Joseph Rosendo’s Travelscope

-Welcome to "Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope," where you join us as we accept the world's invitation to visit.

-Come with me.

Whoo-hoo!

Today on "Travelscope," I explore South Padre Island, Texas, where the light is softer, the breezes are sweeter, and the livin' is easy.

-"Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope" is made possible by... EVA Air flies from eight cities in North America to Taiwan and with one stop onward throughout Asia.

It offers premium economy class in a cabin all its own, in between business and economy classes.

EVA Air -- a Star Alliance member.

And No-Jet-Lag -- jet lag prevention.

- On the island by Laguna Madre Bay -The town of South Padre Island, Texas, is on the world's longest barrier island.

During spring break, thousands come to enjoy its four miles of beach and its many sun, sea, and fun activities.

That's when this narrow stretch of sand shows off its wild, crazy, and quirky side.

Yet the rest of the year, particularly the fall, is the time when this tropical isle's natural, peaceful, and creative sides shine through.

Fishing is South Padre Island's most popular year-round activity and offers a blend of on- and off-season pleasures in an outdoor action and nature adventure.

-These fish, they don't know we're coming.

We're sneaking up.

The motor's turned off.

We're nice and stealthy.

And that's why it's important to get your bait out there far and you present to them.

-I got to catch dinner for myself and the crew.

We got to get to work.

-Once you do get that strike, make sure you really set the hook.

Stick 'em hard.

You really want to lean into it.

Get that hook in there.

And once it's on -- Oh, there you go.

You got it.

You got one.

Oh!

Is he on there?

He's on there.

Bring him in.

Looks like we got a lizardfish.

-[ Laughs ] -This is the lizardfish.

-Lizardfish!

-Not the targeted species, but, uh... We'll let this little guy go.

-Oh, yeah.

-Yeah, you know.

-Well, it's a fish.

It's a fish!

-It's a fish.

You hooked up, man.

-It's a fish.

-We'll let this guy go.

-Okay.

Let him go back.

-There's so many different species to target here.

You're not only getting your redfish and your trout, but you've got good chances of catching your flounder, your black drum, your snook, you got mangrove snapper.

You know, we've got tarpon that come in.

-Let's go meet some of 'em.

-Fish on?

Alright!

-It looks like a small redfish.

Well, this is the targeted species, for sure.

Redfish, they've all got a spot on the tail like that.

Really awesome.

-Now go get your big brother.

-Yeah, we'll get the big one.

We'll let this guy go and we'll catch him in a couple years.

-I'm not getting any bites here.

-No bites yet.

Okay.

It's gonna happen in these next five casts.

You're gonna hook up.

-Luis is a good lesson in staying positive.

He's always saying, "You're gonna hook up."

-[ Chuckles ] You got to speak it into existence.

-Speak it into existence.

I like that.

-Fish on, Joseph.

Keep coming.

Don't stop.

-Whoo-hoo!

Finally.

-You're hooked up.

Yep, there he is.

-Ohh!

-Really nice trout, buddy.

Right on.

-Hey!

-That's what you came here for.

-The speckled trout are beautiful fish, and we've been gifted with one of them for our dinner tonight.

And we're thankful and grateful to have this experience and for the gifts that we've been given.

-South Padre Island is noted for fishing.

-Ooh!

Good fish on.

-But after two more beauties, I can boast it's also famous for catching.

-Nice fish, Joseph.

This is the biggest one of the day.

Very nice one, sir.

Good fish.

-Thank you so much.

-Thank you.

-If you're lucky enough to catch fish, SPI's eateries will blacken, fry, or grill them for you.

-Where is the best one?

What would you suggest?

-Honestly, I love the blackened.

Blackened and the fried, you can't go wrong.

-Let's eat!

Cheers and bon apptit.

- I'm on the beach, I'm on a bender Lone Star beer and Freddy Fender I'm taking all the... -My South Padre Island workday ends with a Texas brew... - It's some South Texas magic ...a night of lively, homegrown island country music... - On the island by Laguna Madre Bay -...and by joining the crowd at Clayton's Beach Bar and Grill for the free Friday night fireworks on the beach.

[ Fireworks popping, hissing ] [ Cheers and applause ] -When you think about South Padre Island, you not only think about the white sand beaches, but you also think about the jetties and the fishing opportunities.

Great place to bring a family.

This is the valley's playground.

So, the people of the Rio Grande Valley have been coming here for generations.

It's easy to get around.

Four miles long, three football fields wide.

You've got the Gulf on one side, the Laguna Madre on the other.

-I mean, it's surely a sun, sand, and surf destination.

-Totally is, but you know that after you get sunburned, you're looking for somewhere else to go.

So we've got a sea turtle rescue and our birding center.

We have some other cultural activities on the island.

We've started a turtle trail, the sandcastle trail.

Sandcastles, definitely art.

We are the southernmost tip of Texas.

If you look across here about seven miles, you are in Mexico.

We are that close.

The mouth of the Rio Grande River is literally a stone's throw away, which is one of the reasons the fishing is so good.

-Morning!

Having any luck?

-Yeah, we caught some snook, mangrove snapper, and some small reds.

-And some rocks.

-And some rocks.

[ Laughter ] -Well, leave the rocks.

-We love fishing out here.

-It looks like we got another mile and a half to go here.

You see this?

-The jetty's a little deceiving.

It's a little longer than what you think, so make sure you pack water.

-[ Laughs ] And everybody's doing exactly what you said.

They've got their gear, they've got their sandwiches, they've got their water, their beer, whatever.

They're here to have a good time all day.

-And they're smiling.

-At 113 miles, South Padre Island is the longest barrier island in the world, and that means miles and miles of beautiful beaches.

For decades upon decades, South Padre Island has been famous for fun in the sun, sand, and surf.

Well, we have the sun today.

It's a beautiful day.

Now, next up, let me show you what fun we can have in the sand.

Hey, Lucinda!

-Hey, Joseph!

-Making sandcastles in the sand.

-Always.

What we're doing here is putting wet sand in a bucket form like this, tapping the sides to get all the air out... -Right.

-...pulling it up a little bit and scooping.

-There's a festival here, isn't there, every year?

-That's right.

It's held the first weekend in October every year over at Clayton's Beach Bar.

And we have anywhere from 10 to 15 of the world's best sand sculptors come and show us what they can do.

-Okay.

-I want to show you another technique.

This is called the hand-stacking technique.

And this is something you can do without any excess equipment.

It's just taking big handfuls of wet sand and flattening them into pancakes.

-I can probably do some of that.

-Try that.

[ Chuckles ] Hey, that was pretty good.

-Not bad.

-Yeah!

-So, let's see some of the carving.

-These are just modified pastry knives, and all we need to do is -- is make sort of a rooftop castle like this.

We start at the edge in the middle and cut out at an angle.

Why don't you get that side right there like that?

-Just an angle.

-Yeah.

-Like that?

Like I'm making a house roof.

-Just like that.

Alright.

-Okay.

-And then we will undercut the roof by drawing a line and pulling down like that.

-Okay.

Oh, that's how you get that turret.

-Yeah.

-If you're not here at the festival, what -- how can you see some great castle building?

-We have what we call our Sand Castle Village.

There's about a dozen big, beautiful sand sculptures that we change out on occasion.

So, you go once, you got to come back and see it another time, because it's gonna be different.

And it's all for free, and it's open all year-round.

-You know, what makes a destination or a place is its people.

What makes the people who live here in South Padre Island different?

-We got to be a little bit of a rebel, I guess, not afraid to be away from the crowd.

We're very lucky to have really good people here who love our visitors, love living here.

You know, we like making money when there's a lot of people here, and we like relaxing when the people go.

-Now, what ever got you into sandcastle building?

-I've always loved the beach, and, but I don't know what to do at the beach.

You know, I go in the water for a little while, I read for a little while, and then what?

Well, then you try and see what the sand will do.

And I'll tell you what, this sand will do quite a bit.

The world would be a better place if more people built sandcastles.

-I think you're right.

-The full range of art on South Padre Island is impressive.

Dozens of galleries and outdoor sites feature everything from sandcastles to sea turtles and from junk art to ceramics.

[ Bell jingles ] -Hi!

-Hi!

-This is very cool.

-We are an artist co-op.

We have our small gallery and we also offer classes.

-What do you think it is that attracts artists to islands?

-It's the tranquility and the atmosphere.

You know, being on an island, it's that open, free feeling that you have.

And I believe that it opens up your creativity and your imagination so you can create art a lot better.

-So, your freedom of expression.

-Yes.

-So, how many people are in the co-op?

-10 members.

-And all ceramic artists?

-For the most part, ceramics.

There are a few painters, and then there are some that dabble in both.

To me, anyone can be an artist.

So if you are willing to learn, I'm able to teach you.

-Perfect answer.

-[ Laughs ] -Thank you.

-Thank you.

-Sandy, here in South Padre Island, there is a sea turtle art trail.

-It is a series of larger-than-life-size sea turtle sculptures that have been hand-painted by local artists.

-Mm-hmm.

-And they're in public areas so that people can, on their own, take a tour of the sea turtle trail.

There's about a dozen of them.

The city decided, let's get them painted by artists local, so that not only could you look at the artwork that's painted on the turtle, but then you could go find the different galleries.

So, my turtle is right in front of the Art Business Incubator, and the whole idea of the Art Business Incubator is to bring more art to the island.

-Is it to hatch new artists?

-It is.

-There are a lot of different themes.

-My theme is the life cycle of the sea turtle.

-But the main point is to help develop family activities with art being a part of it.

-Correct.

I couldn't have said it better.

-The South Padre Island Sea Turtle Art Trail is a great project.

What inspired both of you as local artists to get involved with it?

-My daughter made me.

[ Laughs ] -Your daughter made you?

-No, she had brought it up and, "Come on, let's do this.

Let's do this."

So, she talked me into it.

-You both have your individual turtles.

There's one at Sea Turtle Inc., which is why this thing even exists, because turtles are real important here.

-Correct.

Mine, it's a turtle with a mermaid on it, holding a baby turtle, so... -Ah.

And yours is connected to your love of dogs.

-Yes.

-And what I love about this, because the other ones were made specifically for the sea turtle trail.

-Correct.

-But this one was -- -It was here -- ...part of an attraction.

-It was just a green turtle and it was getting kind of old.

-It's like real turtles that are rehabilitated.

This one is rehabilitated.

-That's exactly... -I love that.

What's the theme here?

-It kind of represents the island.

Even our mermaid over there.

[ Laughs ] I think there might be some mermaids here.

There's so much here to see and do.

We tried to include all of it.

-I think you captured it.

-[ Both chuckle ] -Turtles are much more than works of art on SPI.

Sea Turtle Inc. has been the center of sea turtle education, conservation, and rehabilitation since 1977.

-So, we started with a passion of one lady, Ila Fox Loetscher.

She really saw the plight and what was happening with sea turtles and their near extinction, and just felt moved to do something.

So she started a rehabilitation and education center in her backyard.

And 44 years later, we are one of the largest sea turtle conservation organizations in the world.

-In the '70s, what species of sea turtle was endangered?

-So, actually, all seven species -- -All seven?

-...of the sea turtles are either endangered or threatened.

-Still?

-Still to this day.

-Yeah.

Okay.

So, we haven't really improved very much.

Is that what you're telling me?

-We have improved in the sense that we have more adults.

So, we're standing actually here in front of a fabrication of what a sea turtle nest looks like.

And now it's believed by the statistics that one in every thousand hatchlings makes it to adult maturity.

And years ago, that number would have been one in every 5,000.

So, incremental progress, but still lots of work to do.

-Let's go look at some of the residents here.

-Great.

So, this is our resident center.

All the turtles that are in our resident center have an ailment that makes them non-releasable, so they can never live out in the ocean alone.

So they live here with us as an animal ambassador to help educate the public.

And here is Allison.

Allison is world-famous as the very first sea turtle that had a prosthetic.

-How many animals have you saved here?

-This hospital has saved thousands of animals.

-You guys are like the epitome of that Margaret Mead quote, "Never imagine that a small, committed group of people can't change the world.

In fact, it's all that ever has."

-Exactly.

-This is the hospital where you rehabilitate the animals with the idea of putting them back into the wild.

-Absolutely.

So, every animal that is housed here in the hospital has an injury that should be able to be treated and resolved and they should be able to be released back into the ocean.

And I would say if there was one thing that you could do to make a meaningful difference, it would be to put trash where it belongs.

So, if you look at most of our patients, the ones that are impacted by human intervention, that one activity can make a meaningful difference in the patients.

It's all about being responsible for things after you use them.

We are an organization that was built on the spirit of one woman wanting to do good things for animals that could not do for themselves.

And that spirit still resonates in this organization.

-The best way to get the most out of your South Padre Island experience is to indulge in the many nature-centric activities that the island hosts.

With water, water everywhere, kayaking on Laguna Madre Bay is a natural.

-So, this is just a bay?

-Yep.

This is the Lower Laguna Madre.

-There's a pelican.

-Yeah.

-You know, Jeff, the story of the pelicans in California and here, too, I understand, is quite a remarkable story.

They were dying out because DDT was softening the eggs.

The mothers would sit on their eggs and break them.

So they were really in trouble.

And they discovered that, though, stopped the use of DDT, and they came back.

That's a really beautiful ecological story.

There's not too many, but that's one.

I imagine birding in a kayak would be great 'cause you can sneak up on the birds.

-Oh, we got a blue heron right there.

-Very cool.

There she goes.

Yeah, these mangroves are really wonderful.

They do so much for the environment.

I'm glad that they've kept some here.

-Yeah, they're very protective of those.

-And fish are jumping!

-Yep, there's some right in front of us here.

See the little disturbances?

-Yeah, I see that.

-Probably mullet.

-This is a peaceful way to fish.

-Yeah.

-Jeff, how long you've lived here in South Padre Island?

-My wife and I moved here in 2002 from Corpus Christi.

-Corpus Christi?

-Yeah.

Just... -That's only like 100 miles away.

-Yeah.

-And what made you come here?

-We like the small-town feel, being able to take advantage of a slower-paced life.

Being on an island time, as it were.

-Thanks for bringing me out here.

It's a beautiful day for it.

-Island time is the real time on SPI, and a horseback saunter on the beach is the epitome of laid-back island time.

-Olivia, where do your horses come from?

-They're all rescue horses.

We have around 100 horses.

We have some that are out in a pasture right now, and then we have some here.

-One of the things I like about this kind of horseback riding is it's -- it's just so calming.

You know, in many parts of the world, if you were riding a horse on the beach and they were -- people were sitting on the beach enjoying themselves, it would be a surprise.

Not in Texas.

-[ Chuckles ] Not in Texas.

-Now, I see there's a bunch of cars out here on the beach.

-There is.

-You can do that in Texas.

You can drive on the beach.

How do the horses and the cars get along?

-They don't seem to mind each other all too much.

When we first get the horses in, we have to do what we call desensitize training, 'cause a lot of our horses have never seen the beach before.

We pride ourselves on being a family business.

We have something for every age.

-What are the people like who live on the island?

What makes them special?

-Island time is a real thing.

The life is just so much more relaxed here.

It is one big island family.

Everyone is so nice and so friendly, and it's an experience like no other.

-Although there are many pleasures and treasures to find there... -Wow.

-...South Padre Island is more than the beach.

On a bay excursion, I'm introduced to denizens of its world down under.

Some you can hold in your hand, and others you probably should not.

-These are an electric ray.

-Wow.

-These, whenever they're threatened... -Yeah?

-...they'll release a shock.

-Wow.

-If you're walking and -- and you step on one of these and it decides to shock you, it could knock you down.

-Okay, I think we can put them both back, 'cause I'm -- I'm not holding that one.

-Yeah, I don't really want to hold it either.

-This is one of the most interesting part of the tour, is where you really get to find out what's down here.

'Cause people go out on this water, they fish, they do a number of different activities, they have a good time, and they don't really realize the world that's underneath these waves.

And this gives us a sense of that.

Thank you.

-You're very welcome.

-The island's most popular sea creatures are the more than 200 Atlantic bottlenose dolphins that populate its waters.

You can see them off the beaches and jetties and from the deck of one of the many dolphin watching boats.

-They make their home here.

There's no predators for them.

Males will kind of migrate around between Corpus Christi and Mexico.

But the females, most of the time, you'll see them here, or the young dolphins will stay with their mom between -- well, they'll swim right next to their mom for about six months to a year.

-Are there resident dolphins, dolphins that are here all year-round?

-Yes, sir.

You'll start to recognize those by just looking at their fins.

One's named Sharkfin 'cause it has a shark fin.

One's name is Chip.

He has a chip in his fin, so he got the nickname Chip.

Then one is just named James.

-James?

[ Laughs ] -James.

Yeah.

And he just has, like, an awkward-shaped fin.

It looks kind of like a little mountain.

And when you see a fin you recognize, you think like, "Oh, thank you, James.

You saved my whole trip."

[ Laughter ] -They become friends.

-Yeah, they really do.

They really help you out.

-The island's ultimate nature encounter is at the South Padre Island Birding, Nature Center and Alligator Sanctuary, where naturalist educator Javier Gonzalez and I wander the boardwalk in search of up-close and personal experiences with some of the island's resident and migratory birds.

-What do we see from the boardwalk besides lots of beautiful birds?

-The boardwalk takes you through a dual wetland ecosystem.

It takes you through both saltwater marsh and freshwater marsh.

You see a greater diversity of species here because you get to see coastal species, but you also get to see animals that don't like it so salty that are looking for more of a freshwater influence.

-Now, here's a great spot for us to look out into this marshland here.

Perhaps you can tell me some of the birds that you see out there.

-We have our herons, our egrets, which are our specialty birds here.

Yeah, looks -- looking great out there right now.

-Those are spoonbills?

-Oh, yes.

We have some roseate spoonbills right there.

I see them.

Some are bright pink and some are a little paler.

-What's the difference between the white ones and the pink ones?

-Well, the brighter pink ones are the adults.

-Oh.

-Yeah, and the paler ones that are almost white right now are the juvenile.

-So, now, the birds that are here, are they migrating birds or are they resident birds mostly?

-Well, this time of year, both.

-Is there a best time to come see the most amount, the most diverse?

-Yeah, most birders come during the migration months, which are, you know, in the fall -- September, October -- but also in the spring -- April, May.

Texas is like a funnel for migration.

-Uh-huh.

-And the birds and migration pathways converge here along the Texas Gulf Coast.

It's a very, very long island.

It's one of the longest barrier islands in the world, but it's very narrow, and everything changes as you go from one side of the island to the other.

-Now, I also know that this is an alligator sanctuary.

Here's one of the pens for the alligators.

What does that mean?

You go all throughout the state of Texas and you collect all the alligators and bring them here?

-No, no, no.

Not all the alligators.

Just the nuisance alligators.

-What makes an alligator a nuisance?

-These are alligators that have been fed by people.

You know, people are behaving inappropriately around them.

-So, they're created by people.

-Yes.

The fate of a nuisance gator is most of the time not a good one.

-Yeah, so you use this alligator sanctuary to educate people about how to live with alligators in the South?

-Yeah, there's definitely plenty of alligators here along the Gulf Coast.

So it's important to know what to do, what not to do when you're living around alligators.

-What inspired you to do this work, to be here?

-Well, I've always loved being outside in nature.

Nature brings me a sense of peace, which I think is really important for me and for everybody.

-And I certainly appreciate the opportunity to go out here and get a different side of South Padre Island, the nature side.

In addition to the South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center, the adjacent Laguna Madre Nature Trail is an excellent place to see many of the 300 species of birds that live and visit the area.

The trail begins at the convention center, and much of the 1,500-foot boardwalk is lined with trees whose berries attract the birds.

At the end of the boardwalk, you'll be on the edge of the Laguna Madre, the bay that separates South Padre Island from the mainland, and an excellent place to watch the sunset.

Thank you for joining me on my South Padre Island adventure.

After 12 seasons of "Travelscope," I've found that every trip is a journey of discovery.

Oh, this is so much fun!

And the best travel experiences are filled with surprises that challenge your expectations.

[ Whispering indistinctly ] On South Padre Island, I found much of what I anticipated in a fun in the sun, sand, and surf year-round destination.

But I also realized that apart from its tourist attractions and holiday activities, the heart and soul of the island is the people who live here and what they value -- nature, community, and most importantly, the opportunity to express themselves.

Even though South Padre Island is only a causeway away from the rest of Texas, it is a world apart, where the light is softer, the breeze is sweeter, and the livin' is easy.

Until next time, this is Joseph Rosendo once again reminding you of the words of Mark Twain -- "Travel is fatal to prejudice, bigotry, and narrow-mindedness."

Stay safe, be well, and happy traveling.

-"Joseph Rosendo's Travelscope" is made possible by... EVA Air connects eight North American cities to Taiwan, where, with one stop, travelers can fly on to destinations throughout Asia.

EVA Air -- with business, premium economy, and economy cabins.

EVA Air, a Star Alliance member.

And No-Jet-Lag -- jet lag prevention.

-From travel tips and destination explorations, to exotic adventures and intimate tales, "Musings: The Short Happy Pursuit of Pleasure and Other Journeys" is a collection of entertaining, humorous, and inspirational stories drawn from my travel and life experiences.

For a copy of "Musings," call 888-876-3399 or order online at travelscope.net.

Now that we've explored South Padre Island together, learn more at travelscope.net, where you can follow my worldwide adventures through my e-magazine, blog, podcast, and on social media.

Stay in touch -- 888-876-3399 or [email protected].

I didn't see any lizardfish up there.

What would you guys like us to do?

-Catch a fish.

-What would you like us to -- catch a fish?

-Yeah.

[ Laughter ]