First two weeks in Portland, TX

On Jan. 15 we arrived at Sea Breeze RV Park, planning to stay for 2 weeks.  Within the first 24 hours, we talked about staying longer.  Since we only fit in one or two sites in the park, and the one we were in was not a monthly site, I visited with the office manager and we worked out a deal to stay for an entire month for a negotiated price - a lot better than the weekly rate.  The view is excellent as we look out over Nueces Bay and can see the Corpus Christi sky line.  The Winter Texans (not Snowbirds) that stay here every winter made us feel very welcome and we have been enjoying their company.

The first day here we washed the motorhome which was pretty dirty and we always welcome a park that will let us wash it at the site.







At Medina Lake we were in a spot that was somewhat isolated from many of the other park guests which was great to attract all the deer, but in this spot we are right across from the Club House so we are meeting lots of people and their furry friends.  We met one very nice gal and her daughter Lexie, who were admiring our "girls" and in talking we found out that Christy was a hairdresser so the next day Craig and I both got haircuts in our motorhome - so much better than looking for a reliable salon.

We watched the NFC Championship game in our motorhome, and everyone at the club house enjoyed hearing us (really me) shouting throughout the Seahawk/Green Bay championship game - unbelievable.




It's so great to finally have great weather - we have had temperatures up to 82 degrees with very little rain.  We've been out in the Kayaks twice on the bay which is quite calm and enjoyable.  The water is very shallow overall and we can see the fish swimming below us.  We also spent 15 hours cooking our first Texas style Brisket - it turned out so juicy and tender.

They also bring is some entertainment here in the park, so we heard one of the entertainers from Branson.  Brian Arnold, who is known as the one handed piano player.  He put on a great show along with his traveling companion.

We've been out sightseeing some, as there is so much to see around here.  We also went to a movie at an actual theatre that the Winter Texans told us about.  Seven dollars to attend and you bring your own bowl and they fill it with all you can eat popcorn free on Tuesday nights.  So, we saw "American Sniper".  Great movie, and for that price, we may see more before we leave.

The first place we ventured out to was the South Texas Botanical Gardens.  This wasn't exactly the time of year to see the gardens at their best, but we did enjoy their tropical birds, flowers and nature settings.

We then went to the USS Lexington and was quite impressed with the self-tours available, as we were able to see the Bridge, Flight Deck all the way down to the engine rooms.

On Wednesday we were watching the local news and heard that they were going to release 209 Green Sea Turtles that had came on land during Corpus Christi's cold spell.  So we went to Padre Island to the National Seashore and watched the release, quite an experience.

This is how they were stored in the pickups bringing them to
the site for the release.

Here's the rows of pickups bringing the turtles.