South Padre Island
Sep 9th, 2001, 08:44 AM
#1
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South Padre Island
We have a son who is a senior in high school and is planning a spring break trip on South Padre Island, Texas. We would like to also go on this trip and be nearby, but not in the heart of spring break action. Is there is a hotel or condo you can recommend that would be near the spring break kids, but far enough away so we can enjoy ourselves? Advice as to restaurants would be great also. In addition, are there any all-inclusive hotels on this island?
Sep 10th, 2001, 08:35 AM
#2
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To be honest and blunt, I would not allow anyone under 21, especially a high school senior to go to Padre Island for Spring Break. The whole island is total mayhem of partying college students, with lots of underage drinking and the sort of behavior you would expect to go along with it. The police presence is very strong, and anyone under 21 is highly likely to get a Minor in Posession (MIP), which will follow them for many years to come.
To answer your question, no. All of the hotels in the Padre Island area are on the island and are therefore part of the "scene." The town just across the causeway is Port Isabel, and it is a small fishing and shrimping community with only a few small motels. The only other towns with decent hotels would be about 30 minutes to an hour away: Harlingen, McAllen or Weslaco. You might be able to find a condo for rent in Port Isabel, but almost all of such places are actually out on the Island.
I hope you reconsider letting your son go to Padre as a high school senior. He will have plenty of time when he is of legal drinking age in college.
To answer your question, no. All of the hotels in the Padre Island area are on the island and are therefore part of the "scene." The town just across the causeway is Port Isabel, and it is a small fishing and shrimping community with only a few small motels. The only other towns with decent hotels would be about 30 minutes to an hour away: Harlingen, McAllen or Weslaco. You might be able to find a condo for rent in Port Isabel, but almost all of such places are actually out on the Island.
I hope you reconsider letting your son go to Padre as a high school senior. He will have plenty of time when he is of legal drinking age in college.
Sep 10th, 2001, 09:13 AM
#3
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I'm with Christy. Padre + Spring Break = drunk/high kids and all the things that go with it. As an adult, I'd avoid the place like the plague since there would be very little peace. If you are going as a family, then you probably want to stay away from the beach and need to drive a bit, as she suggests.
Sep 11th, 2001, 08:39 AM
#4
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Its not the drinking and partying on the beach that worries me so much, its the fact that a lot of the kids make the 30 mile trek to Matamoros, across from Brownsville, as well. the drunk drivers on that hiway are numerous. if you can trust your son to not go to Mexico, then you must make him promise to stay on the beach area and it wont be as bad as they other people say. My kids went there every year they were in high school, and i worried, but they were ok. As far as your going there as well, if you want to see the beach, you need to bite the bullet and stay at one of the upscale places. don't be on the road going back and forth. All hotels and condos will be filled with kids, so this may be a time to take a quiet vacation by yourselves somewhere else. Your son would die knowing you are hanging around anyway.
Nov 17th, 2001, 10:11 AM
#6
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Kris, SPI has a very nice beach. If you've been to resorts in Mexico or Florida, you may be a little disappointed in the surrounding area. No huge beautiful resort hotels, etc. But the beach itself is exceptionally nice. As far as solitude, it is usually busy, but during the week in summer it is possible to find areas where there are not a lot of people around. Weekends and holidays will be harder to find solitude, but it is really easy to just kick back and relax.
