And a fabulous beach house

As a mama to three young kiddos, I wanted a Thanksgiving beach getaway without airplanes or a 12+ hour road trip. We went to Port Aransas and LOVED this time of year there because:

The beach is SO much less crowded than peak season. There is room to spread out and have lots of sand to yourself. Attractions, restaurants and shops are also less busy. ⛱️
Perfect weather. Thanksgiving week was high 70s, sunny and windy. It was warm enough to swim, but cool enough to be comfortable out of the water. The evenings and mornings were beautiful too! Texas got a cold front the last day but it was still sunny and gorgeous. Winter may be less swimming, but still perfect for playing outside and exploring. ☀️
The beach isn't covered in seaweed like in the summer. I couldn’t believe how different the sand looked in November compared to the summer. It’s much prettier. 🌊
There are many more house options. We rented thru Vacasa and found an Oceanfront home with beach access and more than enough room for our family of five and our friends. Vacasa has over 200 Port A properties to chose from. 🏖️ See my Port A story highlight for a tour of the gorgeous house we rented.
It’s an easy day trip from most of Central Texas. Even with 3 little kiddos, it's totally doable from Austin. It took us about 4.5 hours, with two quick stops. 🚙 We rode the ferry onto the island which was super cool. The kids couldn’t believe our car was on a boat. And hardly any lines, unlike summer. ⛴️

Beach House Rental

We stayed at the Palmilla Sunset beach house in Port Aransas. We rented through Vacasa, which was a fabulous experience. Everything was done online and their communication was top notch. Vacasa was great to work with throughout our trip. Their online support was very responsive with the one issue we had when our kids broke something.

About Palmilla’s Sunset

This 3-story beach house boasts 3 floors, 5 bedrooms, 3 full baths and 2 half baths. Amenities include a BBQ grill, putt-putt golf, pool table, elevator, washer/dryer, and access to a heated community pool. We walked to the pool and the beach was a very short drive away.

The amazing backyard. The grass was turf.

The Palmilla Sunset is brand new and all the finishings were gorgeous. In every room we walked into, we were stunned. From a spacious modern kitchen, elegant chandeliers, beautiful art, and stunning yard, this home doesn’t miss a beat. Our family of five stayed here with another family of five, and there was more than enough room for all of us to spread out.

We walk in on the first floor, which has a large game room with a full fridge, pool table, TV for video games, counter bar stools, and a half bath. The bunk room has six built-in twin beds made of natural light wood, and a full bathroom. The kids loved staying in this room and it was nice to have the game room so close. The backyard is very spacious, with a fire pit, corn hole, picnic table, putt-putt, and a BBQ grill. The mosquitos are bad at the beach so bring bug spray to hang out here at night. The yard also has an outdoor shower, great for rinsing off after the beach.

Then we take the elevator or stairs to floor two. The elevator was really useful for moving our luggage and groceries.

The second floor has 2 king bedrooms and 2 queen bedrooms. There is a full bath in the hall, and another full bath that connects two of the rooms. There were extra blankets in all the rooms. This floor has a bar area with a sink, fridge, and cute couch. The kids used this area to play games. The modern washer and dryer are also on this floor. We used this daily and it worked great. There is a wrap-around deck too!

The third floor leads to a huge great room with a big table, modern kitchen, built-in fridge, drawer microwave, plenty of storage, and a giant island. The kitchen had all the appliances needed to cook family dinners. There is also a gorgeous bar area with a built-in ice maker. There is a half bath upstairs too. Step out of the bar onto another patio that wraps around the third floor, with views of the ocean in the distance, and golf course. The seabreeze is absolutely delightful up here!