Port A is a lovely little town, 3500 people or so, but a big tourist area at Spring break and the summer. There are many services and facilities unusual for a town this size. We have biked all over to explore the sand flats with boardwalks, called Charlie's Pasture, great place to watch birds and other wildlife, the many jetties all around the town, (as it is surrounded by water on 3 sides) so there is a big fishing community here, everyone fishes; the shops and restaurants, and the beautiful beach.
Gerry has gone golfing several times, it's a 5 km bike ride for him, and a very impressive course on the beach, designed by Arnold Palmer. I've found a yoga class, available 5 days/week and sometimes on the beach, yeh!

A Farley boat, built/designed by the Farley family of Port A,  many yrs ago,  now decorating the streets

Gerry fishing on a jetty

A shrimp boat, yum, yum!

Signed Tarpon fish scales at the historic Tarpon Inn

Franklin Roosevelt's signature when he was here fishing in 1937

An offshore oil platform

We are in a smaller park, 200 sites, but with a great pool and hot tub and a new rec hall. We've been to a potluck dinner at the rec hall, where we met lots of people. There is a group of ladies that quilt every Tuesday at the rec hall, so I have certainly gotten involved there. They usually go out for lunch inbetween quilting and I got a ride the first Tuesday on the main mode of transportation here, golfcarts! On the road, no seatbelts, and no protection  for those of us in the back looking at the cars coming up to us! Well that was an experience, reminded me of riding in the backs of trucks many years ago!

South Padre Island, Feb. 27-29

We left the Rio Grande Valley and headed southeast, through Harlingen, where the Gibson family spent our last Christmas all together, as Rick died weeks later. So many memories flooded back then....Chantel also took her first steps here...31 years ago!

We loaded up with food and headed to South Padre Island, at the "tropical tip of Texas". S P I is a barrier island between the Gulf of Mexico (east) and the Laguna Madre on the west. SPI, the town, has a pop of 2800 residents, and they are outnumbered by 1000 to 1, when the tourists arrive. This is a very popular place for college students during spring break, coming soon!

The town and island have sure changed since 1981, with many large, tacky souvenir/beach markets. But the beach remains the same, hard packed white sand, deep, driveable and endless. There are some condos and hotels along the beach, lots of vacancies at the moment, great destination.
We relaxed here, biked around the town and especially enjoyed some time at the SPI Birding and Nature Center. The building is only 2 yrs old and has a documentary video about the wildlife in the area, a 5 story viewing platform and lengthy boardwalks out into the lagoon area.   www.spibirding.com

a large turtle being rehabed

a baby turtle

an itchy snowy egret !

a type of heron? Someone will correct me...

South Padre Island from the birding centre

We also enjoyed the Sea Turtle Centre, where they rescue injured turtles, rehabilitate them, educate about them and organize volunteers at hatching time (this is on my bucket list!).
Read about the founder, Ila Fox Loetscher, who in her first career was a contemporary and correspondent of Amelia Earhart, as the first licensed woman pilot in Iowa and Illinois.   www.seaturtleinc.org

Llana Grande Park, Mercedes, TX Feb 23-27

We drove for 2 days to reach this park in the Rio Grande Valley, since we had heard alot about the valley, and our fellow Souris-ite's are there, Ian & Diane Farr. We spent 4 days here and they took us everywhere along with them and their busy schedule! Ian plays the guitar and sings and Diane has started singing with him and playing the bodhran. They have been doing benefit concerts here, and we lucked out to be here for one! They used to live in Thompson, Man for many years, where Ian played in a band and wrote some songs about the north, quite funny! They are very entertaining and we hope to get them playing in Souris!

Outside the coffee shop, Savoury Perks

I have 4 videos of the evening, posted to Youtube, best to go to my channel to view them...

http://www.youtube.com/user/sherrida1?feature=mhee

We went out to a great Italian restaurant with them and some friends, some shopping, they took us to a health food store, and we went to the 9th Annual "Smokin on the Rio" Texas State championship BBQ Cook-Off. That was an experience, with many custom made barbecues and smokers, free samples of the chicken, ribs, and a local cut of beef called "fajitas", from the neck of the animal. There is also a contest for the best custom designed barbecue. So it was a busy few days, but gave us an idea of activities in this park and in Texas.

dancing at the BBQ

a custom made travel kitchen, the sides fold down, the steps fold up, a smoker and bbq at the back, cupboards, cooler...pretty much party central, Texas style!

Mardi Gras Videos

New Orleans

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJ0Ry_QUx2A&feature=youtu.be

Eunice, Louisiana

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3-z1py0TJs&feature=channel

Courir de Mardi Gras, Eunice, LO Feb 21

We went from New Orleans, to Eunice, a small town in the Cajun area of Louisiana, that we had visited 3 yrs ago when we were here. In Eunice, for Mardi Gras, they have their own unique celebration. Early in the morning, participants in the Courir de Mardi Gras (Fat Tuesday run), ride their horses out into the country and gather the ingredients for a gumbo, which gets made later in the day. They have to capture a live chicken, while running through the muddy fields (where rice, crawfish, or both are growing), as one of the ingredients. Then they parade from the edge of town through a parade route, to the community centre to make their gumbo. They throw out beads during the parade also, and they are dressed in costumes, which are layers of strips of cloth, originally meant to mock the rich. All the while, they are drinking beer and when they arrive at the parade route, some are quite incapable of ....well, much of anything! 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Courir_de_Mardi_Gras

dancing to the cajun zydeco music, they do a great cajun 2 step!

We spoke to the police chief, he stopped and asked where we were from, he said the parade and antics here are like none other. They tolerate the drinking, as long as there are no displays of nudity, or disorderly behavior and no cruelty to the horses or animals. But they generally have a half dozen arrests each year. They allow this behavior until midnight, when lent starts, then all is shut down, same in New Orleans.

Gerry got his fix of crawfish at the outdoor festival

a couple dressed in costume but not in the parade, they gave us the necklace she has on!

parade

parade

one of the chickens

another chicken and a great costume, faces covered to protect identity...

More Mardi Gras

there were lots of baton twirlers and marching bands!

these were some of the BIG beads being thrown!

I have so many pictures, I thought I'd put some more on here.

Look at these two, note she has her arms up at her hips, modelling already!!

a group, dressed? as nuns...

On the way to, and Mardi Gras, Feb 16-19

Spent a night in Mobile, AL, at a city RV park that has a sister park in Edmundston, NB! Then on to Biloxi, MS, where we had lots of time to walk on the endless white beach, then go to one of the many casinos, where we had fun and ahem... we won't talk about the rest.

So, Mardi Gras. We learnt a lot about the history of this fun, community, family celebration, by searching online and talking to people. There are many "Krewe's", (private, social clubs, that sponsor parades & balls), each group has their own parade, different time, route and theme. Sat. when we arrived at Pontchartrain Landing RV, where we stayed 3 years ago, it was raining and it got worse with downpours and high winds. The RV park has a shuttle to the French Quarter, but many parades were canceled, so we hunkered down and stayed in to keep an eye on our RV, and enjoy the entertainment at the bar in the park. We also watched the parade and ball highlights on TV. The balls are very formal and are often to present the societies' members' daughters as debutantes to their community. really! I had no idea this still happened!

the first float of the day, see the people reaching and yelling for beads...

close-up of float, everyone throwing beads

 

Gerry with his booty

one of the characters...

the gang from St. Louis

Today, Sunday, we caught the first shuttle at 10:00 and watched 5 parades on Canal St. It's a lot of fun, with everyone visiting with their neighbors and yelling at each float, to throw their necklaces and other goodies out to the crowd. People bring bags to collect the beads in, and some have ladders to sit on. We met some great folk from NO and a group from St. Louis. It was a great experience, highly recommended! We did not stick around to see all the drunks and partying on Bourbon St., we saw a variety of characters in the daylight...