I.B. Magee Beach Park

Port Aransas, Texas

321 N on the Beach, Port Aransas, TX 78373

(361) 749-6117

I.B. Magee Beach RV Park

Shane enjoying the great weather.

A campground on the beach for $37 a night, count us in! This campground is located on the beach in Port Aransas, Texas. The beach is about a 5-minute walk from most of the campsites. If you don’t feel like walking, a short drive out the campground entrance is a road with beach access. In Texas, most of the beaches allow vehicle traffic.

You can drive and park on the beach if you purchase a beach pass at just about any store in the area. Right now it is only $12 for the beach parking pass. This pass will last you for an entire year and it works on any Texas beaches. This campground doesn’t have a lot of amenities, but it is on the beach and what else do you need? Three years ago, when Hurricane Harvey came through, it destroyed this campground. The campground has been closed for three years rebuilding and has just reopened last year.

Each spot is fully paved and large enough to fit your RV, truck, and boat. They are constructing a brand-new clubhouse that features an office, showers, bathrooms, and a laundromat.

When this office opens the rates will go up to $50 a night, which is still a great price for the location of this campground. It will also be a much shorter walk to the beach once the office is open. It is just behind our spot in this photo above. You will be able to walk under it straight to the beach on the other side. Right now because of construction you have to walk around. If you want to be super close to the beach without all the sand, we highly recommend this campground. There is only one negative for this campground, and that is the stickers/burs. All of the grass between each campsite is covered in stickers. If they would just spray and take care of the stickers this campground would be perfect.

If you like the ocean and water activities Port Aransas is the place to go. You can take boat tours for dolphin watching or deep-sea fishing. If you would rather do something a little more active there are a few bays and inlets where you can go paddleboarding or kayaking on your own or there are several places to rent them. There are tons of little beach shops in the area, you can find decorations, bathing suits, and all the souvenirs you would ever need. If you like seafood this area has many great seafood restaurants, our favorite in the area is Moby Dicks and Fins Grill. Here is a tip if you want to go to a restaurant, go early, all their restaurants are very busy, and if you wait until 6 pm or later you will wait for at least an hour and a half. It is a small island with not many restaurants and a lot of people wanting to eat out. Port Aransas is a great touristy beach town.

Essentials for your first RV camping trip

TOP 10 plus a few extras

We get asked by new campers what should be the first items to buy after we purchase our camper.

Some people go overboard and purchase items that are not really necessary. I will be honest we are definitely one of those people. We purchase items sometimes that you really don't need, especially as a new camper. Even being veteran campers, we still purchase items that never get used or that we really don't need. There are also people that buy campers and just don't know what they need to go on their first camping trip.

Here is a list of items we compiled that we think are necessary to take your camper out for the first time. We added a few other items that make your first trip a whole lot easier.

Must-Have Items

1. Sewage hose with a clear connector- this is not mandatory, but it sure helps when dumping your tanks so you can see when they run clear.

Sewage Hose

2. RV toilet paper - believe it or not, this is a very debated subject, not everyone thinks you should use RV toilet paper, but we always have and have had no issues with our tanks.

3. Walkie Talkies - Walkie-talkies/radios are great for couples backing in the RV so you can talk to each other. You can use your phone, but we have been to campgrounds where we don't have cell

service, so these are a must. Also, great to have for hiking in case you get lost.

4. Tire chocks - These are a must! When you get to a new campsite or to store your RV before you unhook your RV you need to put one of these behind at least one tire if not all of your tires. If you are on even a slight hill your RV can roll back.

5. Power surge protector Another must for campers. Some campground outlets are a little

sketchy looking. This is a little expensive purchase but could save you thousands of dollars in damage. If there is a power surge, outage, or just a bad electric box all your stuff could be fried without this must-have

6. Potable drinking water hose -

A great water hose is a must. Most campers come with a small hose when you buy it. But, when you can upgrade to a better one that is much longer. We have been to some campgrounds and needed two hoses to reach the water hookup.

7. Water filter - You never know what kind of water you will get out of a spigot at a campground. Always better to have some kind of water filter. This is an inexpensive one that works just for your first few trips. We would suggest upgrading to a better one or getting something like a Berkey for drinking water.

8. Leveling blocks or wood Some campsites are very unlevel and you will need something to go under the jacks. You can order these level blocks or just bring some pieces of wood.

9. Gloves for dumping sewage

This one is kind of self-explanatory. You are dumping sewage, so always wear gloves and wash your hands after you are done.

10. Emergency Road Kit - Breakdowns and flat tires are going to happen sometimes. Always better to be prepared.

A few extras that are great to have for your first trip. Good to have, but not must-haves.

1. Chairs

2. Outdoor rug

3. Grill

4. RV Snap Pads

5. Electrical Adapters (50 to 30 amp 30 to 50 amp)

6. Outdoor lights

7. Bungee Cords

8. Outdoor trashcan

9. Zip ties

10. Water Pressure Regulator

Workamping 101

The first thing you might as is, "What is workamping?" Workampers are people who are campers that exchange any work for a campsite or pay. Most of the employees are full-time RVers, needing work for pay or for a free stay. Not all workampers work at campgrounds for a campsite. Some work at companies that either pay them a salary, pay for their campsite, or pay them a salary and their campsite. Most people know of workampers as campground hosts at an RV park. But, now there are so many other jobs you can do in exchange for a campsite or pay.

The definition of Workamper on the Workamper.com website is as follows "Workamping includes any activity that involves the exchange of man/woman hours for anything of value."

Workampers are adventuresome individuals, couples and families who have chosen a wonderful lifestyle that combines ANY kind of part-time or full-time work with RV camping. If you work as an employee, operate a business, or donate your time as a volunteer, AND you sleep in an RV, you are a Workamper!

This workamp lifestyle used to be mostly retirees needing to supplement their retirement. These days there are so many younger couples, families, and single RVers, workampers are all ages.

WORKAMP WEBSITES

Indeed

Workamper (Shane working pool maintenance)

HappyVagabonds

WorkampingJobs

KamperJobs

KOA

WORKAMP JOBS AT CAMPGROUNDS

-Office staff -Marketing

-Maintenance -Pool Maintenance

-Activities -Campsite Valet

-Grounds Keeping -Campground Host

-Kitchen Staff -Bartender

-Housekeeping -Woodworker

-Social Media/Website -Painter

-National & State Park volunteer -Chaplains

(Patty working kids activities)

WORKAMP JOBS not at campgrounds

-Beet Harvest

-Amazon

-Amusement Parks

-JC Penney

-Oil Field Gate Guard

-Transport RVs

-Christmas Tree & Pumpkin Lot

-Fireworks Stand

-Tour Guides

-Lighthouse Manager

-Stocking Retail Stores

-Income Tax Preparer

-Zoos & Wildlife Refuges

These are just a few jobs, there are so many more out there to look for. The best way to look for jobs is to google workamp jobs in the state you are wanting to work. It will come up with all the websites and jobs available in that state. Lastly, you can just call the campground and ask if they are hiring workampers. This is how we have found several jobs. We find a campground that looks nice and in an area we want to visit, call the manager and ask if they had any workamp jobs. If they do they will ask you to send your resume and will then set up a phone call interview.

Another way to find jobs is to check out social media groups. Facebook has several workamp groups. They have groups of companies looking for workampers, and where you can post if you are looking for a job. They also have a few pages that have reviews of the campgrounds or companies, this way you can see other people's experiences. These groups are great for all kinds of information and where you can ask any question you have about workamping.

FACEBOOK GROUPS

Workampers

Workamping Today

Workamping Opportunities

Workamper News

Workamping Reviews, The good, bad, and ugly

Workamping Jobs with Wages

Workamping for full Time Rvers

Workamping Reviews

Workamping in the USA

Full-Time RV Work Campers

Check out our next blog post for how to start once you decide workamping is for you.

Credit: www.workamper.com