Port Aransas, Texas

Port Aransas Fun Facts:

• Port Aransas is the only established town on Mustang Island and inhabits 5 miles of the 18 mile long barrier island. 
• Port Aransas is another big birding destination.
• The island was first called Wild Horse Island, then Mustang because of the wild horses called "Mestenos", brought to the island by the Spaniards in the 1800's.  
• The first know human occupants of the island were the Karankawas Indians
• Spanish explorer Cabeza de Vaca was probably the first European to meet the Karankawas in 1528.
• Jean La Fitte and his band of buccaneers spend a lot of time on Mustand Island in the 1820's.
• Citizens began calling their town Port Aransas about 1910.
• The storm of 1919 virtually wiped out the town except for a few structures.

Leaving "The Valley"  we ran into our first border checkpoint.  

 The only way to Port Aransas from Aransas Pass is by ferry.  Its free, at least 5+ ferries running at one time, and its less than a 10  minute boat ride once boarded.  Everything goes on board, busses, RV's you name it.

The island is still recovering from hurricane Harvey which hit in Sept 2017.  You can still see a lot of damage while driving around.

In Aransas Pass you drive your vehicle on the beach.  Just park and swim.

 They have the longest jetty we have ever seen.

Don't know what this is passing by, but its motorized and floating. 

 We stayed at Aransas Pass in Southern Oaks RV Resort, reviews are in a prior post from early June for this park.  Obviously this is a resort we return to.

Walking in the park we saw this harmless grass snake. Didn't know that at the time, either way we don't touch snakes.

We are now heading North East.