Cinnamon Shore to Austin

Back home from vacation: down the beach, across on the ferry, and up through Victoria.

8 stops · 236 mi · Sep 19, 2026

The drive home from Cinnamon Shore on a Saturday. We left around 10:20am and pulled in a little after 4:30pm, opting for the ferry because how often do you get to ride a ferry?

1. Cinnamon Shore

Sep 19, 2026

Checked out of Cinnamon Shore right at 10am on Saturday. Checked out the boutique and then headed for a drive on the beach.

Wide sandy beach crisscrossed with tire tracks seen through a car window, the Gulf glittering beyond under a sky full of puffy clouds — Tire tracks on the beach road.

Gulf surf rolling onto a flat sandy beach seen over the hood of a car, with big white clouds stacked up against a blue sky — Parked on the sand, facing the Gulf.

2. Mustang Island beach

Sep 19, 2026

We wanted one last view of the beach. We took the nearby public road to the beach and parked for about five minutes to dip our toes in. Then we drove south along the sand for a few miles (seemed like forever) before cutting back to the highway and heading north to Port Aransas.

Ferry staging lanes marked off with orange cones, a produce delivery truck and a pickup ahead, construction cranes and flags on the left — Pulling into the ferry lanes.

Stopped in a ferry queue behind a black pickup with a ladder rack, orange barrels and a crane ahead under heavy clouds — The wait.

View through a windshield from the deck of a car ferry, two black pickups parked ahead and the white pilothouse rising above them — On board.

Ferry pilothouse with purple trim against a deep blue sky, seen over the ladder rack of the pickup parked in front

Wide view from the ferry deck of the pilothouse and twin exhaust stacks, with the red hull of a large ship passing behind the pickups — The oil tanker sliding by in the channel.

3. Port Aransas ferry

Sep 19, 2026

We left the island on the ferry instead of the causeway we came in on. Spent some time in the queue to let a giant oil tanker through (so cool). Then a few minutes across the ship channel to Aransas Pass. We were the last car on!

Two waffle tacos on a white plate, one stuffed with fried chicken and candied bacon, the other with eggs, cheese, avocado, and pico, with cups of syrup and salsa between them — Waffle tacos: fried chicken and candied bacon and chorizo, eggs, cheese, avocado, and pico.

Stack of waffles topped with peppery fried chicken and a pile of candied bacon, with cups of butter and syrup on the side — Chicken and waffles with a mountain of candied bacon.

4. Coasters

Sep 19, 2026

We got brunch at Coasters in Aransas Pass. Small restaurant with a great atmosphere right next to a marina. We got to watch a giant forklift raise a boat and store it away like a crate. I got the waffle tacos which were giant and really tasty.

Green bay water beyond a low concrete bridge railing seen from a moving car, a thin strip of shoreline on the horizon under puffy clouds — Copano Bay from the causeway.

5. Copano Bay Causeway

Sep 19, 2026

North through Rockport and Fulton, then over Copano Bay on Highway 35.

Limestone convenience store with an arched entrance and a sign reading The Texan over a cartoon cowboy on the shape of Texas

Hand holding an orange can of La Colombe pumpkin spice latte in a car, with a Zebra Cake and a Cosmic Brownie on the seat behind it — Pumpkin spice latte, a Zebra Cake, and a Cosmic Brownie.

6. The Texan

Sep 19, 2026

A quick pit stop at The Texan in Victoria for gas and snacks. It was our first time at the Texan which we had seen multiple times on our trek. Seemed like a smaller Buc-ee's, but they had an amazing selection of hot food. Unfortunately didn't get any since I was full from brunch still.

Three story stone courthouse with red sandstone arches, corner towers, and a tall central clock tower, flags flying out front under a deep blue sky — The DeWitt County Courthouse.

Empty small town street lined with low brick storefronts and utility poles under a bright sky full of clouds — Downtown Cuero, quiet on a Saturday afternoon.

7. Cuero

Sep 19, 2026

A quick loop through downtown Cuero to look at the DeWitt County Courthouse, all red sandstone trim and a clock tower. The town seemed somewhat obsessed with turkeys - there was mention of them everywhere. I did some digging: Farmers used to drive their birds on foot to market every fall, and in 1912 the town made a show of it: the first Turkey Trot sent more than 20,000 turkeys through town. It lives on as Turkeyfest, headlined by a live turkey race called the Great Gobbler Gallop.

8. Northwest Austin

Sep 19, 2026

Up 183 through Gonzales, Luling, and Lockhart, and home a little after 4:30pm.