Vacation Highlights

Last weekend we took our third annual beach vacation in July. We only live a few hours from the beach, so a trip over a long weekend is a nice way to beat the heat in South Texas. This year, we stayed in Port Aransas, but also went into Corpus Christi a couple of times.

We arrived on Friday and ate lunch in Corpus Christi. As we pulled up to the marina, Alex kept saying, "That's a big boat!"

Friday's lunch at Landry's Seafood was delicious. We enjoyed the fish tacos, crab cake sliders, and the po-boy. They also have a nice selection on their children's menu. We arrived in Port Aransas and could walk to the beach from our cabin. Alex was a little hesitant to get in the ocean, but he got comfortable in the water after a while. One of his favorite activities was throwing the shells and rocks back into the ocean. We sat in the water and played, but we did see some sting rays!

Alex also enjoyed playing in the sand. I wanted to show him how to make sand castles, but he preferred to make sand cakes. The main goal was to smash the cake.

For lunch on Saturday, we went to the Port Aransas Brewing Company. Their acclaimed Stopher Burger did not disappoint! It was worth the wait, which can be part of visiting during peak season.

It was nice to have the grandparents along on the trip. The offered to watch Alex on Saturday evening so that John and I could go out to dinner. We had spent our first anniversary in Port Aransas in 2005 and discussed going back to a restaurant from that trip. Instead, John wanted to rent a jet ski. Neither of us has been on one before. After driving around, we found the place and went out on their last run of the day. It was terrifying an fun all at once! We were not prepared for how fast the guide went and how choppy it was out in the ocean. John drove and I held on for dear life. Once we made it out to the "play area" we slowed down and enjoyed ourselves. The highlight was seeing dolphins!

We visited the Texas State Aquarium on Sunday and had a great time. It is good to go early to beat the large crowds. Their new water park looks fun, so we will need to bring our sunscreen and swimsuits next time.

We also had some down time at the cabin, and Alex was funny in his sunglasses.

July is peak season in Port Aransas, but it is still a good time to visit. We plan to book early for 2012.