We’d been wanting to take Maya to the beach at least once this year, but hadn’t quite worked out the logistics. Luckily, our friend Holly HAD worked out the logistics, rented a condo in South Padre for a week, and offered us the spare room. And that is how in mid-September, we came to be taking our first long-distance road trip with Maya for her first-ever beach vacation.

Maya at South Padre – almost 10 months old

The drive to South Padre is pretty easy; once you get past San Antonio, there’s really no traffic (at least in the off season – can’t speak for spring break). We whipped out the big convertible car seat for this trip so Maya would have a little more room to stretch out, but even so, by the end of that drive, she and that car seat were through with each other.

The condo was pretty lively with Holly and Chris and their kids Ruby (age 4) and Herbie (age not-quite-2) and the three of us. I think Maya was in heaven. There were other kids there for her to watch and interact with, Mom and Dad didn’t enforce vegetable quotas or bed time, and there was a pool practically right outside the door.

It’s right in the middle of hurricane season and there was at least one, if not multiple incoming tropical storms, so the water was pretty rough for most of the few days we were there. We did manage to make it to the beach and play in the water one day though. Maya really likes sand. When we put her on her blanket at home, she’s a little wary of crawling out into the grass. Not so with sand. She hauled ass off that blanket at speed, not stopping till she was all fours on sandy beach. I wish I could tell you that no sand was consumed during that outing, but I’d be lying. Not only did she eat it, I think she enjoyed the flavor.

Playing in the Gulf was a little different than playing in the pool. We didn’t really let the waves splash Maya’s face much, but she still never quite made her peace with the water rushing at her all crazy like that.

Lounging

Given the sometimes rainy weather and the choppy water, we spent a good deal of our time in the condo pool. The kids LOVED it. Maya spent hours relaxing in her little floating thing and playing with Ruby and Herbie’s toys.

We had a great meal at Gabriella’s. The pizza is delicious, they have a nice beer selection, and they seem to be really tolerant of small children.

Can you tell they’re related?

I’m a little sad that we didn’t get to see the beach a bit more, but all in all, it was a good trip. Herbie, Ruby, and Maya provided most of the entertainment. The vibe was distinctly low-key, which was perfect for us. We only stayed a few days, so we didn’t have a chance to get vacation-with-an-infant fatigue. I think we’re already planning to go again next year, figuring a kid who can move around a little more on her own might have a better time playing in the water.