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A South Padre Saturday

July 21, 2014 by Kate 2 Comments

Neon coral

This weekend I enjoyed a sunny Saturday with family in South Padre, a barrier island along the Texas Gulf Coast. Whenever I visit a beach town, I have my camera ready to snap photos of sea and surf, tropical accents, and of course, souvenirs of the neon variety. And speaking of souvenirs, we found ourselves at Bobz World in Los Fresnos (on the way to South Padre). It’s impossible to describe this retail outlet, which also features a jungle-style garden, an arcade, and black light mini golf and mini bowl opportunities. So I’ll paint a picture with photos. Rad-tastic photos!!!

Let’s start with a few from South Padre Island…

South Padre montage

Pretty cool, right? But then we ended up at Bobz, and my head exploded. Maybe it was the army of life-size dolphin statues welcoming us in:

Dolphins

Or the giant conch shells that flanked the dinosaurs and shark’s mouth that guided us to the entrance…

Bobz World

Here’s a view from the inside of the shark’s jaw. It’s hard to tell, but a humongous coral reef in candy colors borders the highway. That way children can’t pass Bobz without begging their parents to pull over–stat! But I have a feeling that once I have kids, I’ll be the one insisting that we stop at Bobz whenever we hit the beach!

Bobz

As if the shark’s mouth out front weren’t enough…

Welcome from the shark

Okay, ready for the view inside Bobz? Brace yourselves, folks. For starters, the first thing you notice when you enter this giant souvenir shop and recreation center is the large number of hermit crabs for sale. Yes, there’s a hermit crab inside each shell you see below. You pick out the one you want…

Neon sand

…then pick out a home for it. Each plastic, gravel-filled container has a neon lid! Not sure how many of these hermit crabs find their forever homes when being purchased at the beach on a whim by a five-year-old, but the display itself was worth photographing! Kinda crazy, right?!

Hermit crabs

Here’s a close-up of a larger “tank”:

Fluro gravel

This same level of retail-fabulousness continues throughout the store, thanks to glass shelving. Lots of glass shelving. Check out the “snow globes” below:

Bobz snow globes Los Fresnos

Some of them were glass with embedded jellyfish figurines…

Jellyfish paperweight

You didn’t think Bobz would skimp on flamingos, did you?! The one on the far left might be missing a head, but why dwell on little details when there’s a backdrop of neon lighting and blue walls?!

Neon and flamingos

Seashells are definitely a major offering here at Bobz. From coral that’s in the $600 range to a little sea sponge I bought for $5, sea life is celebrated in full force. Blue tile and glass shelving frame the merchandise:

Shells at Bobz in Los Fresnos

Neon bangles, anyone?!

Neon bracelets

And we can’t forget the neon mugs in South Padre’s signature colors. Yes, the official logo for this beach town features a blue background, as well as umbrellas in breezy shades of pink, yellow and teal. These mugs are manufactured in similar hues–amped up, of course!

South Padre mugs

Here’s my hubby outside the entrance to Bobz World. Saying goodbye to retail greatness is so hard…

Bobz World at Seven Seas

But I can always close my eyes and dream of my next day at the beach!

Palm trees

Hope your week is off to a great start!

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Comments

  1. Robert Taylor says

    July 21, 2014 at 2:23 pm

    South Padre was so HOT in the 80’s. I didn’t go until 98 but stayed in a swanky 80’s style penthouse on the beach. Glad to see it’s still a destination.

    Reply
    • Kate says

      August 9, 2014 at 5:08 pm

      Definitely still a destination! Sounds like you had the ultimate South Padre experience in that ’80s-style penthouse! Thanks for your comment.

      Reply

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Mirror80 is a blog that celebrates the intersection of modern design and retro style. I'm Kate, and I enjoy exploring the look and feel of the "recent retro", with a focus on the late '70s through the early '90s. Welcome to Mirror80. Read More…

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