Port Aransas in December!

Hi all, my boyfriend and I will be going to Port Aransas (first time) in mid December for a day or two for fun/relaxation together. So far we have some things planned from looking online, but I%26#39;d love some personal recommendations/tips/comments from you all.

1. Beach in general: what will the weather be like in Dec? should we still bring our swimsuits?

2. Tarpon Inn: sounds great from all the reviews! is this on the beach? what%26#39;s the best way to get there -- ferry or car?

3. Texas Treasure Casino Cruise: I heard it%26#39;s usually an older crowd, which we don%26#39;t mind, but I want to make sure we 22-yr-olds will have fun too

4. Texas State Aquarium: is it worth it?

5. Pirate and Smuggling Museum: I saw a short story on this, but I can%26#39;t seem to find any other info on it... does it exist? it sounds interesting!

6. St. Joe%26#39;s Island: can anyone give me more info about the jetty boat to get there? and is it recommended to go there? i%26#39;ve seen mixed reviews.

7. Dolphin tour: Kohootz is the one we%26#39;ve seen the most info about, but I read a review that said they don%26#39;t do the tours unless 10+ people sign up, so I want to make sure we can actually go... is there a better dolphin tour?

Any other recommendations for things to do, places to go, food to eat?? If you can tailor your rec%26#39;s for a young couple on a budget, I%26#39;d appreciate it! Thank you for any and all responses... Sorry for the many questions!

Port Aransas in December!

Another note on the lodging (#2): We%26#39;re also looking at Beachgate. My bf likes it better because it%26#39;s more modern and like a typical hotel... but I kind of like Tarpon Inn better because it%26#39;s less like a typical hotel. We both want ocean views and clean quarters though. Any recs or thoughts?

Thanks!

Port Aransas in December!

We just returned from Port Aransas for the Thanksgiving week. My family has been vacationing there for 30 years, so here%26#39;s my answer to your questions:

1) You can bring your swimsuit to walk the beach if you want, but you won%26#39;t be spending anytime in the water above your knees. It%26#39;s chilly.

2) The Tarpon Inn is quaint and historical, but you can%26#39;t see the beach from there at all. It is located in town, near the Fisherman%26#39;s wharf and nice restaurants, but probably about a mile walk to the beach (or more). Rooms are small, but nice.

3) We%26#39;re not big gamblers, so we have never been on the Texas Treasure.

4) I%26#39;ve never heard of the Pirate museum. The aquarium is a good visit.

5) St. Joe%26#39;s Island is good for shelling or a picnic, The boat ride is about 5 minutes from the dock.

6) The only boat tour we%26#39;ve ever done is the sunset cruise on the Scat Cat (at Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf). Keep in mind that December is low tourist season, so they may not run tours.

If you want to swim, check to make sure hotel/condo has a heated pool. Port A is very casual, even for dining out. I recommend the restaurants in the Fisherman%26#39;s Wharf area including Trout Street Grill and Virginia%26#39;s.

Greetings! We travel to port aransas frequently... I grew up in that area as well. December will be cool, but you can get lucky and have a nice warm day here and there. Swimming will be too cold, but some places have heated pools or at least hot tubs.

Tarpon Inn is nice and you can walk to restaurants (Hooks is across the street and you can listen to the music on your balcony!) and lots of other clubs w/in walking distance. We like to stay here, but there is no TV in the room (only one in the lobby), still it has great charm and one of our favs. Other place we like is the Aransas Princess, but it is pricey for a young couple on a budget. Try the Executive Keys, on the beach and reasonable. You will need to ride the trolley to town ($.25) or drive, its only about a mile, but a bit far to walk to eat. we dont care for Beachgate, but others do. There is a nice holiday Inn that is also w/in walking distance and a Best Western too, so check for deals there.

You can also rent bikes and little golf-club carts to ride around in which can be fun!

We dont like to gamble, but did the the Texas Treasure,... not something we will do again. My husband did not find the ship up to Navy standards. You sit at a table of six for a TV style buffet dinner and then you gamble the rest of the time. As for the Aquarium, it is very nice, but you will have to take the ferry and drive back to corpus christi for that. The pirate museum is in corpus too, take the beach road back and it is off SPID. There is also a Surf Museum open too, on Water Street (in Corpus)that sounds interesting.

St Joes is nice, can be a long day though - nothing on the island (no bathrooms) so be prepared. The dolphin watch is FUN, you can pick that up at Woodys on Cotter Street.

Jim, a local, does biplane rides. This is an awesome view and a great thrill if you are not afraid of an open cockpit! He has signs up in Port A.

Ride the Trolley for fun too, you can hop on/off any place it runs by.

Eating: breakfast: Cotter Street Coffee House, wide variety and good Java. Island Cafe is okay too, its just the basic Dennys of the island. Lunch - we like Fins on the water too - great hamburgers and reasonable. Moby Dicks should be open (remodeled) and they serve all 3 meals and reasonable -- its a fun place too. they have a waterfall and tiki lounge which sounds fun for evening (we havent been though). Oh - Port A pizzeria has a great cheap buffet....they also deliver too! They really make a great pizza pie. We are regulars for sure.

Nice dinner on a budget: Hooks, nice variety and decent. It used to be an old motor bank!

there are many clubs, mostly down by the marina except for Sharkeys. We have been to most of them and they all their own charm.... pick up a paper when there and see whats open and if there is live music. Pelicans landing looks fun too.

We also like to go to the birding center (free) and look around. We have gotten lucky and seen the alligator a couple of times.

oh, the ferry isnt usually crowded in December, so either way to the island should work (we usually take one coming and the other going)

hope that helps! have fun.....