Monday, February 15, 2021

The last few days on South Padre have been windy and definitely cooler. We’ve given up walking on the beach because it’s hard to stand up. When we do go outside, we’re actually grateful for our COVID masks because they keep us a little warmer. No outdoor lunches because we’re afraid our food will blow away.

This morning was the worst, though. The temperature outside was 24 degrees, with 40 mile winds. I think I saw whitecaps on the swimming pool.

The temperature inside our condo was 66 degrees, and there was no power anywhere on the island. We had no cell reception either. We quickly packed up, and headed to Brownsville, where we plan to spend the night, waiting out the storm. Fortunately, our hotel has electric vehicle charging since the Tesla Supercharger was without power on the island. We were able to check in this morning. Hotel loyalty programs can offer some nice benefits in times like this.

I am ready to go home. It’s cold there too, but we have a generator and we have a fireplace, so we’ll at least be cozy. South Padre was a good destination, and we’ll probably stay there again, since we do have a granddaughter living in Brownsville. The beaches are beautiful and very walkable, the grocery store was about 1.5 miles away, and there are several waterfront restaurants within walking distance. We even enjoyed a movie at the local theater, social distancing and masks in place, of course. Island Metro is a free shuttle service, with three routes, that can take you around the island, and even across the causeway to Port Isabel. If you’re a SpaceX fan, you might get to view a launch from nearby Isla Blanca park.