As Texas Week ends, spring breakers not ready to go home

SOUTH PADRE ISLAND - Saturday was the last day of Texas Week Spring Break and while some had already packed their bags, others were not ready to leave.

"We were supposed to leave Friday, but why would you want to leave here to go back to Kentucky," Jessie Baker, a student at West Kentucky University, said. "I'm past sad."

Baker along with her friends Tiffany Willoughby and Lauren Dowell said they were even considering missing their ride back to Kentucky and staying a few more days on the Island. They enjoyed their first time on the Island so much that they said they were willing to spend extra money for a flight back home.

Jermaine Rivera, a junior at Texas State University in San Marcos, and his friends Aaron Windham, Greg Mañon and Jacob Garcia were hoping to stand out from the crowd on their last day.

The spring breakers got to work at about noon shoveling sand to build an elevated mound to serve as a stage on the Full Throttle Beach near Radisson Resort.

"There are hundreds of people here, you have to stand out," Rivera said. "We're going to party with as many people as possible and make hazy memories."

Airman 1st Class Ivan Lich from Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio said he came to the Island only for the weekend, but said he planned to make the best of it.

"It's beautiful weather," Lich said. "We're going to hang out here at the beach, with the clear blue skies. The water is too cold but it's OK, that's why everyone is hanging out on the beach. And then we're going to go to the club tonight again."

Lindsey Logan, a freshman at Texas State, said her stay at the Island during Texas Week had been "crazy" and "a huge party all the time."

On her last day of Spring Break, Logan, her boyfriend and friends arrived at the beach about noon to set up a Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity flag since they would be staying on the beach until 5 p.m., she said.

But Logan wasn't too sad about leaving today because she was "looking forward to resting."

Christine Tometich, a senior at the University of South Carolina, was one of the spring breakers who had just arrived on the Island.

"A few of us had never been to a Spring Break hot spot so we decided to live it up our last year (of college)," Tometich said. "We didn't know it was the end of Texas Week. But I guess it will be cool to see people from out-of-state schools."

Mexican nationals were also just making their way onto the Island to enjoy their Semana Santa, or Holy Week, vacation.

Juan Trevino, his wife Mariel Margain and their two sons, Juan, 6, and Patricio, 4, arrived on Friday from Monterrey, Mexico. Trevino and his family have owned a condominium on the Island for 10 years and they visit every Semana Santa, he said.

Trevino said he didn't mind walking through the beach with his family in the midst of spring breakers because he'd be keeping a close eye on his children.

"We come here mainly because it's close and we have a condominium," Trevino said. "We are already used to the spring breakers. We know they'll be here when we come."