We took our spring break this week. Why would we wait till mid April, when we are only a few weeks till the end of school? Our main reason for waiting is to have a beach without the crowds. Especially with COVID-19 still a thing, we wanted to be able to have plenty of social distancing when on the beach, fishing, dolphin watching, etc.
We usually go to the beach in September, when the weather is hot but not too hot, the water is warm, and the crowds are gone. The weather was a little cool and misty in April, and the water was definitely cooler. We went to the beach and played in the water everyday, but collecting shells got more attention than snorkling. We found so many beautiful shells!
There were a couple of unusual finds in the tideline, such as a barnacle covered flip flop.
We also went by the Leonabelle Turnbull Birding Center. There were quite a few unique and beautiful birds besides the pelicans, gulls, and pipers we normally see on the beach. The huge alligator never made an appearance, though. And, we did not stay as long as I would have like due to the strong odors in the air that day. Although my oldest was very interested in binocular viewing and trying to take pictures, my youngest was holding her nose and begging to go.
The jetty by the marina and park playground was a favorite this time around, too. We found hermit crabs and watched dolphins breech in front of large ships entering and leaving the channel. We did not see sea turtles this time around. And the few jellyfish we did see were beautiful blue-green blobs washed up onto the shore, not in the water itself.
Our last full day there, there were tons of sea shells washed up on the shore by the fishing pier! We found so many large sand dollar pieces, and whole clam, oyster, coquina, and scallop shells. It was a fun trip, over too soon. And one more reason to be thankful that we homeschool.
Hill County Homeschooler 