Welcome to PeeDee's Park - our Dog Park!
Over the Winter of 2012-2013, we painted the North side of the North hotel building. This is the side facing Bilmore's Hardware store, which had not been seen by the public since the hotel was built in the 1980s.
As we were painting, we looked around and saw nothing but an ugly mess of discarded concrete, trash, and over a hundred pepper trees, ranging in size from fingerlings to 6" trunks. There were three different types of fences -- all falling down -- and thickets of undergrowth that you could not penetrate.
We looked at each other and said "Dog park!"
So, for the next three weeks we worked to clear the area. First, the old fences had to go. This was no mean feat, since the pepper trees were growing THROUGH the chain links in the fence. But we got 'em gone.
Then, it was time for the concrete slabs and trash. And the pepper trees. These trees are not native to Mustang Island, grow like weeds, and the ONLY way to kill them is to dig them out. By the roots. Uffda.
Then, it was time to fence off the area, so that the doggies were safe and secure. We were able to repurpose one fence, and we erected a new fence at the other end. Voila -- we had 150 feet of straight run, plenty for any dog!
But after digging 100 holes, it looked like the surface of the moon. No problem -- Randy, our buddy at Bilmore's, got his buddy to grade the whole area with a little bulldozer. Smooth as a baby's bottom, so we could plant grass, and put out a picnic table for our pet owning guests to enjoy.
And so...PeeDee's Park was born. Named for OUR beloved dog, PeeDee, this park is yours to use while staying at the hotel with your pet. (Remember, not ALL of our rooms are pet friendly, so be sure to ask when reserving your room!)
Since Hurricane Harvey, the old hardware store has been torn down -- but PeeDee's park lives on! You just need a leash, now.
Here are some pix of the process of building PeeDee's Park: