I've got to kick off this post by saying thank you to my mother in law! She put together the most fun beach getaway for our family and we couldn't be more grateful. We are already looking forward to next year and all of the new adventures we'll be in for with another little guy in tow! This trip was honestly just what we needed. Quality time with the people we love, salty air, sunshine and amazing food!
First thing we did upon arrival was take a trip down to the pool. Derek and Chief popped some tops on a few cold ones and Emerson jumped right in the pool without hesitation. Seriously made every penny spent on swim lessons totally worth it!
We stayed in the cottage at the The Inn at Fulton Harbor and it was a super cute 2 bedroom, 2 bath bungalow with a fully functional kitchen and maid service. Nana couldn't have picked a better place. My favorite part of The Inn at Fulton Harbor was by far the pool area. It's a smaller hotel so the pool isn't huge, but I loved the shallow area for sunbathing and little ones in addition to a little splash pad perfect for toddlers. Emerson loved it, I debated how we could construct a splash pad at home... needless to say, it was great! But soon we were back in the pool for some shenanigans with Chief!
The guys found this to be beyond hilarious, and let's be honest... is this type of humor beyond anyone's maturity level? I think not, haha!
After working up an appetite at the pool we returned to the cottage to get showered and dressed for dinner. I wore a Liz Lange for Target tee and maxi skirt and Emerson wore the cutest fishing lure shortall from Smocked Threads by Cecil & Lou.
We enjoy some pretty incredible Tex-Mex at Arandas Mexican Grill. Houstonian's are spoiled by all the really great Tex-Mex but in Dallas I will be honest, it just does not compare. Arandas was on par with all of the Houston favorites and their white queso was everything this pregnant lady wanted. Next year I will be partaking in their margaritas as they looked heavenly and I can't wait to get a picture of the brothers in those silly sombreros!
The following day was spent in Little Bay, splashing and sunning. It was a great place to introduce Emerson to salt water and sand as he'd never been on a beach before and the water is very shallow with hardly any tide. Our little water baby loved every second. After little bay we stopped for lunch at the Waffle Cone Company. This place has been around forever and is the perfect place in town to get a giant scoop of Blue Bell on a homemade waffle cone. Derek's family has been going to this place for their ice cream cravings for years, but I don't recommend it for lunch. We spent just under $20 for just Derek and I to get plain sandwiches I could have made at home, it was a bit disappointing.
We returned to the Inn for nap time and Derek introduced Emerson to a little fishy friend! Emerson is definitely all boy and thought it was the coolest thing ever while I proceeded to scream like a girl and run away whenever it moved, ha!
Naps, fish, a dip in the pool then it was dinner time! Emerson wore the cutest outfit, a little crab bucket tee made by my favorite monogram/applique chick in all the land Tagged By Tiff.
On our walk to dinner we stopped to look at all of the fishing boats in the harbor. It was almost like a preview of where our meal would soon be from. Our dinner spot for the evening was Old Fulton Seafood Cafe & Deli. It was hands down the best meal we had in Rockport. We all sampled each others dishes and everything was excellent. We were informed that they source their seafood locally and they were very hospitable. When Emerson started getting fussy, our waitress gave him a little turtle to play with... which Derek then had to play with and ultimately break! Seriously who is the bigger kid here? Needless to say we tipped well!
On our third day in Rockport we ventured over to Port Aransas via the ferry. We had a blast! Port A is definitely a party atmosphere. There were tons of beach-goers and loud music, it was a lot of fun for sure. We had full intentions of hitting up the Port Aransas Brewery to get some pizza for me and beer for D, but Emerson got a nasty bug bite on his toe that caused some serious swelling. We put in a call to the pediatrician and headed back to Rockport in the event we'd need urgent care. He healed mostly by the next day so all is well, but we'd rather be safe than sorry. We'll see you next year brewery! When we got back to the Inn we met up with the rest of our family. Derek's sister Kara and her beau Will had arrived and the whole gang was having some beers and relaxing at the pool. That night we had dinner at Moondog Seaside Eatery and I got crabcakes and sweet potato fries with a spicy ranch dip while Derek got the grouper sandwich. Both were great!
Saturday, our fourth day of the trip was Nana's birthday! We convinced the guys to sleep in and skip fishing so we could all go eat beignet at Cheryl's to kick the birthday off right. It didn't take much convincing and the beignet and iced coffee was a wonderful treat. Kara and Will soon took off for kayaking which allowed Derek and I to do some sneaking around town for the birthday girl! After we picked up a sweet gift and personalized cake we headed to meet Auntie Kara and Will so Emerson could have a quick ride on the kayak too. This boy is so brave and loved the ocean waves, but the kayak had him a little scared so it was short lived. After we hit the aquarium and then all reunited at the pool for some pre-dinner relaxation.
The birthday dinner was held at Nana's favorite Rockport spot, The Boiling Pot! She's been going to The Boiling Pot for years and years and couldn't resist the nostalgia. It was so yummy, I particularly enjoyed smashing my crab with a mallet! Derek and I managed to "forget his wallet" before dinner so we could head back to the cottage for a little birthday magic. After dinner, the birthday gal arrived home to a little surprise!
I'll never forget the special memories made in Rockport. I can't wait for my boys to grow up going on these sweet little summer trips. There is something so magical about being by the shore during summer!
No comments:
Post a Comment