For the over 10 years that Orlando and I have been married, we have traveled all over, but not normally on trips reserved for just the two of us. We usually have kiddos, family, or an entire basketball team in tow when we head to some new destination. This past weekend, however, we packed a light weekend bag for a fishing excursion to South Padre Island, just a quick 5-hour drive away from San Antonio.

South Padre Island

When we arrived to our hotel on the Island, we were immediately greeted with a gorgeous view of the sea and luxurious amenities on the deck below. I hadn’t even kept up with SpaceX’s presence in South Padre enough to know that they actually had a rocket launch scheduled for the following day, which if it hadn’t been poor weather would have taken off within view of our balcony!

After drinks and dinner, we headed for an early bedtime to prepare for National Cook Your Catch Day that Saturday. Our Captain for the day was Eddie Curry, an experienced and humorous guide who graciously tolerated my complete lack of chill on the water. Everyone in our party reeled in a fish of their own, big enough to keep for dinner and take to The Painted Marlin for preparing! Our catches were served up blackened with a side of incomparable Mojo Butter that was just the right amount of smoky and savory.

Prior to cooking our catch, however, we spent some time at Sea Turtle, Inc., a non-profit organization rescuing sea turtles in the area and rehabilitating them to be released back in the wild. With a 90% success rate, they are a leader in wildlife conservation, and we loved the family-friendly exhibits. Lunch was served at local hot spot Ceviche Ceviche, and I can’t recommend their Classic ceviche (add mango!) enough. Just the light, fresh meal we needed before indulging that evening.

Prior to this trip it had been years since we visited South Padre Island, and I was pleasantly surprised to find (particularly during this time of year) that the atmosphere was family-friendly and lively. COVID precautions were implemented seriously everywhere we went, and we of course did our part to keep everyone around us safe and healthy as well.

Have you considered traveling with Texas soon? Is the Texas coast on your list? Share your favorite South Padre recommendations in the comments below!

XO,

A

P.S. We were guests of the South Padre Convention and Visitors Bureau for the weekend. Don’t worry though, all opinions are my own!