Tag: Port Aransas

Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 47 Comments

I have Taken you to the Port Aransas Museum before, but last night there was the opening of a special display. The display commemorates Port Aransas area surfing.

This first shot is of a painting which was used as the program cover. It is the old Danceland where surfers used to meet to party. The building was torn down in the late sixties.

Surfer exhibit.

The exhibit had some informational stations like the one below. This tells of Women surfing pioneers.

The Caldwell Pier in Port Aransas is still a favorite surfing location. This shot is from the mid-sixties.

The next photo is a display telling of surfers riding the swells of a hurricane.

The event had its share of old surfers, and l you had to do was add a barley pop to begin a lively discussion.

Of course, there was a board rental place called The Surf Shack. Those long boards from the sixties are quite impressive.

This display points out the origin of surfing in Port Aransas in the early sixties.

A photo of a Surf Shop in the mid-sixties and a cherry 1966 Mercedes  300 sedan.

Here is a photo of the Magic Bus.

An actual surfboard.

I left this photo in so you could see how the exhibits were presented. (I also thought that guy in the pink shirt and the Corona was really the epitome of a surfer dude.)

A shot of the barmaids at work.

So you have an idea of the venue here is an outside shot of the museum building. I liked the flag flying as well.

Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 70 Comments

This week’s View of the Neighborhood is a report on the modernization of Port Aransas. By modernization, I am referring to the new construction going on about town. Yes as sad as it is, our little town is getting new buildings.

The first photo is a brand new Dollar General Store that opened this week

New Construction

I tried to get an art shot but as you can see it is still a Dollar General store.

Turning to something really positive. Our Art Center is getting a new building. Here is an artist rendition of the finished building.

This photo shows the progress to date.

So you know the improvement here is a shot of the current Art Center building

Now on to new tourist facilities.  This is a photo of new short-term rental units going up.

This shot lets you see that the units are a courtyard with a pool in the middle.

Here is a new retail center going up. There will also be short-term rentals on the second floor.

A report on progress would be incomplete without a couple of chains. Here is the famous Texas fast food chain Whataburger.

And (Ta Da) a brand new Domino’s.

Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 49 Comments

Texas Sandfest

Next week is SandFest which is a big event here in Port Aransas. The event’s mission is to raise money for local charities. Founded in 1997, Texas SandFest is a three-day event that attracts sand sculptors from around the globe. The event is the largest sand sculpting fest and competition in the nation and brings over 100,000 guests to the beaches of Port Aransas. The free event is organized into competitions for all experience levels to include both amateur and professional sculptors. Guests can participate or simply wander through the incredibly unique artistic displays.

I will be giving you a look at the festival next week but thought I would provide a behind the scene preview

This first photo shows the kind of heavy equipment needed to prepare the beach for the sculptures. They are forming piles which will be turned into works of art.

Texas SandFest

Here is a long view of what will become the central sculpture. It will depict the theme as well as honor the sponsors. The three poles act as supports.

Here is one of the artists hard at work. The person in blue is spraying water on the sand to keep it moist.

A close up of one of the flags that will be on the sculpture. This is the famous battle flag from the battle of  Battle of Gonzales during the Texas Revolution.

A little more detail showing the oil heritage of Texas

I left this shot in so that you can see the proximity of the sculpture to the Gulf Mexico.

It takes a lot of water to keep the sand from blowing away. Here is one of the hook-ups to service some artists.

Speaking of artists here is the person known as The Glue Man. His job is to spray a glue-like mixture on the sculpture. This binds the sand and acts a finish coat to keep the work in place.

Sine the festival attracts 100,000 people there needs to be quite a few food trucks to provide food and refreshments. The photo below will give you an idea of what they look like.

Here is a holding area for the food trucks. Notice the RVs which serve to housed the vendors for the week.

I hope you enjoyed the preview and I’m looking forward to showing you the finished result next week.

Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 46 Comments

This week my producer is back and suggested a portfolio of some of the boats here in Port Aransas. I thought it a super idea and went out yesterday with my trusty iPhone and took a few. Hope you enjoy them.

The first boat I saw when I arrived at the marina was a pirate ship just getting underway to overtake that ferry.

Port Aransas Boats

This next shot is of a couple of bay boats. Notice the 225 horsepower motors

Theis next one is a Coast Guard cutter. Always nice to see these guys around.

I thought this next one would be of interest given how shallow the draft. This is a bay boat as well. The motor looks big enough too.

I saw this sailboat at the dock and wondered if the folks brought her here from St Petersburg Florida.

Here is a compact fishing boat. It could handle substantial seas.

In case anyone is interested in a house boat this old junker can be had for a song I’m sure.

Here is one a little more cleaned up.

This boat is all party

Here is a good-looking sailboat named Parrot Tales. A few drinks to be had on her I’ll bet.

Y’all always ask which one is mine.

Nope not this one.

I love No Wake signs and here is a good one.

No boat Port Aransas portfolio would be complete without a shrimper. Here is one heading to the Gulf.

I thought this boat was kind of interesting. It is a platform with a motor.

Here is an outboard twin fishing boat coming back to the marina from a Gulf trip.

This last photo is of some folks on paddle boards. Yes we have those as well.

Views of The Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 58 Comments

Today I thought I would take you on a tour of some of the places we all love to go to grab something quick. It may be a sweet or something for dinner. I purposely left out the pizza places, and fast food joints cause you can see those right where you are. So here we go.

 

Our first stop is a place where you can grab crabs and shrimp. They also have some bait, but most of the business is fish, crabs, and shrimp. Here is the sign on Highway 361. (don’t be confused it is a two lane road.)

Now a shot of the store

Port Aransas Treats

If you are in the mood for something cold, then a sno-cone is right up your alley. Here is Tropical Sno in the Spanky’s liquor store parking lot (Could be worse)

The building is cute and fits with the burnt orange of the Spanky decor. Not to be confused with that Coors Light semi in the background.

How about a pickle sno-cone. (you first)

Right across the street is a shaved ice stand. Now you have to know the difference between a sno-cone and shaved ice. I’ll bet you thought I was going to tell you didn’t you. Well okay, a sno-cone is served in a paper cone and is crunchy. The syrup added more or less makes its way to the bottom where the last bites are the most delicious. Shaved ice is finer and resembles snow. The syrup generally penetrates all the snow, so each bite is uniform. It is usually served in a foam cup.(Even though Nola’s sign looks like it is in a paper cone.  There, now you know.

We also have Ice cream on the island and in fact tow ice cream shops. This one is cute and like all things, in Port A it has an interesting neighbor.

I will be doing a feature on tattoo parlors another time but doesn’t this place look interesting?

Here is the other Ice Cream parlor. By the way, that circle of what looks like smoke is a Blue Angel. They are giving a show in Corpus Christi. I didn’t even know I had caught it until I got home.

Here is another view. The place is called “Desserted Island.”

Our final stop is the newest fish place. The guy’s name is Paul, and this is Pauls Seafood. Paul is very popular in Corpus Christi, and he took over another seafood shop here in Port A. I’m sorry, but the idea of live crawfish gives me the willies.

Hope you enjoyed the view this week.

Thursday – A Little Personal – Update on Peggy the Heron

~ John W. Howell ~ 59 Comments

It has been a while since I have given you an update on my favorite heron. For those who are new Peggy has been in the neighborhood for over four years and she has an injured leg. We call her Peggy even though we are not sure she is a female. Peggy of course is the affectionate term for the fact that one leg is pretty much as if she was a pirate. The quick report is Peggy is doing well. She had a challenge with her bad leg about a month ago and was not getting around too well. She has recovered and is back to her old self.

Here is a photo of Peggy starting her hunt in our backyard.

Peggy

And now she is really concentrating

Peggy

Yes, she managed to get a fish. The next photo is a different time but the same place. Not that the photo is so good but is a matter of tracking her. The afternoon sun made the shot hard to get.

Peggy

With Peggy getting the shot is sometimes hard since she doesn’t like to pose.

Peggy

Here she is fishing along the Gulf shore. I am walking the dogs, and she is always on guard when I have them with me. This next photo shows how she manages to make ends meet.

Peggy

I talked to this group of fisherman, and they had named Peggy Burt.  It appears these guys have been fishing here for four years and “Burt” pays them a visit every time. While I was there, Peggy got four pieces of bait, so it looks like she has some pretty good friends.

All in all, Peggy is doing fine. I hope you liked the update.

Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 62 Comments

This week I thought it would be fun to take photos of those things around town that tourists take tend to take photos of too. I know, sounds a little nuts but bear with me. I also have to explain that there were no tourists in town yesterday so I couldn’t hoodwink a few into having a picture taken with their head inside these items. I would have put me in the photos, but since my producer is out of town for a week, there was no one to snap the photo. Sad right?

The first photo is a group cutout in front of Winton’s candy store. It has nothing to do with the beach or candy but does provide a pretty accurate depiction of a Port A Saturday night.

Photos to take in Port A

This next one is in front of Wintons as well. Clearly, this is a  Rattlesnake dressed as a cowperson shooting of guns while happy candy cane cactus stands by. Woo yeah.

Where to take photos in Port A

The next one is in front Stingrays Taphouse and Grill and is obviously a stingray dressed in a 40’s zoot suit playing a guitar. I would want this one on my holiday card

The next is an extra. We have a sand festival called SandFest, and this gold cart will be raffled off.

Now we are at The Gaff, and since there are pirates everywhere, it is no surprise that the cutouts are of pirates. Of course given some of the others and the fact that The Gaff is the Sandbelt racing capital of Texas one never knows.

For bad pirates, there is the stockade

Y’all have been here before but here is another shot of the Gaff sign. I didn’t stay for the races. There is only so much excitement an old guy can take in one day.

Here is an interesting tent. You can see this is a place that you can have photos converted to shirts, shoes and it appears by the photo blankets as well.

Here is another shot of the outside. I think I would love to have a poster that big. Maybe one of my books and it could fly from the porch.

Here is a shot inside the mysterious tent. The first thing you should notice there are no photographs allowed. (Oh sir, I didn’t see the sign or signs.) Notice also the parrots. They are live and were yelling “no photos,” as I was setting up the shot. The third thing to notice is the tourist (yes, there is one) dressed in the blue shirt with a depiction of cocktails on the back.  In case you miss the subtlety the word “cocktails” is stitched above them

Here is the granddaddy of all photo ops. Imagine yourself inside the shark’s mouth. Don’t forget to look horrified so that folks back home will be fooled into thinking you are in the mouth of a shark.

I love this little sidewalk painting. This shows you where to put your feet to get the best shot of……

These two old fisherman. I did stand where I was told by the street painting and by gumbo I got the best shot.

Thanks, for joining me on this little walk around the neighborhood.

Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 47 Comments

As most of the Christian world knows last Tuesday was Fat Tuesday which marks the last day before the beginning of Lent. In New Orleans, the event is characterized by the last of the Mardi Gras parades. Not to be outdone Port Aransas Has its own version of a Fat Tuesday Mardi Gras parade. I must tell you that I took over 100 photos of the show and can only give you a representative sample of the participating members. So here is the Mardi Gras parade Port Aransas style.

The parade started with two police cars leading the way

Port Aransas Mardi Gras

This is a photo of some typical participants.  Adult beverages were de rigor.

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The float members were pitching beads and candy to the bystanders.

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Here is a boat theme. Wonder how they got that idea? Notice the guy picking up the beads. He didn’t even have to take off his shirt.

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This is the only photo of the fifty golf carts in the parade. It is typical, and most look similar.

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Another boat. Go figure.

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This Humvee was well decorated. Lots of candy came off this baby.

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This child was very cute, so I kept it in.

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This float is actually a portable bar that visits the beach now and then

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I thought the motorized chair showed a lot of grit and so typical of the spirit of Port Aransas. A big applause was given.

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There is a Parrot Head chapter in Port Aransas. I know a big shock.

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Here is the Chamber of Commerce float and of course the guy is texting and floating. Probably ordering carry out.

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There were some cool cars in the parade like this Camaro.

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This float got the Awwwww award. Seemed strange having innocent children in a celebration of overindulgence. They were cute, though.

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Here’s a red Chevy

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And a custom hot rod from Colorado

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My favorite was this vintage Pontiac. I think it is a 1949 and it is in pristine condition

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The parade ended with the EMS team.

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I hope you like the parade. It was very much fun and I collected a lot of beads and candy as well.

Views of the Neighborhood

~ John W. Howell ~ 42 Comments

This week I thought I would feature an organization that has as a mission providing the environment that fosters activities for the Winter Texans or anyone who does not make Port Aransas a permanent home. The organization is the Joint Effort Leasure Ministry or JELM for short.

Here is the sign in front of the facility which includes two buildings. The JELM is sponsored by the Community Presbyterian Church and includes activities all week.

JELM

Here is a shot of the church.

JELM

Just so you know you are in a church environment.

JELM

Here is the main activities center. The center is run by volunteers and stays active during the winter months. The idea is to have fun things to do in addition to fishing, going to bars and the beach. (Not everyone likes those things)

JELM

This board will give you an idea of the different things to do. There are coffees, card games, Mah Jong, shopping trips, socials, crafts, study groups and boat tours. There is enough that a person could do several things each day, five days a week.

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Since most of the Winter Texans are from the Midwest, they have state coffees every so often. This Illinois one looks suspect given they seem to like to eat fingers

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I have been impressed how the Community of Port Aransas comes together to support its citizens whether they are permanent or not. Even if you are just a visitor, people care about you.

My producer is out-of-town this weekend, so I’m going to slip in one more photo. This is another Big RIG moving through the Corpus Christi Channel on its way to being retired. (Don’t tell her. She thinks I overdo the rig photos )

Drilling platform

I took this on February 9th. It was a glorious day.

 

Thursday – A Little Personal

~ John W. Howell ~ 30 Comments

Last week I showed some pictures of the beach where I live. This week I would like to give you a peek at what it is like to live in a beach town. I’m not going to give you a view of boats, fish, and tourists. That may come later. I am going to let you see some of the shops and sights we have in the downtown area.

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This first photo is of two old salts that watch over the happenings of the town. They are over twenty feet tall and quite imposing. That boat in front of them is a cement Farley boat that I talked about a couple of weeks ago. Behind them is the Islander souvenir shop.

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Here is another view of the Islander shop. It is one of the nicest looking buildings.

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These shops are across the street, and the one on the right is a surf shop and the one on the left jewelry and gifts.

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What would a beach town be without a Henna tattoo shop.

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Here is another gift store and you can see a pink octopus on the roof. I mean everyone should have a pick octopus. Right?

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This picture is also of a souvenir shop that features a giant shark. You can see the size when compared to the station wagon parked nearby. Yes, you can go inside the shark and pose for a picture. (which no one else has ever done. Ever.)