AArisings: Beach Trip



	Beach Trip By Kevin Wing Host/Executive Producer, Catch a Wave (Editor's Note: This regular column about America's best beaches and beach communities is written exclusively for AArisings by Kevin Wing, a two-time Emmy Award-winning San Francisco Bay Area-based television and travel journalist who hosts and executive-produces Catch a Wave, a new travel podcast. Kevin is also a network field producer for ABC News assigned to cover the Bay Area and Northern California. Previously, he has worked at KTVU, KGO-TV, KRON and KNTV. Additionally, he is a voiceover artist and writes another AArisings column, Suite Surrender, which showcases America's best hotel and resort destinations. Kevin is also a travel columnist for ALIVE Magazine in the Bay Area.) *This Month's Beach Trip: South Padre Island, Texas* 34 miles of white sand. Make that 34 miles of glorious, pristine powder. Now that's something your toes will love. Sounds pretty nice, doesn't it? You bet it does. I'm talking about South Padre Island in Texas. It's the Lone Star State's answer to beach paradise. South Padre Island is a modern beach resort with miles of pristine sandy terrain along a stretch of island that's bordered by the Gulf of Mexico on one side and by Laguna Madre Bay on the other. South Padre Island is the perfect locale for all types of leisure activities, from sailing and fishing to dolphin watching, windsurfing and horseback riding. Oh yes, and golf, too. Sorry, I had to throw that in. The island's white, sandy beaches are famous throughout the United States and, together, are ranked as one of the nation's top 10 beaches. Of course, the sand is nice, but so is the water. The Gulf of Mexico's water, with its emerald glow, serves as a picture perfect scenario to watch some beautiful sunsets not seen anywhere else in America. It's not just the beaches and the pristine waters which make South Padre Island one of the state's premiere vacation spots. If you're really into nature, and I'm talking about our feathered friends, this is the place to flock to. It's one of the best places in Texas to observe wildlife. South Padre Island has more than 300 recorded species to date, and the list continues to grow, as do the bird watchers. South Padre Island has a temperate climate year-round. Temperatures here are usually moderate, pleasing for all ages. It doesn't matter what time of year you choose to spend in this part of the country. In the winter, it's the perfect place to find some warmth. In the summer, and, of course, in the spring, too, watch out! South Padre Island is the place to be. One of my best friends is an amateur deep-sea diver. But, Jim might as well be a professional diver. He's been diving for years, and I can't even count how many dives he's made all around the country. I will say that he, like many diver enthusiasts, would love South Padre Island. The deep blue waters of the Texas Riviera -- territory of Spanish galleons and the pirates of the Spanish Main, beckon to any adventurer. The Devils Elbow is one popular area for diving. Located near Port Mansfield, ships of all types have wrecked and sunk along the South Texas coastline throughout the centuries. From Spanish Platora fleet to old gun runners and trawl boats, South Padre Island has an abundance of diving locations, including the vertical reefs of the oil platforms, the many shipwrecks that lay along Devils Elbow and the delicate deepwater reefs. Love dolphins? Who doesn't? Dolphins are such a familiarity in South Padre Island that it is fitting to have a Dolphin Research and Sea Life Nature Center located here. South Padre Island has its own families of bottlenose dolphins which live in the rich waters of Laguna Madre Bay. A lot of the time, some of them can be seen near shore, playing in the waves. There are also special white dolphins which are easily recognized by their unusually shaped dorsal fins. They have lived their entire lives here, raising their young and feeding on the rich food sources that the waters of South Padre Island have to offer. South Padre Island is home to one of the largest year-round sand castles in Texas. The sand castle, interestingly, changes with the four seasons. It is maintained by an organization called the Sons of the Beach Sand Castle Wizards, known worldwide as the premier builders of sand castles. You can check out this sand castle at the South Padre Island Visitors Center, year-round, seven days a week. Undoubtedly, the draw to South Padre Island, and all of the amenities and attractions I've mentioned here, are the sandy white beaches. If you're a beach lover like me, South Padre Island is a dream come true. Once you've visited, you'll keep coming back. How to get there: To access South Padre Island, head east across Laguna Madre Bay via P100, or the Queen Isabella Causeway. Once you're on South Padre Island, turn left onto Padre Boulevard and head for the beaches. You can't miss them. *Next stop on Beach Trip:* Big Sur in central California, one of the most beautiful places in America. To learn more about the Catch a Wave travel podcast and Kevin Wing, send an e-mail to info@kevinscottwing.com or visit www.kevinscottwing.com. Beach Trip Where It's Summertime Year-Round. Copyright 2008 All Rights Reserved Kevin Wing / Toby Dog Productions Issue 15 / July 2008 Archive: March 2008 September 2007 August 2007 May 2007 December 2006 July 2006 May 2006 March 2006 January 2006 October 2005 August 2005 June 2005 April 2005 February 2005 Photo used by permission courtesy of Kevin Wing. Photo copyright by Kevin Wing.