The dawn came early. I laced up my sandals and set off toward the Gulf, passing quiet RV sites still shadowed in morning haze. At the shoreline near Port Aransas, I watched seagulls wheel, pelicans gliding low over the waves, sandpipers darting at the water’s edge.
I collected scallop shells, small sand dollars, and bits of sea glass. The tide pools held fiddler crabs and tiny snails. After walking, I returned to The Palms and whipped up a quick breakfast: pan-fried cornmeal crab cakes (fresh crabmeat, egg, green onion, a bit of mustard, pan fry in butter) topped with a squeeze of lime.
Later, I joined a fishing charter from Rockport. With rod in hand, I cast lines and felt the tug of a speckled trout. The bright Texas sun sparkled on the bay. Back at the park, I grilled the catch with lemon, garlic, herbs — served with a side of sautéed local gulf beans.
That day taught me: nature’s beauty, in her simplest moments, is unforgettable.