Port Aransas

We enjoyed our stay here at Port Aransas. There are lots of things to do and the people at the marina are really nice. I know I say that a lot, that the people are really nice. It’s true though, there is never any shortage of friendly people at any of the marinas we’ve visited so far.

When we moved, my daughter switched schools mid tenth grade in a city where we didn’t know a soul, out of the 3000+ kids that made up the student body, it was the theater kids that made her feel at home. Similarly, I feel boaters are like the theater kids of coastal cities: diverse, accepting, easy going and welcoming.

Lots of friendly people and lots to do here; also, many ways to get around via public transportation. From jumping on the trolley for a quarter or buying a two-dollar day pass to ride the shuttle all the way into corpus Christi. The pass will also allow you to ride the buses through town. We used a combination of the shuttle and bus services to get as close as we could to the Customs and Immigration Office so we could get a Zarpe to exit the country. It isn’t a requirement of the US but will be needed when we arrive in Mexico.

Since we needed to get an Uber for the final leg, we could have skipped the bus altogether, but you meet some interesting people on buses and at bus stations. We met a man named Timothy whose only prayer request was for love and peace. We are praying Ephesians 3:18 and Philippians 4:4-7 over Timothy, that he would truly understand the depth of God’s love, know that God sees him and cares about his struggles, and that he would turn to God and accept the peace of Christ that only comes when you are choosing to trust in Him as Lord and Savior. We are strong believers in the power of prayer and hope you will join us in praying for Timothy. Don’t forget to pray for us too as we are always seeking God’s wisdom, protection and leading in each step of this journey.

But back to getting around Port Aransas; if buses and shuttles aren’t your thing there is also a lot to see and do within walking distance. We walked to Farley Boat Works where they hand build wooden boats and were given a short but interesting tour.

We enjoyed talking with this gentleman at Farley Boat Works; young people are so impressive these days!

We walked to the art center where they have a gallery and offer a variety of art classes from copper working to watercolor and acrylics and wandered through a few shops. Across from the art center is Paul’s seafood house, we were lured in for lunch by their dollar oyster deal! On our way back, we also stopped at the library to make copies of our passports and paperwork for Mexico.

On days we didn’t want to wander far we found plenty to do right at the marina. There is a park where benches line the channel, great for relaxing, fishing, or watching ships go by. You can hop on a pirate party boat or a dolphin watching tour, but this is a prime spot for dolphin watching that won’t cost you a penny. We saw lots of dolphins, had a close encounter with a pelican and even saw a sea turtle swim by.

There is a ferry you can walk on for free; ride it across and back, because there isn’t anywhere to go on foot once you get to the other side. We were also able to attend a sunrise Easter service right here at the marina, an event they host annually.

But, as much as we love it here, since we may have a week or two of waiting for a good weather window, (which for us means no storms, good winds and staying on a beam reach as much as possible), we decided to head back to Rockport where the marina is more budget friendly.

So tomorrow we will be bidding goodbye to our messy flock of dock mates and heading out for Rockport Harbor.

The only drawback to staying here was the seagulls. Not only do they make a mess of the docks (this was taken three days after it was pressure washed), but they make a tremendous amount of noise very early every morning. Fortunately, for whatever reason, they seem to prefer pooping on the dock to pooping on the boats, much to our relief!