Thanksgiving 2023 is going to be different for many travelers. Having tired of the chains that bind them to their homes this holiday, they have learned from recent lessons that the old traditions are not necessarily the best ones and are choosing to think of themselves and their immediate families for a change. Getting on planes and traveling to places they have never seen before, taking road trips to cabins in the woods for a long weekend of peace and quiet, and (this last is our favorite!) making their way across land to coastal towns for a BEACH-giving celebration that will add serenity to their lists of all they have to be thankful for! If your holiday journey brings you to the coastal village of Port Aransas and a stay in one of our serene and luxurious holiday hideaways, this guide to celebrating Thanksgiving in Port Aransas will ensure that this new tradition will be one that continues on into the future! (And may even have you start looking at your other holiday traditions with new ideas!)

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Port Aransas Turkey Trot, November 22 @ 10:30 a.m., 132 Palmilla Beach Road

At home, the day before Thanksgiving is often filled with last minute shopping trips, marathon baking sessions, and a flurry of constant cleaning, but in Port A, all you have to do is what you want to do! A preemptive strike at all those excess calories may be on your schedule and our annual Port Aransas Turkey Trot is the perfect way to do so, while also doing a good deed! All proceeds go to scholarship programs at one of our local schools and as you run for your health you will also be running to give school children a step up in life!

Truly a Beach-Giving

If you were thinking of how to truly make this a beach-giving, the easiest way is with a feast on the beach! Of course, a roast turkey and all the trimmings would be more than a little extra and would probably end up being seasoned with sand, but turkey sandwiches are a way to stick with traditions as you explore the serenity of the sea! The weather may be a little chilly for swimming, but can you imagine sitting out in your beach chairs, cooler at hand, toes buried in the sand and watching the sea ebb and flow as you devour thick and juicy sandwiches?

Give the tryptophan trance a boot with a post-meal stroll along sandy shores, feeling the cold waters rinse your feet and tickle your ankles and know that this really is a Thanksgiving to be thankful for! For a real treat, extend your beach-giving day into night, watching the sun sink into the waters while setting the sky on fire and when the stars begin to pop out in the midnight black, start a fire. Bonfires are permitted on the beaches of Port A, as long as the 3 X 3 X 3 rule is followed. (The fire can be no larger than 3 feet deep, 3 feet wide, and 3 feet high, so keep it small!)

Take a Break This Year

You have spent far too many Thanksgivings creating the majority of the meal, but Port A is offering a selection of restaurants that invite you to relax and let them prepare, serve, and clear away the feast that serves as the epicenter of the holiday! Restaurants such as the Port A Beach Lodge (2016 On the Beach Drive) and the Gaff (323 Beach Street) are planning on being open, with the Gaff open regular hours and the Port A Beach Lodge serving a turkey dinner with all the fixings from noon until they sell out.

If you want to stay in and experience the holiday while exploring the amenities of your Sandcastle Condominiums holiday haven, Dylans Coal Oven Pizzeria (128 Market Street Suite D) and Mac Daddy’s Family Kitchen (118 Beach Street) are both offering pre-ordered dinner pick-ups featuring the traditional turkey feast and all the sides. Check with the restaurants regarding how far in advance you have to order, pick it up in the morning of the big day, and use our fully equipped kitchens to heat up all the goodies!

Celebrate with Sandcastle Condominiums

Just because you are traveling far from home does not mean you have to skip the home cooked meals, especially if you like to putter in the kitchen! Our fully equipped kitchens offer updated appliances, plenty of space to move around in, and plenty of counterspace to lay out all the delicious foods you have prepared!

Enjoy the rewards of all your hard work at large dining room tables, perhaps enjoying a piece of pumpkin pie on your balcony overlooking the gulf, and when the tryptophan nap is necessary, the sofas in our living rooms are quite comfy!

Additionally, the state-of-the-art televisions will add a clarity to the football games you are watching and make you feel as if you are standing on the sidewalks watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade promenade down the street! Reserve your favorite escape today!