Costa Rica in South Padre

Dear Anthony,

After I got over the fact that I wasn't going to make it to Costa Rica the country, I started looking around realizing that I had found Costa Rica in South Texas.

Costa Rica means Rich Coast in Spanish. Well. South Padre Island is a very rich coast. Close enough to Mexico that you have the spanish blend of hospitality and warmth and still be in the states, the most prosperous country on earth.

South Padre is a semi-tropical place with wide open spaces and great beaches. The people are incredibly friendly and down-to-earth. Food and Beer is cheap.

The space in-between places is just the right amount to experience the great feeling of freedom. On one side of the road, you may see fields of sunflowers. On the other side, cows grazing or maybe an orange grove, depending on which back road you've decided to take.

You can even surf here. The water is clear and clean. On one side of this small island, you have the ocean. On the other, you have the bay filled with dolphins and an abundance of marine life.

The nightlife is incredible. Clubs, restaurants and bars are all over the place.

If you get tired of the island and its slow moving pace... 30mph.... you can head out to Bayview to meet the locals at Harley's Country Store and Honkey Tonk Bar. You'll be in the country relaxing in roughly 20mins.

Going South, Brownsville is the perfect jumping off point for travel in Mexico and Central America. It takes three days to drive from Brownsville to Guatemala.

I've been mentioning the term "island time" a lot in my writings. To put it simply... Never hurry, never worry, just make time to stop and smell the flowers. Words of Wisdom from a monk named George.

I love you,

Dad