I Love the Padre Island National Seashore

I've mentioned before that I'm pretty sure a trip to the beach can solve anything. We are fortunate to be near several wonderful beaches but by far my favorite in the Padre Island National Seashore (PINS). Located on the northern end of the Padre Island on the south Texas coast, PINS consists of 70 miles of protected, undeveloped beach. It's actually a lot more than just a beach but that's where we spend most our time. It is a sanctuary for countless birds and animals and myself.

Aside from helping me maintain my sanity, PINS helps me stay in touch with the seasons. Whereas everything else seems a little off (the trees loosing leaves in February instead of September, tomatoes in January, blossoming lemon trees in February), the beach is more consistent. The water is warm in the summer. The waves are generally calmer. There isn't such an intense undertow. There are little clams and crabs and birds and sea turtles. As the days get shorter in the fall the water gets colder. The currents change. In the winter the water is cold and rough. In the spring there is growth and change.

The beach grounds me. It makes me feel connected. I love the sun and the wind and the salt in the breeze.

It's gorgeous, it's peaceful and (lucky for me) it's part of my new home.

Want to explore the seashore? Here are some random pictures from last year...    

First trip to the beach last year in February. It was cloudy at first...

It was chilly enough for sweaters but warm enough to dip our toes in.

Then the sun really came out.

The Sargassum started washing ashore in April.

Some Portuguese Man o' Wars came with it. 

We saw some wonderful summer sunrises. This one was in July.

During the summer months baby sea turtles make their way into the Gulf of Mexico.

Another perfect summer day. The water is about 85 degrees F and perfect for swimming.

If you're quiet you might see a ghost crab or two...

It's okay to get a little wild at the beach too.

This was our coldest day of the winter. Hard to imagine we were swimming not long ago.

Dead fish washed up on the beach after a red tide in December.

I'm looking forward to spending a lot of time at the seashore this year. Perhaps I'll manage to take some pictures in the fall this year. Apparently I didn't take any last fall...

What do you love about where you live?

This post was inspired by Design Mom's series Love the Place You Live. My friend Justine over at the Lone Home Ranger is participating too. Her posts about loving the place she lives have me hankering for a trip to the East Coast. You can read them here and here. This post was also shared on {into nature}.