Howdy Texas! Day 16 Port Aransas

CrispyA · 30 Sep 15, 07:39 PM

We all slept well again and were more impressed with breakfast this time - it seemed to be fresher and replenished more quickly.

We were heading to the Gulf Coast, but first we had another trip to the Mall on the Riverwalk. We have a friend who loves basketball and the San Antonio Spurs in particularly, and we had been looking out for some merchandise for him. We hadn't found anything but knew there was a sports shop in the Mall, so decided to have a quick walk there after breakfast. It didn't take long and we were able to pick him up a Spurs Mug (which went down a treat!). It was nice to be there without most of the crowds and we even saw a friendly boat driver who offered to take a picture for us.

(Hannah is wearing the Marvel Avengers cap she picked up in Walmart - she got admirers and questions about it for the rest of the trip!)

Back at the hotel, we checked out and then got on the road. It was hot and humid and very overcast - and soon turned to storms and rain. The storms were quite impressive but pretty scary and the rain was so heavy we could barely see the road at points. No fun whatsoever to drive in!

The rain did clear up but kept returning periodically throughout our journey south. When we got a bit hungry, we pulled off at a place called Sinton, which looked quite big on the map. We all got very excited at the sight of the Donut Palace - alas, it was closed down. So we stopped at the Sinton HEB and bought some donut middles - but they weren't quite the same!

There wasn't much to Sinton, but the HEB was full of merchandise for the High School football team, the Sinton Pirates. They do love football in Texas! Everyone was looking at us and I guess they don't get many folks passing through - we were joking that we will have made the front page of the Sinton Weekly.

We continued on, hoping that the rain would soon dry up, but it appeared to be heading in the same direction as us. We eventually came to the bridge and then the ferry that would take us to Port Aransas.

The ferry was fun - a drive on, drive off model that took about 5 minutes to cross the bay. You had to turn off your engines - and therefore aircon, so it was very hot and we opened all the doors. We also noticed, for the first time, that we could open the back window. Doh!

There were dolphins and pelicans in the bay, so we watched them from the ferry, and before no time at all, we were on the island.

We had booked the Island Hotel due to very positive reviews on Tripadviser and we were initially impressed - we had a suite with a kitchenette and balcony and huge bathroom. However, there was rubbish from the previous occupants on the balcony - including cigarette ends and plasters - and that ended up being a sign of things to come.

The weather was still pretty rubbish. It wasn't cold but it was wet and windy at times and just the worst weather for being at the seaside. If we hadn't have paid in advance, I would have been tempted to cancel the second night and head back inland.

We sat around the suite, feeling mopey and not really knowing what to do.

Port Aransas had been described as a charming beach resort but charm looked in short supply. Of course, nowhere looks great under grey skies and rain, but we didn't feel that it was somewhere we would want to spend too long.

In the end, we got in the car, as there were no places to eat in walking distance, and went to find some food. Most of the places looked overpriced but we eventually stopped at the Beach and Station Grill. It was expensive but very nice, with beautifully cooked fish and salad and bread for the veggie.

Then it was back to the Suite, making the most of having 2 TVs and a separate room for the parents. There was quite a bit of noise from the TV next door, and the walls were clearly paper thin, but we all got to sleep in the end, hopeful of a better day tomorrow.

**anji** · 3 Oct 15, 11:54 AM

We tried to go on the Ferry while we stayed in Rockport for a wedding. The wait was over an hour so we gave up! Agree that Texas seaside towns aren't the best!

Melbatb · 3 Oct 15, 01:41 PM

Shame about the weather 😒

Tripadvisor reviews are so subjective!

CrispyA · 4 Oct 15, 05:20 PM

Originally Posted by anji

We tried to go on the Ferry while we stayed in Rockport for a wedding. The wait was over an hour so we gave up! Agree that Texas seaside towns aren't the best!

I don't think you missed much! We did like Galveston though.

CrispyA · 4 Oct 15, 05:21 PM

Originally Posted by Melbatb

Shame about the weather 😒

Tripadvisor reviews are so subjective!

I know - there's nothing you can do about the weather but it could at least be nice when you are by the seaside!

katiebaz · 4 Oct 15, 05:21 PM

Shame about the weather - its hard to be at the beach when its grey and wet and also shame about the motel too

CrispyA · 4 Oct 15, 05:23 PM

Beaches never look their best in the rain, do they? Ah well, it did get better!

**WileyCoyote** · 6 May 17, 08:15 AM

Oh, a bit disappointing there with the rain and the rubbish. i remember when we visited Pismo in the fog and it just ruined it - seaside towns need sunshine !

CrispyA · 6 May 17, 11:20 AM

Originally Posted by WileyCoyote

Oh, a bit disappointing there with the rain and the rubbish. i remember when we visited Pismo in the fog and it just ruined it - seaside towns need sunshine !

They definitely do

i love jack · 26 Aug 23, 09:32 AM

Shame about the weather 🙁 after it�s been so hot.

30 Sep 15, 07:39 PM	#1
	30 Sep 15, 07:39 PM CrispyA Imagineer
CrispyA Imagineer Join Date: Oct 11	Howdy Texas! Day 16 Port Aransas We all slept well again and were more impressed with breakfast this time - it seemed to be fresher and replenished more quickly. We were heading to the Gulf Coast, but first we had another trip to the Mall on the Riverwalk. We have a friend who loves basketball and the San Antonio Spurs in particularly, and we had been looking out for some merchandise for him. We hadn't found anything but knew there was a sports shop in the Mall, so decided to have a quick walk there after breakfast. It didn't take long and we were able to pick him up a Spurs Mug (which went down a treat!). It was nice to be there without most of the crowds and we even saw a friendly boat driver who offered to take a picture for us. (Hannah is wearing the Marvel Avengers cap she picked up in Walmart - she got admirers and questions about it for the rest of the trip!) Back at the hotel, we checked out and then got on the road. It was hot and humid and very overcast - and soon turned to storms and rain. The storms were quite impressive but pretty scary and the rain was so heavy we could barely see the road at points. No fun whatsoever to drive in! The rain did clear up but kept returning periodically throughout our journey south. When we got a bit hungry, we pulled off at a place called Sinton, which looked quite big on the map. We all got very excited at the sight of the Donut Palace - alas, it was closed down. So we stopped at the Sinton HEB and bought some donut middles - but they weren't quite the same! There wasn't much to Sinton, but the HEB was full of merchandise for the High School football team, the Sinton Pirates. They do love football in Texas! Everyone was looking at us and I guess they don't get many folks passing through - we were joking that we will have made the front page of the Sinton Weekly. We continued on, hoping that the rain would soon dry up, but it appeared to be heading in the same direction as us. We eventually came to the bridge and then the ferry that would take us to Port Aransas. The ferry was fun - a drive on, drive off model that took about 5 minutes to cross the bay. You had to turn off your engines - and therefore aircon, so it was very hot and we opened all the doors. We also noticed, for the first time, that we could open the back window. Doh! There were dolphins and pelicans in the bay, so we watched them from the ferry, and before no time at all, we were on the island. We had booked the Island Hotel due to very positive reviews on Tripadviser and we were initially impressed - we had a suite with a kitchenette and balcony and huge bathroom. However, there was rubbish from the previous occupants on the balcony - including cigarette ends and plasters - and that ended up being a sign of things to come. The weather was still pretty rubbish. It wasn't cold but it was wet and windy at times and just the worst weather for being at the seaside. If we hadn't have paid in advance, I would have been tempted to cancel the second night and head back inland. We sat around the suite, feeling mopey and not really knowing what to do. Port Aransas had been described as a charming beach resort but charm looked in short supply. Of course, nowhere looks great under grey skies and rain, but we didn't feel that it was somewhere we would want to spend too long. In the end, we got in the car, as there were no places to eat in walking distance, and went to find some food. Most of the places looked overpriced but we eventually stopped at the Beach and Station Grill. It was expensive but very nice, with beautifully cooked fish and salad and bread for the veggie. Then it was back to the Suite, making the most of having 2 TVs and a separate room for the parents. There was quite a bit of noise from the TV next door, and the walls were clearly paper thin, but we all got to sleep in the end, hopeful of a better day tomorrow. __________________ West Coast July - August 2014, Howdy Texas! August 2015, Rocking in the Rockies July - August 2016, Bier, Bratwurst und Bahnsteige: Berlin 2017, Touring Tennessee 2017, Expedition East Coast 2018, Hola! Madrid 2019, Great Lakes Grooving 2019, It's Czech, Mate, Prague 2022, Veni, Vidi, Edi, Bibi Italy 2022 Edited at 03:22 PM.

4 Oct 15, 05:23 PM	#7
	4 Oct 15, 05:23 PM CrispyA Imagineer Thread Starter
CrispyA Thread Starter Imagineer Join Date: Oct 11	Beaches never look their best in the rain, do they? Ah well, it did get better! __________________ West Coast July - August 2014, Howdy Texas! August 2015, Rocking in the Rockies July - August 2016, Bier, Bratwurst und Bahnsteige: Berlin 2017, Touring Tennessee 2017, Expedition East Coast 2018, Hola! Madrid 2019, Great Lakes Grooving 2019, It's Czech, Mate, Prague 2022, Veni, Vidi, Edi, Bibi Italy 2022