South Texas -- Observations From A Reader -- July 7, 2021

Updates

July 8, 2021: posted about 12 hours after the original post below.

 

Original Post 

A note from a reader that I received about an hour ago.

I just drove to the Texas coast with my family (the reader lives in Dallas; this would be a trip down I-35 from Dallas, through Austin, through San Antonio, through Corpus Christi to the coast -- Mustang Island, Padre Island, Port Aransas). 

We do this every year. 

Beginning in January every year, I search hard for a VRBO / air bnb / resort deals. 

This year I paid 75% more than I did in 2019 ( can’t compare 2020 -- everything was shut down) for a similar rental.

Granted it’s nice but I splurge for the coast. 

Traffic on I-35 was terrible. Semi trucks everywhere and trucks and minivans in tow the whole way. There was no roadwork. Just a large number of people driving. 

We got to port Aransas.

The Quik -E-Mart has closed at 6 p.m. We arrived after it closed. 

Last year that same Quik-E-Mart was open until midnight every day. 

All pumps at the mart had bags on them and they had no gas. The sign at the door says “We closed at 6 p.m. I’m tired." 

No gas. Can’t believe it. Here along the coast where all the refineries in the US are located. 

So many story lines, I can't even begin. Note: I received the note today suggesting the reader made the trip today, after the July 4th weekend.

One can only imagine how busy it is out in Midland / Odessa --