The Cutest Cottage - Beach Weekend Getaway

One of the reasons we decided to leave Minnesota was to be in a different area of the country and take advantage of the travel opportunities that it provided.  Minnesota is sometimes TOO central, too land locked, and too full of fields. 

This weekend, we took off to the BEACH!  There is a place that people always talk about as a fun getaway called Port A.  {Technically, Port Aransas, which is near Corpus Christi.}  I happened to have a $35 credit on Air BnB and did a quick search last Tuesday to see if anything was available.  Two results came up (the area is super busy during the summer) and one of them was the most adorable cottage ever!  It had excellent reviews, so I emailed to Mike, and with no plans for the weekend - he said, "I'm in". 

We packed up late Friday night and took off around 8:30 Saturday morning.  The almost four hour drive is a bit boring, but we knew we had a cozy accommodation, the beach, and great food awaiting us!  We arrived to an easy check in, a beautiful deck, and a lovely note from our host.

You know I love my shabby! 

Home

First order of business?  SWIMSUITS!  Second order of business?  Walk one house over and pick up our complimentary beach cruisers for the weekend.  (Helloooo perks!)  J.B. at Big Shell Bikes hooked us up with custom adjusted bikes and advice on where to beach, eat, and hang out.  From there, we headed straight to the beach. 

The Best!

We walked out on a jetty to watch the birds and get a view of the beach.  On our way back, we saw SEA TURTLES!  I absolutely love animals, and happen to think that sea turtles are pretty majestic.  It was extra special because before the weekend, I had asked Mike if there were any sea turtle events while we were visiting.  So it was a treat for me to see them swimming around!  Yes, I am five years old.  Deal with it. 

The new swimsuit!

We then enjoyed the ridiculously warm, sandy water and basked in the sun.  With humidity and all that jazz, we were cooking at 108 degrees.  Sweet SUMMER time!  So we cooled down with a warm brownie sundae with cookies and cream ice cream.  Nom.  And you can always burn off a few calories by visiting the "chapel" in town, which is the highest point on the island.  I would say capacity is about 15 people...so cute!

Sunset at the Chapel

We rode our bikes everywhere over the weekend and ended up at Giggity's for a great dinner.  This place was dark, with lamps at the bar tables, and had a live band starting at 9 PM.  The food was pretty fantastic despite the run-down look of the place.  FYI:  Port A has TONS of restaurants.  It can be overwhelming.  (If you are a planner, make sure to read the hours and menus before venturing out.)

We ended the night with a jam band on a rooftop across the street from our cottage.  Then we settled in to read books in bed and relax from a whirlwind day!

Sunday started with coffee, reading and sunshine on the deck. YES!  I wish I could do that every day.  We then headed to a café with delicious and CHEAP breakfast food and drinks.  It is called Eat's and I would definitely recommend it.  I had pancakes with eggs and bacon for $7.95!  They also have coffee and smoothies and a lunch menu as well. 

Our lovely cottage!

Coffee Dream House

Then we took our cruisers on a little ride to see a bit more of town.  It's such a great place to cruise and see all the beach cottages and unique homes. 

Our last adventure in Port A was a dolphin cruise onboard Kohootz.  The website is horrible, but for $25 you get a 90 minute cruise and some dolphin fun!  We were extremely lucky and were able to follow a large shipping vessel and watch the dolphins "surf" the wake.  They apparently came up with this to improvise not having ocean waves to play in.  It was really neat to watch, and even the babies got involved.  So neat!  This cruise is run by a husband and wife that are very fun and courteous.  (Don't be turned off if the phone or people in the shop are rude, it's totally worth it.)

Cruisin'

Dreamy

A Family

Two of them "Surfing"

We had an amazing weekend spoiling ourselves a bit and enjoying the hot-hot weather.  The cottage was ridiculously adorable and I would definitely go back.  I just could not get over how cute it was!  Needless to say, I'm lucky to have an amazing husband that is always up for anything I can find.  And for putting up with my childish enthusiasm about sea turtles and dolphins.  He is THE BEST!

Don't forget to treat yourself once in a while.  And if you have questions or suggestions about Port Aransas, comment below!