People traveled to South Padre Island for fun in the sun before completion of the first Queen Isabella Causeway in 1953 by ferry or boats like these. Padre Beach was merely a fishing village.
There was a Padre Island Casino waiting to take your money while you had a good time drinking and gambling. Some of the earliest structures were the Bahia Mar Complex, Tiki Condominiums and the Padre South Hotel.
The Sand Crab Taxi was a way to cover dunes and seashores for some serious exploring.
The first sports utility vehicle to be spotted on the island was this homemade camper.
In 1953 the Queen Isabella Causeway opened with a ribbon cutting with the Ambassador from Spain. The newer 2-mile causeway was built in 1974.
Black and white images from Joe La Roche of Port Isabel. Postcards copied from Ebay.
