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.

Take The Shops at Port A, a new strip mall on Texas 361 as you drive into town. Anchored by an Ace Hardware, the space houses Port A Surf Co. and other stores.

Suzie Snowdy used to own Suzie's, a clothing boutique on North Alister Street, but she decided to move her business to The Shops at Port A in June.

"I wanted to be in this new location. It's right on 361 so it's really busy," Snowdy said.

Her new shop, Pretty Dam Cute, is a prime destination if you're looking for gifts for the stylin' women in your life. It offers trendy clothing and accessories at reasonable prices. There is also a small selection of men's clothing. It's a chic, spacious shop, with leopard-print rugs and walls painted in bold colors.

But let's back up a bit on the state highway, to Chilla's Climate Control Boat Storage and Gift Shop. It's an older store that I usually speed past during the summer when I'm eager to hit the beach. On my most recent trip to Port A, I decided to stop — and I'm glad I did. Chilla's is a fun, eclectic gift shop that, yes, is connected to a storage facility. In fact, some of the shop's wares are spread out in three storage units. Very kooky, very Port A.

The specialty here is talavera pottery from Guanajuato, Mexico, including colorful talavera fish, frogs, planters, butterflies, suns, moons and a lot more. The store also offers jewelry and metal art. I especially loved the dressmakers' dummies made of wire. This is a good stop for inexpensive gifts.

A friend had told me to check out A Mano, so I headed into town to the Marina Market on Tarpon Street. A Mano offers a wider selection of Mexican folk art than Chilla's in a very different kind of store.

The 3-year-old boutique is packed with imports from South and Central Mexico but manages to seem uncluttered. Owner Deb Wilson makes frequent buying trips to Mexico to purchase the pieces from the artists and at estate sales. You can spend hours browsing through the rooms and rooms of textiles, hammered tin animals, antique silver jewelry and pottery.

Then I headed downstairs from A Mano to explore one of Port A's most unusual and enticing shops. Garnier Design is filled with fragrant soy candles and body lotions, unique home accessories, bed linens and jewelry. A lot of it is manufactured on the island.

Sophie Garnier, the proprietor, was born in Paris. She opened the store two years ago to showcase her creations, including furniture that she designs and her husband, Laurent Garnier, builds. There are plenty of holiday gifts here you can't find anywhere else.

She also sells jewelry, home décor and other items made by her employees and her family.

"I encourage everyone who works here to be creative," said Garnier.

My favorite item there, which was made in Port Aransas, was the Fish-in-a-Bag Soaps, clear glycerin soaps poured into small plastic bags with realistic-looking beta fish inside. A perfect stocking stuffer.

Are there foodies on your list? Then head next door, as I did, to Garnier Gourmet Kitchen, which carries hand-painted plates and bowls and other kitchenware. Miss K Catering operates out of the space, and gourmet sauces, jams and prepared foods are available.

Then I hit Pelican's Landing. If you want to do a whole lot of shopping without a whole lot of driving, make your way to this complex on South Alister Street that consists of Pelican's Landing restaurant and several cute little boutiques. Like most stores on the island, the complex is decorated for the holidays.

The Cypress Tree offers clothes, shoes, pet accessories and stuffed animals. Fishtales has beach-themed home décor, including some cute flowerpots decorated with faces.

Then I discovered a hidden gem of Pelican's Landing in the back of the complex: Turquoise Eagle Trading Company, which specializes in handmade American Indian pottery, jewelry and flutes. The items are created primarily by Navajo, Hopi and Zuni artists on reservations in Arizona and New Mexico.

Owner Dale Brown grew up on such a reservation, and he and his son, Tim, are committed to making sure the artists receive the money from selling their work. They also have a vast knowledge of American Indian art, culture and history, and educate customers on prominent artists, such as Eddie Beyuka, who created bolo ties inset with mother-of-pearl, coral and turquoise.

The Browns' store caters not to the casual tourist but to serious collectors of American Indian art, and most of the objects are expensive (expect to pay a few hundred dollars for an elaborate turquoise-and-silver bracelet or a traditional wedding vase). The pottery is signed, and many items come with documentation of authenticity.

I was especially impressed by the miniature hand-carved fetishes, stone figures that represent animal spirits. Buy one, and the Browns will package it carefully in a small box with a bag of ground turquoise that Tim crushes himself with a mortar and pestle; it is said that the fetishes suck the essence from the turquoise powder.

Later on, I made sure to follow through on a tip from another friend to check out Art Center for the Islands, the artistic center of Port A, where you can buy paintings, drawings, photographs, sculpture and jewelry made by area artists. Much of the work has a beachy theme, but there are some real finds, including a whimsical troll-like creature carved into a tree trunk by Keith Wimer. For more local fine and folk art, check out the Port A Gallery and the Mustang Island Art Gallery.

No account of shopping in Port Aransas would be complete without a mention of Gratitude, tucked away on North Station Street. Owned by the fun-loving Sally Marco, Gratitude is a tiny shop that looks as though a bubble of cotton-candy chewing gum has exploded all over it.

You can't miss the little pink building — just look for the bubble machine out front. Inside, Gratitude is bursting with fun, completely unnecessary indulgences, including purple leopard-print sunglasses, Marilyn Monroe handbags, colorful wind chimes, cards and earrings. There's a "husband chair" for shopping-weary spouses, and the floor is covered with glitter.

"I'm always looking for fun and different. People get sick of the same souvenir stuff," said Marco, who opened the shop four years ago. "People should feel better after they have been here. That's the goal."

Check out US Shell for some really cool coastal gift ideas!