Jan 9-13th, 2025

After two long days on the road, with a stop in Corpus Christi, we finally reached Isla Blanca Park on South Padre Island. We were welcomed by beautiful sunshine but also a cold wind — it felt like just a few degrees above zero. Fortunately, we also had some warm days while we were there, so we visited a bird and nature museum to see alligators (hence the photos :D):

*Click left or right arrow for more pictures

We were there to see the Starship launch, and it was exciting that the launchpad was right across the water, visible from our campground. Unfortunately the Starship 7 launch got postponed by a couple of days and then got postponed again to the 16th — the same day we were flying to Montreal. While we missed the launch, it was for the best reason possible: spending four days with family and friends and, most importantly, meeting our grandson. That moment was beyond special, and we couldn’t have been happier.

Boca Chica was an incredible experience. We drove past the Starbase, then watching Starship being stacked just across the street. Seeing it up close, with the booster and ship coming together, was surreal. The sheer scale of it is mind-blowing. We captured a time-lapse of the stacking, and it turned out amazing — seeing it all come together in fast motion really puts into perspective how far spaceflight has come. Boca Chica is not just a beach; it’s a front-row seat to the future.

More photos below:

We were lucky to see the stacking! Some people we met said they had waited the day before without seeing anything happen, but as soon as we arrived, the stacking began. Below a time-lapse:

À tantôt!

Cati & Pasc