by Joy Capps
photography by Robert French
After a week of pushing the daily grind at the office, chauffeuring the kids from point A to point B and making sure all the domestic tasks have been completed — how do San Antonio residents like to unwind? Where do you escape? There is a new trend many South Texans are embracing: They withdraw on weekends to their second homes within
a few hours’ drive of their primary residences. Many retreats can be found tucked away on the bay
in places like Rockport, Port Aransas, Aransas Pass, Canyon Lake and Horseshoe Bay.
Perhaps city dwellers, tired of being frazzled on-the-go adults all week are like water, forever trying to get back to where they once were. Perhaps we remember a time when we were children, hunting for seashells, feeding greedy gulls and running barefoot in the sun to find a fishing pole. Maybe that’s why we’re drawn to the water and why so many these days seek bayside and beachside vacation homes.
Owning a second home has traditionally been an American dream only experienced by the wealthy. However, current statistics show that pattern has changed as 6.4 million U.S. homeowners own a second home. It has been predicted that 10 million Americans will own a second residence by 2010.
So where are San Antonio area residents selecting second homes for their weekend retreat, investment property or retirement home? Texas native Jeff Lamkin is banking on Mustang Island. As the developer of Cinnamon Shore, a 64-acre New Urbanist community, Lamkin finds these Texas coastal properties to be affordable to a high percentage of home buyers. Designed as a traditional seaside village, short- and long-term residents alike can escape to a bygone era where you can walk to the community park, local restaurants or boutiques with little effort.
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