South Padre Island Lodging Advice/Help Needed (Brownsville, McAllen: rentals, condo)

[AK-Cathy]

I am trying to put together a 75th birthday celebration for my mother over Thanksgiving week (I know that we are almost too late) and she mentioned that South Padre Island would be nice. Warm weather, beach, semi-tropical setting fairly close for everyone to get to in a day or so of travel.

Here's our problem: We all (5 siblings and mother) have dogs and when we go on vacations individually we either take or watch each other's pets. Family gatherings we all bring our dogs. A few of the dogs can be watched by neighbors or friends but there is one dog that completely melts down in boarding (my brother's dog) one that doesn't eat in boarding (my mother's dog) and one that has never been boarded that is 12 and needs meds twice a day (my dog) so those dogs must come with. All dogs are under 60 pounds and are well behaved and non-destrutive.

I would dearly like to find a very large dog friendly beach house with 6 bedrooms or more or cottages close together that we can rent for the week of Thanksgiving. At this point expense is the least of my concerns. I have been doing exhaustive research online and have come up with nothing that will work for our group.

There apparently is a very nice 6BR condo on SPI but it looks isolated from the outdoors by the many photos and one of the final flies in the ointment is my sister's 8 y/o high functioning autistic son who I can imagine in that setting would be riding the elevator non-stop, running halls and disturbing neighbors. A place with a pool or near the beach will keep him very occupied.

One last hitch: We are all middle aged and very few of us are up for the big camp out dorm type room sharing scenario and what makes a hotel setting unworkable is how are we to have a TG dinner or Mom's BD celebration without a fairly sizable common private gathering area?

I'm hoping that someone that is familiar with the area can clue me in to maybe something my dragnet has missed. We are all responsible, clean and reasonable non-smoking people. I am open to beach areas from Galveston to the border.

Thanks in advance folks.

[gguerra]

Just in case you have not looked, here is the McAllen area craig's list

mcallen / edinburg vacation rentals classifieds - craigslist

and Brownsville

brownsville vacation rentals classifieds - craigslist

[AK-Cathy]

Thank you. I went there after I ran through the "official" travel sites. I am now looking for two smaller pet friendly houses close together. Wish me luck.

[ChristieP]

VRBO® is Vacation Rentals By Owner

[texasdiver]

6 bedroom house that will take 3 dogs on a peak holiday weekend is going to be incredibly difficult.

You'll probably have much better luck splitting into 2 groups and renting two smaller places that are close by. Then theoretically you'll only need to find one place that is pet friendly.

By the way, find a nice restaurant with a private room for your mom's big birthday bash if you can't find a smaller condo that will seat everyone.