South Padre 2016 Part 2

[Roanoker]

It is a new day (1/31/16), and we are visiting The Alamo. But first, we had to get up really early.


Of course! The Alamo gift shop is the first thing we see.


Nice garden on the compound.


I guess this is where we enter. As I recall, no picture-taking was allowed inside. I hate that.


I didn’t want to lose anything on the left or right, so I cloned in some plants at the bottom and got rid of an obnoxious sign. I didn’t do a very good job, but nobody pays me for doing this.


Now you know.


Nice courtyard with cannons, flags and such.


Nobody’s getting into this place.


Nice archway.


Cannot overlook the presence of real beauty.


There are many sides to this thing.


Another side.

[Roanoker]

Another Alamo building.


And its top part.


If you follow this trail, you’ll find a trash man and a trash can.


Couldn’t figure out what else to do with this portrait-oriented picture. You get funny faces in the middle.


I guess they don’t want anybody to break into this place.


An entrance of sorts.


No flowers, so these will have to do.


Following the crowd.


From the inside out.


You can see I had a hard time figuring out what to do with this one.


We do have a few teensy flowers here.


You’d think I probably pasted the scene within this arched alcove, but it was really there.

[Roanoker]

We’re walking around the Alamo complex.


Here are some of the flowers my son is viewing above.


I applied a filter to these berries to get an artsy look.


Sometimes you just have to look up.


A bit closer to the palm tree bark, if that’s the correct term.


I was more interested in the berries than the building behind them.


Here, the tree berries are more of a side decoration.


The same may be said of this picture.


Want a cucumber for your salad?


The big trees in this place are quite lovely.


The flowers aren’t too bad, either.


So we’ll run that play again.

[Roanoker]

This tall building is the last shot as we left the Alamo.


We have finally arrived at South Padre Island. I guess pirates beat us to the punch.


View from afar.


Where could we be going?


To the beach! With flowers along the way.


Looking back, as the sun descends for the day.


My husband views the pretty ocean.


The waves are trying to enter nice hotels.


They never give up.


Head on.


Looking for shells or whatever else.


Ah, flowers.

[Roanoker]

It is a new day (2/1/16), and we are driving by a nice harbor.


Ah, palm trees. We are indeed south of Missouri.


We visited a very old lighthouse. It’s a lot taller than it looks in this picture.


It’s taller than it looks here, too.


Hmm. Should I climb these stairs and go to the top? Um, no. My son took my camera and ventured up.


Here are some pictures he took from the top.











My son said this oil rig was brought into the harbor for maintenance.


View from the inside of the top.


Only one way down, without breaking something.

[Roanoker]

Time to leave the top of the lighthouse and begin the descent.


Not that we didn’t see all that many pelicans flying. Or sitting. Or swimming.


Another view of the lighthouse. Had to get as much of that tree in the picture as possible.


The tree is the primary subject here.


A street next to the lighthouse.


Another street.


But we came to visit the lighthouse, not the trees or the streets.


Big light and little light.


Ah, yes. There is always a visitor center.


This lighthouse has been here for a while.


Now if you like clover… Or even if you don’t…


Flowers are a must.

[Roanoker]

Still hanging around the flowers.


Some of them tried to hide.


Nice street.


Notice how you don’t see all of “Jones” or the rest of “Locker?” There was a ridiculous pole in the way. So I moved and scrunched the right side of the picture so it would fit. I’ll show a smaller version of the original below so you can see.


And I “created” the side of the uppermost building decoration. It is now shorter than it should be.


This is the view we had from the restaurant where we ate lunch.


Pelicans be everywhere.


The original picture was way bigger, but I wanted to focus on the flying pelican.


Pelicans guard the causeway.


The restaurant where we ate is on the left.


More of the pelican guard.


I think this one is a gull. Certainly not a buoy.


This one is a gull for sure.

[Roanoker]

They look like white rabbits with black ears, but they are gull butts. Watch out below!


My son and friend.


Odd pirate photo op.


Oh, wait! my husband was supposed to have turned the other way. That’s better.


Pelicans, making do with whatever is on hand.


This pirate stands alone.


I don’t think he’s as mean as he looks. Big, though.


More to see on the pier. I think they want you to throw your trash in appropriate containers.


People complain that I don’t show any pictures of myself. Here’s a self-portrait.


This pirate boat was like a picture magnet.


The causeway had nearly the same effect.


Sometimes you have to look down.