Texas Road Trip Report

 10/6- Worked 2 hours then drove to Shreveport, Loosiana.  That's slightly less than halfway to San Antonio.  I stayed in a casino hotel because it was cheap and in a good location but I don't gamble and really don't understand the attraction.  I had a Cajun seafood dinner then went out to a bar afterwards.  Overall impression:  Shreveport is an okay city and a good stopping point for a night out but not a major destination.  It's got a pretty cool outlet mall on the banks of a river and looks to have some fun bars and restaurants downtown.  Though I didn't see it, there is an aquarium, which is a popular attraction.  I wanted to see it in part because it's the hometown of one of my childhood heroes, Terry Bradshaw.

10/7- Slightly less than 7 hours driving time to San Antonio.  I took I-20 to Tyler, Texas then country roads to Waco.  From there, it was I-35 to San Antonio.  The drive was tough but I made it by mid-afternoon.  First stop was the Alamo, which was pretty inspiring.  Then, I had a steak dinner at the Tower of the Americas, which is a 50 story tower with a 360 degree view of the city.  Finally, it was a walking tour of the Riverwalk.  Very fun city.  I saw most of what I wanted to see but I might be back someday.  

10/8- Only 2 hours driving today down to Corpus Christi and Port Aransas.  

Very nice beach.  Hard brown sand that allows you to drive and park on the beach with pretty clear water.  Pretty comparable to South Padre and much better than Galveston.  Surf was decent.  Waves broke deep, which I like but they did not hit as hard as in the Atlantic.  The rides were decent but did not take you all the way to the shore.  

10/9- Up with the sun and enjoyed the morning session as the surf picked up a bit from yesterday.  I wish I had another day but had to get back to work by Tuesday.  Drove to Beaumont, just across the Loosiana border.

10/10- Smooth ride home.

Final thought:

I recommend flying to either Austin or San Antonio instead of driving.  I chose the drive for two reasons.  I wanted to see Shreveport and I could not risk a SNAFU with a key fob even though I'm sure this beach is safe.  A lot of transplants have moved in over the last 20 years so it's not the Texas of old but it's still a special place to me.