“De Plane, De Plane” Part 3

You know when palm trees meet you in the parking lot, you’re not in Kansas anymore.  The airport at Harlingen is about 30 minutes or so from our destination.  Don’t pass up the lure of the fresh fruit and vegetable stands as you pass through Los Fresnos on the way.  Corn, oranges, and ruby red grapefruits you have to hold with both hands!  They are not to be missed on your way to the island.

The causeway from Port Isabel is a grand entrance to South Padre and the opportunity to have your picture taken in front of the South Padre sign at the foot of the bridge is a wonderful shot to send home.  Having not been back to South Padre since 2006, I quickly started taking notes of favorite old haunts that were still here and the ones that weren’t.  For those of you that have visited South Padre Island, one of my favorites was a local breakfast and lunch hangout called Ro-Van’s.  It’s unique HO style train that ran around the ceiling of the café, made it a fun place to bring the kids for a wonderful breakfast.  Not even the building stands as a monument to a great place, but I have been told by the locals that the new place is the Grapevine Café, for a great morning stop.

With only peanuts on the plane, we could hardly wait to find one of our favorite places and grab a bite mid-afternoon!  Amberjack’s, at the foot of the southside of the causeway, has a beautiful view of the bay and tables right on the water.  One thing on the starter menu, that is a meal in itself, is the “Rasta Shrimp.”  You will not believe your eyes or tastebuds when they bring out a bowl of sauteed shrimp, the size of small tennis balls, and a Caribbean curry sauce on a bed of rice.  They may consider it an appetizer, but you’ll never want to share it!

From our 8^th floor condo, the wave swoosh calls and calls repeatedly.  No full moon appears, but the sound alone will make you feel at home.  I could hardly fall asleep last night… visions of Chi Gong and Tai Chi on the beach.  And yes, as the sun came up, I could hardly wait to get out there.  My sister and I power walked and came back to the front of our condo.  We practiced breathing and “de-stressing” and then I had her following my Tai Chi…  it doesn’t get any better than this!

Some upcoming events…  bay fishing, shopping in Progresso, Mexico and off to the outlet mall!  Stay tuned…