Goose Island State Park, near Port Aransas, Texas

 We were glad to finally arrive at Goose Island State Park near Port Aransas, Texas, and find our campsite on Aransas Bay right on the beach. We quickly took a shower after setting up camp and headed across to the ferry at Aransas Pass to Port Aransas Civic Center to pick up our registration packet for the Whooping Crane Festival. We had forgotten to write down what we had registered for so we were lucky to get there in time to then eat dinner at San Juan Restaurant within walking distance. We then headed over to the evening reception at the Port Aransas Art Center and enjoyed a glass of wine as we wandered through the art gallery and listened to a local musician.

Our campsite at Goose Island State Park

Right on Aransas Bay

Four ferries kept traffic moving across ship channel in Aransas Pass

Quick ride dodging ship traffic

Great art at the Port Aransas Art Center

The whooping cranes

Roseate spoonbill

We had to get up at 5:30 am to catch the ferry across to Port Aransas and luckily our breakfast restaurant opened at 6:00 am so we had time for a breakfast burrito before boarding the bus at the Civic Center for the Island Birding Bus Tour. After the tour we walked the two miles to the Port A Community Theater for the keynote speaker on Whooping Cranes are still Whooping. After our walk back we stopped at Fins Restaurant on the waterfront for a beer and a burger. We bailed on one speaker and headed to the dock for the Photography and Birdwatching 3-hour boat trip.

Texas is the central flyway

Great boardwalk for birdwatching

Gators galore

The four whooping cranes

Up close at the trade show

Walking the tourist town

Looking down from the top deck of the boat as we head out

Dolphins riding the ship's huge bow wake

White pelican flocks

Another early morning to catch the ferry, and grab breakfast before our guided walk through Port Aransas Nature Preserve. We then headed to walk the beach and see the crochet buoys along the beach to the pass. We found the dive bar, the Gaff, for beer and pizza for lunch before heading back to the Patton Marine Science Education Center for the Amos Rehabilitation Keep (ARK) Tour. Then it was back to the Big Tree at Goose Island State Park to look for sandhill cranes and whooping cranes before happy hour on the beach.

Great walking path past the pond to the mud flats

Miles and miles of salt marsh preserve

A closer look at the same two adult and two juvenile whooping cranes

Grannie's crochet buoy adorn the pilings along the beach to the pass

The jetties

Fishing pier into the gulf

The UT Marine Science Institute

The Big Tree at Goose Island

A field of sandhill cranes and roseate spoonbill

Around the corner, five whooping cranes