We started our day fairly early, leaving the hotel in search of a little breakfast before going to tour The Alamo. The morning beat of the Riverwalk was a completely different atmosphere, now that the nighttime excitement had ceased. And even though everything seemed quiet and slow-paced, we didn’t want to venture out too far, especially when we were hoping to get an early spot in line to see The Alamo.
There were not a lot of options for a quick breakfast, other than hotel restaurants, so we opted for McDonalds. It was interesting, sitting by the window observing people stroll by and watching the Riverwalk area wake up slowly. The streets were quiet, not a lot of traffic that time of day, except for the occasional banging and clashing from city workers repairing the streets.
There were very few visitors at The Alamo when we arrived in the morning.
We were the 3rd couple in line when we reached The Alamo, however it was still quite some time before they opened the doors. We toured the old limestone buildings, looked at historic artifacts, and listened to experts tell the story of the old Spanish Mission’s role in the settlement of Texas. It was all so very interesting, and yet sobering. We spent most of the morning there before deciding it was time to pack up the car once again, and make our way further south.
We were a good hour down the road, before Chris realized he left a favorite jacket behind at the hotel in San Antonio. I called to inquire about it, and they said they would look for it, and hold onto it if found. That did not sound very promising, but it was the best we could do at that moment, given our current location. We continued the drive until we reached Corpus Christi, TX.
Our first stop in Corpus Christi was the Texas State Aquarium. It certainly was big, and there were some very entertaining exhibits. The weather was unusually cold and drizzly and, no matter where I stood, I just couldn’t seem to shake the chill. I was almost too happy to pay $5 for a piping hot latte once I spotted a store inside the aquarium. 
Starfish
Sea Urchin
Seahorse
Sea Anemone
The dolphin show was most certainly my favorite, though I found plenty of sea life to observe and snap a few photos of.
The Texas State Aquarium is located at the southernmost tip of Corpus Christi, and along the Gulf of Mexico. Chris was intrigued by the big ships that would sail by, and somehow tuck under the big bridge. We watched as two tug boats motored out into the gulf to bring a ship through the harbor.
Chris and the tug boat
Chris is on the left, watching the large carrier clear Harbor Bridge.
We are in our car on the ferry, while another ferry passes by on the left.
After the aquarium tour, Chris and I came upon the Port Aransas Ferry. Being a couple of landlubbers, we were clueless how this transport ferry thing worked! We decided to be adventurous, because after all, we did want to make it over to Port Aransas and have our car to drive around in.
Looking behind us (boy that back window is dirty)
We somehow lucked out and ours was the first car on the ferry, so we had a great view ahead of us! This was a thrill for me, as it just seemed so strange to take your car on a boat across the water. This was not only a fun and very convenient way to connect from the mainland to Port Aransas, but it was free to boot!
We did a lot of driving around Port Aransas, and eventually made our way to Mustang Island. It was getting dark, and it seemed to be a bit difficult to find access points to the beach that weren’t on private property. So we decided we’d look into that tomorrow. For dinner, we settled on a little restaurant called, “Doc’s Seafood and Steaks“, and although it wasn’t far from us, we had to take the extra 10-mile drive to get there, as the access road to it was not well-marked. After finishing our delicious meal, we booked a hotel room at Plantation Suites.
We found we could save a good $30 at this hotel compared to others in the area, and for $70/night it wasn’t too shabby. It was pet friendly, but we didn’t notice any indications of pets having been there, which was nice. And it came with breakfast the next morning, which is always a bonus! The shower handle did fall off (somehow) while Chris was in there, so we let them know at the front desk. When I think back, however, this sort of thing has happened to him before 🙂 .
Meanwhile, back at the ranch in Oklahoma, Lori entertained the kids taking them on a hike down to the nearby river. Emily apparently wore the wrong socks, and they had to keep stopping so she could pull them back up. Been there & done that!
Sid is a self-entertaining kid; he can find something to do most anywhere he goes. 
Emily and Lori picked gobs of pecans in the nearby pecan orchard (which are now on my porch waiting to be shelled). And while doing so, the neighbor’s cows became curious and walked right up to them! Noticing the stock tank was iced over, Emily tried to break it for the cows, but it wouldn’t budge. So Sid tried next by stomping his foot down really hard on the ice and, to his apparent surprise, the ice gave way, he lost his balance, and his leg went IN the stock tank. That was the end of the hike as his boot and coveralls were soaked!
Sid & Emily enjoying some conversation at the river.
~Check back for Day 4 of “The Second Honeymoon.”
With Wild Abandon 