Taken from San Antonio Express News. Written by Jessica Belasco, December 2, 2006.

There are plenty of reasons to head to the beach during the winter months.

The hotel rates are cheaper. The restaurants are less crowded.

And then, of course, there’s the shopping.

Never thought of doing your holiday shopping in Port Aransas? Well, why not? You can skip the packed malls and find original, often unique gifts, and have yourself a merry little vacation at the same time.

Those mammoth surf shops hawking T-shirts, souvenir seashells and boogie boards may dominate the main drag of Alister Street, but as Port Aransas and Mustang Island have undergone increasing development over the last few years, the shopping opportunities have grown as well. Savvy merchants have responded to the influx of tourists who bring their considerable disposable income to this tiny gulf community by opening specialty boutiques and gift shops.

And they’re not all concentrated in the nexus of Alister Street and Avenue G.

For more information on shopping check out the article in the San Antonio Express News or go to the Port Aranansas Chamber of Commerce at www.portaransas.org.