Family Vacation Bargains: Port Aransas, Texas

Do you picture long leisurely strolls down the beach? Do you dream of sunbathing as the waves lap your toes? Perhaps you imagine building sandcastles or hunting for sea shells along the beach.

The beach at Port Aransas, Texas, has all of those things and more. Port Aransas is located on an island. More specifically, it is on the northern tip of Mustang Island. You can access the island by taking a free ferry from the nearby city of Aransas Pass, Texas, or you can take a bridge from the Texas city of Corpus Christi. (For additional information you can check on the Port Aransas Chamber of Commerce website or the Port Aransas city website.

Like the better-known Texas beaches of Corpus Christi and Padre Island, Port Aransas boasts miles of beautiful beaches for you to enjoy. Unlike its well-known Texas beach cousins, you'll find that Port Aransas has retained its local character while leaving the crowds behind.

We visited Port Aransas during an off-peak time and found that we had the beaches mostly to ourselves. We also found that we were able to get reduced or off-season rates on nearly everything from lodging to food to souvenirs during our beach vacation.

Some of the better vacation bargains are available year round. We discovered:

1. Beach Parking Permit. These are available at any Port Aransas convenience store. For only $12.00 you can purchase a permit to park on the beach. The permit is valid for an entire year and good for any beach in Nueces county Texas (which includes Port Aransas and Corpus Christi beaches).

2. Free Ferry. The Texas Department of Transportation provides a free ferry ride from the city of Port Aransas, Texas to the city of Aransas Pass, Texas. The ferry is availably seven days a week, 24 hours a day. It is a car ferry, meaning that you drive your car up a ramp onto the ferry and remain in your car during the ferry crossing. Depending on how crowded it is you may get a view of the ocean or just a view of the car next to you. For residents this is probably not exciting, but our landlubber family enjoyed the "boatride."

3. Free Trolley. Once you're on the island, save on gas and catch a ride on the free trolley. The City of Port Aransas maintains an attractive, old-fashioned looking trolley for transportation. Check the Port Aransas city website for details on the trolley route and schedule.

4. Shell Hunting. The beaches of Port Aransas provide an excellent opportunity to collect shells. They are particularly known for the sand dollars that can be found. Two family friends specifically mentioned finding sand dollars along the beaches here. Our personal experience is somewhat limited. We picked up a lot of oyster shells and a few broken sand dollars. We did get one unbroken sand dollar, though.

5. Fishing or Walking along the Jetties. The island is protected from flooding by huge man-made jetties that jut out into the ocean. The jetties are composed of huge blocks of granite and cement. When we were there many people were fishing or walking along the jetty. While we didn't make it to the end, we were able to walk about halfway down the jetty and we got a spectacular view of the ocean for our efforts. (Note: A fishing a license is necessary to fish from the jetty.) (Caution: Walking along the jetty is NOT recommended for small children. The water along the jetty is deep. There are huge cracks in the granite and the granite can be slippery when wet.)

6. Fly a Kite. The sea breeze along the beach makes for excellent kite flying. You can bring your own kite, or buy a kite at one of the many island gift shops. Either way, you're in for hours of kite-flying fun.

7. Build a Sandcastle. Because the beaches are wide and sandy, they provide a wonderful opportunity for your family to explore their creative side by building sandcastles. Incidentally, Port Aransas, Texas is home to the Texas Sand Fest. We missed this year's Texas Sand Fest (although we saw what may have been some practice efforts). In 2008 the Texas Sand Fest will be from April 18th to April 20th.

In summary, if you are looking for an inexpensive and relaxing family beach vacation, I would definitely recommend Port Aransas, Texas.