I’ve wanted to go visit the Gulf Coast in Texas ever since I started going to Austin periodically for work. But when I looked at the distance, it seemed too much driving for a day trip. Fortunately, my brain realized that no drive was too long to be able to stick ones feet in a new body of water.
I drove to the end of I-37 and drove along the water until I found a likely beach for stopping. It was in the mid-80s so I knew I’d be getting in the water. I waded in and jumped around in the waves, dunked myself in the waves, and then came out of the water to sit on the beach a while. The sand was like cinnamon sugar both in texture and coloration. Before and after dunking pictures:
Some differences between going to the Washington Coast vs going to the Gulf Coast:
Washington Coast
- The closer you get to the water, the lower the outside temperature gets.
- Before you get to the beach you must pass through a depressing logging industry area.
- Wading into the water and jumping in the waves on November 3rd is a good way to be on the path to hypothermia (if you don’t get carried out to sea).
- At sunset, you face the water to see it.
- When you leave, you see signs along the road indicating it is a Tsunami Evacuation Route.
- At the rest area on the way back there are nice volunteers sitting there.
- You have to drive through the unpleasant smells of Tacoma and Kent.
Gulf Coast
- The closer you get to the water, the higher the outside temperature gets.
- Before you get to the beach you must pass through a depressing oil refinery industry area.
- Wading into the water and jumping in the waves on November 3rd is extremely pleasant.
- At sunset, you face away from the water to see it.
- When you leave, you see signs along the road indicating it is a Hurricane Evacuation Route (no cute graphic though).
- At the rest area on the way back there are 1-2 inch long cockroaches sitting on the floor.
- You have to drive through the unpleasant smells of skunk.
Other Observations and Absurdities
- A billboard for vasectomy reversals?
- Getting out of dripping wet shorts and putting on a pair of dry pants in the backseat of a Chevy Cobalt is extremely difficult.
- While standing about waist deep in the water, I saw a bunch of little silvery fish jumping around and a Pelican swooped down 4 feet in front of me to get some of the jumping fish.
- Cabbage road kill!
- Tasty, tasty, tasty Gulf Shrimp Scampi.
- The last thing you want to see when you stop at a rest area after 45 minutes of urgently needing to pee is this:
Tags: beach, ocean, corpus christi
subscribe
