North Padre Islands, TX

After San Antonio, we went to Padre Island National Seashore on Padre Island to go camping. The island itself is known mostly for South Padre Island, a popular vacation and tourist spot on the more developed part on the island all the way at the bottom. Where we stayed was North Padre, and the National Seashore itself is over 60 miles of just seashore! You can camp anywhere you want along the seashore. Malaquite Campground has been voted one of the top campgrounds in the US and is tucked in behind the sand dunes and at the entrance before driving onto the beach, so if you don't want to be fully surrounded by sand this campground is for you. These sites are on a first come basis and from what we noticed for the week we were there they were always reserved.

The first night we picked somewhere out in the open on North Padre Beach but the high winds kept causing our tent to blow over, we ended up sleeping in the car but the next night we were able to go down the beach more and found a little opening in between a couple sand dunes so we were able to get out of the wind and it was perfect. There really is no better feeling than going to sleep and waking up to the sound of the ocean. It was so peaceful and relaxing. At night we saw things crawling all over and so we went to check it out and it was ghost crabs. They were fun to try and catch some of them were pretty good sized too.

One of the most special activities visitors can take part in on North Padre Island is a PINS (Padre Island National Seashore) Kemp's Ridley Baby Sea Turtle Hatchling Release.

The Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle is the rarest species of sea turtle and is critically endangered. The Padre Island Seashore National Parks Service has established extensive conservation efforts through the Kemp's Ridley Sea Turtle Recovery Project.

Witnessing this beautiful phenomena is, for most, a once in a lifetime experience. Here are a few tips on how to increase that likelihood of getting to experience this wonderful event! While we were there the turtle schedule said we would be able to see hatchings everyday but actually we only got to see the turtle release twice. So just keep this is mind when booking you trip even though they show turtle releasing during a specific time sometime conditions stop that from happening and you may not get to see a release. ​

• Plan to visit sometime between June-August

• Call the Turtle Hatchling Hotline for exact release details call (361-949-7163)

• Be prepared to wake up early!

​Releases usually take place at 6:45 am and last 30-45 minutes.


For more information on the baby turtles and hatchling releases, visit the PINS website. 





Has anyone else been lucky enough to catch a sea turtle release? What did you think?

Zapata Falls, CO

Zapata Falls it's about 12 miles from the sand dunes.  Make sure if you make the trek up there you have a vehicle with four wheel drive, the road up is about 3-4 miles dirt road. Very rocky and a lot of the cars we saw going up kept bottoming out. Once we got to the top we did the half mile hike to the falls since we still wanted to see the sand dunes before heading home.

The hike in is a gradual uphill hike took us half a hour to get to the top and down. Be prepared to get wet once you get to the top you have to cross the river and the water is ice cold! Few times I didn't know if I was going to make it but continued on and once we got to the cave entrance and saw the waterfall.

I was so thankful that I continued on. It was the coolest waterfall I have ever seen. Once you enter the cave you see the little falls and than when you go back alittle further you see the bigger falls. I wish I would have brought my go pro to climb further up into the bigger falls, I didn't trust going in with my iPhone.  I think coming back in the winter would be really pretty to see the waterfall frozen and the river may be froze over so you might not have to get wet to see it.

At the top they also had a campground we had no idea was up there and the sites seemed pretty nice and had nice views. Once you get in though on that road you may not want to leave again, just in case you forget the eggs and have to run into town.

Has anyone else been to Zapata Falls? What did you think?

The Great Sand Dunes, Colorado

Hiking the dunes

Exploring the sand dunes is a must do when visiting this national park. The park entrance is $15 for a week. Hiking is best in the morning or closer to sunset. That’s because the sand is scorching during the heat of day. Just make sure you bring bug spray we noticed as the sun went down we were swarmed with mosquitoes!

Also, bring plenty of water and be prepared for a workout hauling yourself to the top of one of the dunes is no small task you will slide with every step causing double the work. And remember: there aren’t any maintained trails. I carried my phone inside my jacket in an attempt to keep the sand out, but a plastic bag would have been better. I ended up finding grit in various places and it took awhile to clean.

Daytime activities include splashing in Medano Creek, which is always a blast. The water flow changes throughout the year, too. You could have plenty of rushing water or only a small trickle. When we were there, the creek was very cool and reached just below our knees, making for an easy crossing to the dunes.

 Shortly after crossing the river we saw people sledding down a dune. The only person who looked like he was doing anything fun was a guy sliding down while standing on what looked to be a snowboard. I read that some people go to the dunes to ski in the winter, but that would be so much work without ski lifts.

Driving up Medano Pass Primitive Road

If you have a capable 4-wheel drive vehicle with high clearance, driving up Medano Pass Primitive Road will give you another unique perspective into these lands. You’ll have to navigate creek crossings, deep sand, rocks, and other obstacles.

You may even need to deflate your tire pressure to 20 psi when the sand is soft and dry. There’s a free air station in the Amphitheater parking lot, but bringing your own air compressor is a smart move. We didn't know this when we went back so we didn't chance going back as far as some of the other jeeps, being in a bigger Dodge truck and no cell service didn't want to chance it this time. But next time we go up we will be prepared!

The camping at Pinon Flats looks really neat a lot of the sites have views of the sand dunes and I bet the sunset and sunrises are remarkable.




Has anyone been to the Sand Dunes? Have any tips for hiking up the dunes? Or favorite camping sites at Pinon Flats?