Port Aransas, Mustang Island, Texas

The next blogs are not in chronological order but rather by subject throughout the month of December. We stayed at the Port A RV resort.  When hurricane Harvey hit the island in 2017 it basically damaged 100% of the businesses and 85% of the homes.   The apartment blocks that were a little less expensive to rent for staff  that worked in the stores and restaurants are not fixed up and it is tough to staff the stores.   A lot of homes are not fixed, demolished or still in the process of being fixed.  Many roof tops are still covered in plastic and many windows are still boarded up.  This being said they have done an amazing job of getting their island back to normal.  Many of the birding and nature preserves are still damaged and you cannot access them as boardwalks and lookouts are still washed away.
These pictures are basically of the damage that is still very visible.  Almost every cement block along the shore has been damaged and every wooden dock closed to foot traffic.

 this barge actually washed right up onto the mainland into a farmers field.

               this dock was pushed right back to the homes

 so much rubble .  It makes you feel so sad for all of the people that lost their homes

 can you see how the water washed the sand from under the cement walkway and shifted the heavy blocks?
  and lifted portions of the pavement

                               that last step is a doozie!!

 The next photos are of homes and businesses and fun colorful stuff we saw on the island.

 I was reading that these "round" homes are best suited for hurricane areas as there is not one big flat wall for the water to hit.  Also most of the homes are up on stilts.

 we love this restaurant - it just re-opened a week or so ago after the hurricane.  On Wednesday nights they have all you can eat shrimp boil which was so good.  And as luck would have it is Wednesday today!!!

there are dozens of these cute little Farley boat planters all over the island.  The Farley family came to the island in 1915 and built boats in Port Aransas .  The garden club created the planters to add some beauty and honor the history of fishing and boat building.

Its a colorful and fun place to be.