Maxden44

At PINS, no matter where you decide to stay, either right on the beach itself or in the campground, you won't have to walk far at all. In fact, most spots, you can pitch your tent (or park the camper, whatever) right next to your car. The only thing to remember is that if you decide to drive down the beach and find a place to camp - you really have to have 4 wheel drive past the 5 mile mark. There is a hugh sign posted there not to go any further unless you have 4 wheel drive. And a Toyota Solara wouldn't make it, esp. if you like the car and want to keep it. Keep in mind too there is a constant wind blowing (sometimes 30 MPH or more) so choose a good place to park your car where it won't get a constant blast of sand/salt, although there are a lot of car washes on Padre Island so you can wash it off before you leave. Have a great weekend at PINS! My family is going too, but we're staying in the campground. I don't like to camp with crabs running all around my tent - freaks me out!

And as far as beachcombing for shells, to find the best ones, you have to go pretty far down the beach which requires 4 wheel drive, about 20-25 miles down. I always find great shells there. But you can find some smaller shells and other oddities (like palm seeds or fish skeletons) in the upper areas of the park - esp. after a hurricane. That's when stuff gets washed up from the bottom. The secret is to find a spot that isn't crowded, where lots of people haven't already picked up all the shells that wash up. Happy hunting! :cool: