| I was asked by Grex, the young man who is now in charge of marketing and communications, to share a few experiences I have had here at the Gulfstream Condos. 1 st, my parents were original owners of 308. They bought it in May of 1970. August 3, 1970 hurricane Celia hit the island and devastated Corpus Christi. My Dad and I made a couple of trips August 6th & 8th hauling ice and water and in so doing determined the GulfStream still stood and weathered the storm fairly well with minimal flood and wind damage…thanks mainly to the ¾ mile seawall . That story is worth tipping a few beers over and embellishing on the tale, but another time. I’ve spent better than 52 years “going to the beach” with family. Not each and every year but probably 90% of them, and most of them involved several trips in a year. Over those years, I’ve had the pleasure of sharing the beach experience with 5 generations of my family. We’ve pretty much tried and done it all. But the thing that keeps me and my family coming back is just that, family. The GulfStream, with its amenities and a plethora of seaside options and activities, allows us all to “chill out” and let our ordinary consciousness guards down. Grex has referred to the GulfStream as an escape destination and in many ways that rings true to me. But for our family the stays at the GulfStream have allowed for a rebranding of interpersonal family roles and relationships. Siblings, cousins, nephews, nieces, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and grandkids mix and interact and reassess if not redefine their relationships. That’s not by intent or purpose. It’s more subtle. It just happens. It’s: Bocci ball and horseshoes: picking partners and competing or just observing (all ages) Building sand castles (all ages) Kayaking, surfing, boogey boarding, body surfing, sailing: learning, being taught and teaching (all ages) Fishing – surf, gulf or bay: assisting and experiencing your 3-year-old grandson catching his first fish, watching a nephew catching fish in the surf with a smile so big he’s gonna need some aspirin, being outclassed and out fished by daughters, wife, and grandfather. (needless to say, all ages) Team efforts: cooking meals in the GulfStream courtyard on the grills or down on the beach; setting up/taking down beach equipment; building sand castles; volleyball. (all ages) Swimming – gulf and pool: I believe I heard it said at a board meeting that GulfStream has the largest pool on the Island. If not, it comfortably accommodates a whole bunch of folks. (all ages) Campfires on the beach at night with sing-a-longs with guitars, smores and more. (all ages And the beach is scores of other things as well. So, back to what is special about the GulfStream and “the beach”? Again, it’s about family. Last tid bit. Sometime in the early 80’s my dad who always traveled with his guitar took to playing it down in the courtyard at pool side around “Happy Hour” and would play and sing. His repertoire was broad, approximately 300-400 songs from memory. He’d play to an audience of 1 and loved requests. Because the guitar didn’t carry well (it was acoustic), within a year my brother, Jimi, rigged a pickup in the sound box and found an old Fender amp at a garage sale. Voila, instant improvement. His music covered nearly every genre. Perhaps some of you remember him. He was the consummate vocalist and musician. He passed in the year 2000 yet his music still continues at the beach as all of his children and many grandchildren have followed in his footsteps. Did I say that when we think GulfStream, we think family? This July, as has been the tradition for many years now, expect the Umstattd clan for a week bookended. We’re now at over 50 strong and all about family. Credits: Michelle and Bob Umstattd
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