Page 45 Rio Grande Valley Visitors Guide 2024-2025 Golf Nature Trails Community Come Visit...Stay Forever! TM Now Open: South Texas Eco Tourism Center www.stec-lv.org (956) 943 -1793 • www.lvtexas.us Holiday Tree Lighting • December 13, 2024 Duathlon • January 26, 2025 Easter Color Run • April 12, 2025 Independence Day Celebration • July 3, 2025 Fall Festival • October 25 2025 Pirate’s Landing Fishing Pier No fisherman should miss a visit to Port Isabel, a tiny town that serves as the gateway to South Padre Island. Billing itself as the “Boating and Fishing Capital of Tropical Texas,” a long fishing pier located adjacent to the Queen Isabella Causeway is just the place for anglers to try their hand at catching speckled trout, black drum, whiting, and sheepshead. Krispy Krunchy Chicken and the Cannon Bar are located next door so you can have a meal or kick back and enjoy a drink. General admission is $9.75 per pole, $9.25 for seniors, $8 for veterans, and $2.75 for spectators, plus tax on all admission prices. The pier is open 24 hours a day and seven days a week, weather permitting. Bay Charter captains are available at Pirate’s Fishing Pier, visit website for details. For more information, call (956) 943-7437 or visit www.piratespier.com. South Padre Island Art Trails South Padre Island has a rich art scene that highlights different forms of artistry through sand sculpting and sea turtle sculptures. The Sandcastle Art Trail is a collection of 30 sand sculptures that can be found throughout South Padre Island. Local and international sand artists sculpted each work of art, and their designs were based on the area’s location, culture, and history. The Sea Turtle Art Trail comprises 13 unique sea turtle art sculptures located at key businesses and attractions. Each sea turtle’s shape and charm came from its artist’s creative vision. The local artists took their blank fiberglass statues and created the works of art you see today. A map with all information for the art trails can be found at the Visitors Center at 321 Padre Blvd., and a digital map is available at www.sopadre.com. SpaceX Boca Chica is where nature and space combine with the new SpaceX launch site. The site is testing the Starship, a rocket designed for missions to Mars. You can find out more about the Starship at https://www.spacex.com/vehicles/starship/. Find a link to their live stream at https://www. sopadre.com/spacex/. SPI Convention Center Boasting 45,000 square feet of meeting space and 22,500 square feet of exhibit hall space for presentations and performances, the South Padre Island Convention Center hosts many special, cultural and sporting events, conferences, conventions and trade shows. The convention center is located at 7355 Padre Blvd., 4.1 miles north of the Queen Isabella Memorial Bridge. Call (956) 761-3000 for upcoming events or visit www.sopadre.com. Andy Bowie Park Those wishing to spend a day enjoying the waterfront on South Padre Island will want to visit Andy Bowie Park. The park features a boardwalk to the beach, a pavilion, and picnic tables, and is a must for bird watchers because
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