Port Aransas - Saturday, April 4th, 2015 and Sunday, April 5th, 2015

Josh and I woke up at 4:00 AM when the wind changed.  It really started blowing like stink!  Josh added more lines and made sure we were secure before returning to bed.  When I finally got up around 8:00 I looked at the wind speed on WindAlert and it was showing that it was blowing 24 knots! WeatherBug was indicating steady wind at 23 kts with gusts of 32 kts.  I picked up Teak to take her out and she was shocked.  What's going on out here?  Potty break did not take long!  She "booked it" down the pier, did her thing and back to the boat we went!  Talk about a bad hair day!!!! The wind made her look like a ragamuffin! As we were heading back to the boat, I was amazed that some small fishing boats were heading out in this weather.  They were bouncing all around trying to get across the channel.  They must really be die hard fisherman!

Sometime during the time Josh added more lines and I took Teak out this morning, a small sailboat came in and tied up.  I overheard one of the crew say something about coming from Port Isabel and did not expect this wind.  WindAlert was indicating 32 knots offshore.  Smart move to come in!

Around noon we decided to head into town for lunch.  We started out on our bikes and as we got half way down the pier we noticed EJ's new bike had a flat tire.  Back to the boats to "slime" and pump it back up.  Bummer, it didn't work!  EJ stayed at her boat while Ross, Josh and I headed to the bike shop to see if Ross could buy a new tube.  Ross bought two, one for a spare!  Back to the boat we peddled.  Once we got back to the boats we decided to take the shuttle in next trip because the wind was making biking difficult.  The bus driver was very friendly and gave us some good information about what to do and what to see here.  We decided to have lunch at Stingrays.  Ross heard that their pizza was good.  It was different, very thin like a cracker crust with very little tomato sauce but lots of toppings.  After lunch we scoped out other restaurants to eat at since we will be here for several more days, then we headed over to the grocery store for coffee creamer, milk and bread.   Time flies!  It was after 4 PM when we caught the bus back to the boats.  Let's hope tomorrow the wind dies down and the sun comes out!

This parrot did not like my yellow windbreaker.  He kept trying to pull it off to get to my pink shirt.

This would have been fun to watch but it didn't start for another 20 minutes!  Yes, it's pretty obvious how you win.....  What ever number the chicken poops on is the winner.

People are gathering for Chicken Bingo

Sunday morning started out foggy with a light mist and the die hard fisherman were still heading out.  Josh wanted kolaches so after Ross woke up we headed out on our bikes to find a donut shop.  We rode half way around the island to the donut shop, then on to the hardware store, looked at a shop with patio furniture (will go back tomorrow because it was closed), went to the kite shop and then on to the nature center before heading back to the boat for a rest.  We biked the whole island loop!

 Anyone want to buy a dinghy? Maybe AVON has a lifetime warranty?

Look closely!  Do you see the 2 gators?  They are biggies!

After we walked the dogs we decided to take a tour on the "B" Line Port Aransas Shuttle.  It was a nice relaxing ride and just 25 cents a person.  As we were walking back to our boats, a tanker was coming in.  Another video with dolphins jumping.

 The afternoon was too nice to waste so I pumped up my paddle board and played around the marina.

Ross and EJ decided to take down their dinghy.

EJ was making a roast in the crock pot but by dinnertime it was still not done so we rode our bikes to find a place open for dinner.  Right before we got to the "Brewery", EJ called for Ross to tell him her gears were not working.  It turned out to be her front brake pads were rubbing the tire making is tough to pedal.  EJ had been riding her bike all day like this.  She really got a workout!  After dinner we rode back to the boats with EJ having an easier time peddling. 

Port Aransas - Thursday, April 2nd, 2015 and Friday, April 3rd, 2015

Thursday morning Josh woke up with a sore throat and not feeling very good. I made him some eggs and bacon but that did not help much.  He said if we go out that he wanted to stop at the store for some cough drops.  

I had ice cream on my mind and it would not go away!  Thanks to Ross because after our dinner the night before, Ross said something about stopping at DQ for ice cream.  We were too full and it was a little chilly so we did not go.  You know how it is when you have something on your mind and it won't go away until you have it.  

I said to Josh "lets go to DQ for a shake then we can ride to the store".  He said a shake may feel good on his throat.  I contacted EJ and asked if Ross was up and to not let him eat too much because we are going for ice cream.   Around 11:00 AM we were off on our bikes to DQ and we all ordered larges shakes / malts.  It was way too much!  We went to the only grocery store on the island and as we were heading back we stopped by the Farley boat shop.  The Farley boat shop is a local place where people can come to build wooden boats and there are volunteer experts with wooden boat construction knowledge who help them.  Nothing is for sale here.

This Peacock is made from all the paint brushes used on one boat.  I told them that they should name each Peacock with each boat name.

 

After we got back to the boat everyone but me took a nap. I read a book.  Around 4:30 after everyone woke up, we gathered on our boat for munchies.

If you ever wanted to know what the difference between a 36 foot boat and a 49 foot boat, this is it!

Ross taking Howie out for his run!

Dolphins running with the bow of a tanker

I lathered up with Vicks and settled in to watch our shows hoping Josh would feel better in the morning.  Josh does not like Vicks, but it makes him feel better if I use it.  It also helped me with my stuffy nose.

It worked!  Josh woke up Friday morning feeling a lot better.  We were going to take our dinghies down today and play around but it was overcast and EJ said the sun was not coming out until 2 PM.  Dinghy ride would be cold and wet!  So it was a bike day!  We headed out on our bikes for lunch at Moby Dick's restaurant and on to "the pink place", the eclectic store named Gratitudes (a local, long time favorite of ours), then down to the beach, over to the Farley Boatworks museum for souvenir T-shirts before heading back to the boats.

Heading to Port Aransas - Wednesday, April 1st, 2015 - Costa Grande Port O'Conner to Port Aransas

After looking at the weather (wind) situation, it seemed like today was our best bet.  The wind prediction was to get higher every day so we headed out at first light, 7:00 AM, with everything tied down, expecting high winds and our boat to rock n' roll.  What a surprise when we heard a tow telling another tow that the San Antonio Bay was like the enclosed part of the ICW!  We had a great, smooth crossing.  One bay down!  Let's hope that the Rockport area is the same.

The Rockport area is usually lumpy and they were calling for the winds to pick up as the day went on.  It did pick up a little, but not what they predicted.  The weather gods were being nice to us with the wind situation but we did get a little rain.  Not a bad crossing, just a little lumpy, waves coming at us on the forward side and a light drizzle.  Teak was not real happy, she didn't seem to feel too well with the jerking of the waves.  She would not eat or drink until after we docked and were all settled in.

Safely tied up at Port Aransas City Marina!  It seems that we are exhausted after getting into ports.  It must be the sea breeze, not that we are getting older!  After resting, we decided to get out our bikes and head out for a place to have dinner.  Fins won this time! I had blackened tuna tacos and they were great!!!!!

Look what Port Aransas has!  We saw one of these boats in Destin, FL. when we anchored a couple of years ago.  I guess all the tourist spots have them.  As they were leaving the marina, they shot off their cannon and as they came in they acted like pirates.