VFR Cross Country flight questions

[HouTxPilot82]

I hope this is the right sub-forum for these questions. Weather seems to be shaping up pretty good in SE TX towards the end of the week, so I'm planning a VFR flight from Sugar Land (KSGR) to South Padre Island. Tentative plan is to depart KSGR Friday morning, in a rental Cessna 172N. Return flight back from South Padre would be 2 days later on Sunday morning. Intend to stay at the Hilton Garden Inn on the island. A couple of questions I wanted to ask those that are familiar with the area:

1. Any suggestions on which airport and FBO to use for destination? T65, KHRL, or KPIL? We would definitely want to get a car rental so we can have freedom to move about on the ground.
2. Planned cruising altitude is 6500, pretty much hugging the coast line all the way, and I intend to have VFR flight following. There are some alert areas along the route, which I don't think will really be a problem. There does seem to be a TFR almost daily right over KNGP and extending out over the water. Any comments on this one? Or anything to watch out for in this general airspace along the route?
3. Any suggested off the beaten path/hole in the wall seafood places in that general area?

Thanks in advance!

 

[sferguson524]

paging @Jay Honeck

 

[rene86mx]

Watch for the red tide this week. Mi parents were there last week and they said it was fine but from what I've been reading in Facebook this week is bad

 

[labbadabba]

paging @Jay Honeck

Don't know if there's a good way to get from Mustang Beach to South Padre. Looks like KPIL gets you closest to South Padre. That said, Jay runs a B&B right close to Mustang Beach KRAS in Port Aransas and he seems to give special attention to POA guys.

 

[HouTxPilot82]

Watch for the red tide this week. Mi parents were there last week and they said it was fine but from what I've been reading in Facebook this week is bad

Thanks for the tip. I hadn't considered that...although I wasn't really planning to get in the ocean.

Don't know if there's a good way to get from Mustang Beach to South Padre. Looks like KPIL gets you closest to South Padre. That said, Jay runs a B&B right close to Mustang Beach KRAS in Port Aransas and he seems to give special attention to POA guys.

My departure is from Sugar Land, not Mustang Beach. I've been to Mustang Beach - wanted to go elsewhere this time.

 

[labbadabba]

My departure is from Sugar Land, not Mustang Beach. I've been to Mustang Beach - wanted to go elsewhere this time.

I was actually responding to a different poster who suggested you could stay at Amelia's Landing in Port Aransas but what I was saying is there's no good way to get from there to South Padre. So unless you wanted to stay at Jay's place in Port Aransas (which I guess is pretty cool), KPIL might be your best bet.