My family and I love adventure of any kind, so we knew we would love Austin. Its city’s moniker, “Keep Austin Weird” sets it apart from many, but the giant parks, rich Texas history, luxury accommodations, and unique eateries, all combine making Austin a one-of-a-kind city.
Zilker Park
I’ve never been to a park quite like Zilker Park! You can easily spend a day here getting lost in the botanical gardens, spend hours in the Nature and Science Center unearthing a dinosaur, meeting a bobcat, and observing particles that make up insect wings, or visit one of the playgrounds and have a picnic beneath the large trees with the cityscape as your backdrop.
The Botanical Gardens are breathtaking and the perfect spot for your kids to run along the paths and peer in the ponds to get an up close look at turtles or water snakes. The gardens are themed, so you’ll find a rose garden, a Japanese garden, Hartman’s Prehistoric Garden (with dinosaurs), an herb garden, and more. Use the garden’s classification lists and go on a plant hunt- your kids won’t even realize they’re learning, it’s that much fun!
The Nature & Science Center is an adventure in and of itself! In the main building, you’ll find a large room with a wide lens telescope perfect for viewing small critters and easy enough for young kids to use. My 3 year old, a budding scientist, found it fascinating to look at insect wings and bug parts through the telescope. Both of my kids, ages 7 and 3, also really enjoyed running through the large cave and pretending to be bobcats and mountain lions.
Outside, a live animal section allows guests to get up close to a bobcat or a coyote and a Small Wonder’s Exhibit features snakes, fish, tarantulas, and some of the tiniest critters found in Austin. The Dino Dig area transforms kids into archeologists where they can and unearth dinosaur fossils, follow dinosaur tracks, and find actual replicas of fossils found in Texas under the sand. My son, Austin, found the only toy truck in the whole sandbox and rode that over the fossil replicas pretending he was being chased by a T-Rex! With all of this excitement, our tummies were starting to grumble, it was time to head for a yummy snack!
Hey Cupcake!
As one of Austin’s unique eateries, Hey Cupcake!, sells cupcakes out of a polished airstream trailer with a huge cupcake on top! They charge $3 for unique cupcake confections with names like Michael Jackson, Vanilla Dream, and Red Velvet. I was told in advance that this is a dessert stop we had to make and that Vanilla Dream was to die for!
Texas State Capitol
Texas is a state rich in history, that if you’re in Austin, you have to visit the Texas State Capitol Building! The building is an almost exact replica of the United States White House, so you will definitely feel a strong sense of pride in being an American citizen! When we visited, the Senate was in session, so we took our kids in, sat in the upper balcony, and watched for a few minutes. Austin, our 3 year old, was born with springs instead of feet, so naturally, he couldn’t sit for long and we got kicked out. Still, it was fun to see a branch of government in action. Caleb, 7 years, enjoyed looking at the artwork and statues inside the building. We all enjoyed riding up the elevator and looking down at the rotunda room from the 4th floor!
The State Capitol has a visitor’s center that’s not attached to the building and has displays and information for guests wanting a more in-depth look at the history of the building. For the kids, there’s the Bob Bullock State History Museum which houses an interactive display and an IMAX theater with hands on activities and fun videos for kids of all ages.
Barton Creek Resort & Spa
Barton Creek Resort and Spa took my breath away as I entered their marble and hardwood lobby. The friendly bell hops held the door open for me and I felt my cares melt away as I was transported into a world of opulence. In the lobby, the floor to ceiling windows took advantage of the breathtaking hill country scenery with its green forests, winding rivers, and Barton Creek’s extensive and well groomed golf courses.
I originally thought that there wasn’t going to be much for families to do at this exclusive resort, but boy was I wrong! We started our day with the family scavenger hunt which led us through the entire resort checking in at a majority of sites and familiarizing us with the grounds. We laughed a lot while trying to play Putt-Putt golf on the miniature course that was mostly shaded (our 3 year old won!) and had a water jug and cups-a must for keeping hydrated during Texas summers. The Putt-Putt course was also the start of the nature trail that wound about a ½ mile through the hill country wilderness. Along the path there was an old teepee that we explored along with a fort that my kids climbed into and played on. I liked the bridges going over a few water crossings, and was told that occasionally the deer will come up and stand close to you, allowing for excellent photo ops! The day packed so much fun, it was nice to sink into the large, comfortable beds –the perfect end to our day!
Read Heather’s full review of the Barton Creek Resort and Spa.
When it was time to leave, our entire family was a little sad. The staff made our experience unforgettable and the resort in its entirety was unforgettable. Plus, the idea of going back home to doing dishes, preparing meals and cleaning up after our family of 6, made me want to run back inside and pay for a few more weeks!
Disclosure: The author received a complimentary stay at Barton Creek Resort in order to complete an unbiased review. The resort did not request that she share any particular point of view and all opinions stated are entirely those of the author.
Heather Reed (aka slofamilylife) is the Texas Destination Guroo for Trekaroo. Her passion for travel stems from adventures she took growing up with her family. She and her husband are thrilled to be exploring the globe with their four children and incorporating their love of learning into every adventure!
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San Antonio is a beautiful city filled with fun activities, rich history, and great places to visit as a family. I was so excited to visit this Texas city as part of Trekaroo’s Race to the Alamo team. We spent 3 busy days traveling the city, participating in competitions, visiting special sites and eating amazing food. As we traveled and raced, we frequently commented to each other, “this would be a great place to take our kids!” Here are the top ten places that we would recommend families visit on a trip to San Antonio based on our Race to the Alamo experience.
DON”T FORGET TO VOTE FOR TEAM TREKAROO DAILY THROUGH AUGUST 31st. EVERY VOTE ENTERS YOU TO WIN THE GRAND PRIZE TRIP TO SAN ANTONIO! Just an email and a zip code…. and no spamming, enters you to win.
1. Rio San Antonio Cruises and the Rio Taxi
Families with children ages 6 and up will enjoy taking the 45 minute cruise along the San Antonio river under the towering hotels and unique bridges. As Southern California girls, we felt like we were on the Jungle Cruise at Disneyland as our tour guide, “Bobcat” told us about the towering hotels and unique features of the river all with a great sense of humor. We didn’t see any snorting hippos or the backside of water, but we did enjoy the majestic cypress trees, the murals on the bridges, and the Arneson River Theater where a scene from “Miss Congeniality” was filmed. On our special charter, we traveled down the “Museum Reach” which is an extended arm of the River Walk to the north. We knew our kids would love traveling through the locks on this part of the river, which lifts the cruise and taxi boats up 9 feet. The Rio Taxi travels this part of the river frequently and would be a great and economic way for families with children of all ages to visit and experience the locks.
Despite the 100+ temperatures that we faced while in San Antonio, we saw many families enjoying the beautiful grounds of SeaWorld San Antonio. The One Ocean Shamu show was in a large covered auditorium that brought relief from the sun, but not the heat. So if you visit on a summer day, sit where you can get wet and enjoy the cooling water! One of the many “behind the scenes” animal encounters that SeaWorld offers is the Dolphin Encounter that Sharlene and I would recommend. It is a backstage tour where families can touch, feed and interact with dolphins creating some nice memories and great picture opportunities. It is available to children 4 and older and the shorter 25-30 minute tour is more family friendly.
3. La Gloria
Mexican food is in an abundance in San Antonio and our personal favorite was found at La Gloria. Here, fresh ingredients are combined to celebrate the delicious street foods of inner Mexico. We loved the sizzling queso fundido, fresh ceviche, and delicious molcajetes. The ambiance is friendly, loud, and perfect for families. Outdoor seating on the gravel patio would be ideal on a cooler day. Don’t forget to try the bottled Coca Cola made from real sugar in Mexico. It beats our corn syrup variety every day. If only there was a La Gloria in Southern California… that’s where I’d be going for lunch with my family today!
4. San Antonio Zoological Gardens & Aquarium
This zoo is one of the top in the nation as you can see over 3,500 different animals. If you have followed our adventures on the Trekaroo blog, you will know that most of our time was spent in Lory Landing trying to get as many birds to perch on us so that we could win the challenge. It was a beautiful zoo and we enjoyed seeing many animals as we ran past, trying to get first place for the day. Sharlene has been to this zoo at a more leisurely pace and assures me that it is one of the best. A unique feature of this zoo is the hewn walls of many of the exhibits from the old rock quarry that once occupied this spot. Parents will want to bring cups with lids to have filled at the snack shop as they don’t offer straws or lids for drinks without extra charge.
5. Mission San Jose and the San Antonio Missions National Historical Park
The Alamo is only one of many missions found throughout the San Antonio area. Missions were set 3 miles apart so that the bells could be heard from one mission to the next. We visited the San Jose Mission and found the open spaces of old Texas that brought the history of the area alive. Kids will enjoy shooting pretend guns through the holes of the bastion, running through the spacious grounds, and seeing the lit up narrative of the map of Mission San Jose. We would recommend visiting on a less hot day or going in the morning so that the heat doesn’t discourage families from taking the time to really enjoy the history found at this mission.
6. La Villita Historic Arts Village
I loved hearing our tour guide, Josie, say ”La Ve-yeeta” in her natural Spanish tongue as we visited this historic little village. It was once one of the first settlements in San Antonio and much history can be found here as families browse the shops now filled with arts and crafts. We spent our time at Bonsai Arbor where we learned how to take a scrubby juniper and turn it into a work of art.
Many tourists and visitors to San Antonio quickly identify the River Walk with the city. It is a beautiful area to walk, shop, and eat, and I just couldn’t leave it off this list. I enjoyed several afternoon strolls on the River Walk because the trees were majestic and shady, the people were interesting and the food was good. However, I must encourage families to not visit on the weekend evenings and definitely not with a stroller. The sidewalks quickly fill up with lots of people and some areas do not have guardrails. I could easily see families being very stressed about things or little people falling into the water, although the river is pretty shallow at 3-4 feet. Several maps can be found with wheelchair accessible ramps and bridges that will help families with strollers navigate and plan their stroll along the River Walk.
This historic market is one of the largest Mexican markets outside of Mexico. We absolutely loved the fun and festive atmosphere filled with live music, great shopping and delicious food. We stopped to watch a duet playing the marimba and we danced along the street. Mi Tierra is a fun place to eat, filled with pinatas and Christmas decorations hanging from the ceiling, walls, pillars, and anything that could be decorated. The “back room” has a large, 3-panel mural with famous Hispanics that are fun to identify. A stop at the panaderia is a must for sweet breads and treats.
9. Tower of the Americas – Hemisfair Park
We rode the elevator up to the top of of this 750 tower with an indoor and outdoor observation platform. As we ran around in a panic, looking for the third and last clue, and as all our competitors were already heading down the elevator, I still noticed all the many families enjoying their time at the top of the tower. The outdoor observation deck has large windows, telescopes for viewing, and it’s completely closed in, making it safe for little kids. The inside deck has tables, chairs, and a snack bar. I’m sure there were placards with interesting pieces of history and information but we were too much in a rush to find our clue to stop to take in the view. I’d love to come back here with my kids sometime. I know they would love it!
10. The Alamo
No list of San Antonio is complete without the Alamo on it. Especially a list created by someone who actually “Raced to the Alamo”! This iconic and historic mission, marks the battle that took place during the fight for independence from the Mexican General Santa Ana in the early 1800s. Families will enjoy touring the inside of the courtyard to see the historic buildings, artifacts, and grounds that are filled with ancient oak trees. I’d recommend reading a story about the Alamo from your local library before visiting so that your kids will understand the significance of this sacred landmark. I watched “ALAMO – The Price of Freedom” in the IMAX of the Rivercenter Mall, and although it was well made and helped me understand the story of the Alamo, I cannot recommend it for children under 13 due to it’s graphic violence of killings and dead bodies on a very large screen. When you plan your visit to the Alamo, prepare to stand in line in the sun as you wait to enter. Visiting in the morning or at night during the summer would be a much better experience for those with small children who won’t handle the heat well. The peak heat times in San Antonio are between 4 and 6pm so prepare accordingly.
Have fun and SAVE money on your next trip to San Antonio with these great discount coupons
Michelle McCoy (aka Mcfam) is Trekaroo’s Southern California Destination Guroo. She and her husband, Matt, have 3 boys and a girl ages 2 to 10. They love traveling to National Parks and camping, but when life with young kids keeps them home, they find their fun in traveling to the local beaches in Orange County and hiking in the wilderness areas nearby.
Disclosure: All travel, lodging, meals, activities, and an iPad were provided by the San Antonio Visitors Bureau so that Michelle and Sharlene could compete in the Race to the Alamo. No monetary compensation is being provided and Visit San Antonio did not ask that any specific opinions about their destination be mentioned. All opinions about San Antonio and the Race to the Alamo are those of Michelle and I and reflect our honest opinion of both the destination and the experience.
Day 3 of the Race to the Alamo was a whirlwind! We had so much fun competing and running all over San Antonio. We are sad to see the race rounds come to an end but excited because 40% of the total score depends on your votes and we know you will vote for Team Trekaroo because the Trekaroo community is built on families supporting one another.
We are exhausted from three days of competition in the scorching Texas heat so this recap is going to be a quick rundown of the days events.
Challenge 1: We headed to Mission San Jose, part of the National Park Service, and made this 1 minute video about highlighting a few tidbits and encouraging families to visit.
Watch Team Trekaroo’s Mission San Jose Video
Then we asked our readers to watch the video (and you asked your friends, family, and neighbors to watch the video) because whichever team had the most Youtube views for their video by 3:30 CST would win the challenge. Your votes helped us tie for first on this challenge. The Youtube robots froze both Trekaroo and the green team’s votes at 300 because you wonderful people were voting so much that the robot was concerned you might be spammers!
Challenge 2: This one definitely was not expected- we had a bonsai competition! We were given a short demonstration at Bonsai Arbor by artist Sherry Disdier on how to shape a bonsai tree and then we had 15 minutes to shape our own trees. It felt a bit odd racing when bonsai is traditionally a very slow and spiritual process, but we did our best with the trees we were given. My tree seemed to be particularly bushy and could have used more trimming than the 15 minutes allowed. The bad news was that we came in third according to the official bonsai judging. The orange team won the challenge and really did do a great job with their trees. The good news was that we got to take home our trees which live for decades if properly taken care of. I am thrilled that Michelle and I will each having a living reminder of the crazy experience in San Antonio that we had together.
Challenge 3: This challenge brought us to the Buckhorn, a quirky eatery that features hundreds of mounted animals on the walls and a museum with more difffernt mounted creatures and oddities upstairs. We were given a two page list of questions and had to find the answers in scavenger hunt fashion. Michelle and I broke up the list and ran around finding answers. This was my kind of challenge! We ended up doing a great job and finished well ahead of the other two teams. It felt great to win the challenge and enjoy our lunch at Mi Tierra.
Challenge 4: The final challenge of the day was a two part challenge filled with excitement, stress, and fun. We rode up the elevator to the observation deck of the 750-foot Tower of the Americas. As soon as the doors opened, we all ran and scattered in search of the three clues which were hidden in different locations on the deck. The orange team found their envelope quickly and raced back to the elevator to get back on their bus and head to the Alamo. As the orange team waited for the elevator, the green team found their envelope and from what we are told, an epic foot race occurred on the ground floor as the two teams raced to the buses. Meanwhile, a very panicked Team Trekaroo ran around desperately wondering where the third envelope could possibly be hidden. Luckily, Michelle found our envelope and we made the next elevator down to the ground level. We ran to the bus and discovered the details of part two.
Part two of the final challenge was epic. We had 17 1/2 minutes to gather as many people as possible to join our conga line in front of the the Alamo while samba musicians played a great beat and women danced in traditional samba costumes, adding color to our line. We decided to have Michelle lead our line, crazy headdress and all, while I ran around and recruited participants. The other two teams had the advantage of already finding the most willing participants in the crowd to join their line so I had to do quite a bit of begging and pleading to convince folks to head out into the 100 degree sun and dance. The most important part of this challenge was deciding at what point to take a picture. We were only allowed to snap one picture and it would serve as our final dancer count. After recruiting some teenage boys to reluctantly join our line, I knew we needed to just quickly snap the picture before some of our first dancers got too tired in the heat and abandoned the line. Amazingly, we ended up with 29 wonderful dancers, who helped us come from behind and end up in second place for the challenge! It was the perfect way to finish our Race to the Alamo and a blast to dance around to the samba music and celebrate such a wonderful experience in San Antonio. As nice as it would have been to stick around and go inside the Alamo, we were all suffering from heat and decided to head back to our air conditioned hotel rooms and wait for dinner and the results.
I am thrilled to announce that Team Trekaroo tied for 1st for day three!!!! It was a great way to end the racing portion of the competition and has set us up perfectly for the voting portion of the Race to the Alamo. We appear to currently be leading in the vote so please continue to vote daily for Team Trekaroo to help win the title and give yourself a shot at winning the grand prize trip to San Antonio.
Disclosure: All travel, lodging, meals, activities, and an iPad are being provided by the San Antonio Visitors Bureau so that Michelle and I can compete in the Race to the Alamo. No monetary compensation is being provided and Visit San Antonio did not ask that any specific opinions about their destination be mentioned. All opinions about San Antonio and the Race to the Alamo are those of Michelle and I and reflect our honest opinion of both the destination and the experience.
Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.
Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
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Sharlene and Michelle and off for Day 3 of the Race to the Alamo. Today’s challenge is one you can help with right now. They just made this video of what’s kid-friendly at Mission San Jose in San Antonio and need to get as many people as possible to watch it before 3:30 CST today. So, please watch and share it with our friends on Facebook and Twiiter to ask them to help. You can even refresh and watch it again and again.
And don’t forget to Vote for Team Trekaroo today.
Day one of Race to the Alamo was an incredible adventure full of racing, food, heat, and plenty of cold water courtesy of one of America’s favorite aquatic mammals. Michelle and I had an absolute blast exploring the city and competing in some fun challenges along the way. So what did we do on day 1 of Race to the Alamo? Here is a brief rundown of how the day went.
After meeting up at the new Grand Hyatt San Antonio, which is gorgeous and centrally located on the Riverwalk, we were even more excited about this hotel playing host to the grand prize winner. If you haven’t voted yet today (and every day through August 31st), be sure to vote here for Sharlene Earnshaw and Team Trekaroo to be entered to win the fabulous $2500 dollar prize package. As the newest resort to hit the downtown area, the Hyatt appears to have done things in style, right down to its eco-conscious practices.
From the Hyatt we stepped out the back door and onto a Rio San Antonio river cruise boat for a tour of the area. Our tour guide, Bobcat, was full of humor and information, a winning combination for any successful guide. While I thoroughly enjoyed the tour, I don’t think my preschool age children would have lasted very long. This tour is best for families with children aged 6 and up.
One thing I do know kids of all ages would enjoy is taking a river taxi ride, which includes a trip through the locks. It was my first time taking a boat through locks and definitely the highlight of my river experience. It felt like we were a toy boat sitting inside a bathtub slowly filling with water. Once we reached the top of the locks, we heading upstream a short bit before it was time to de-boat, and head to our first challenge!
Challenge one required us to follow a short guided bike tour along the river using Bike World bike rentals, and then race to the docking station at the old Pearl Brewery. We were told whoever docked first would win the first round. Michelle and I peddled hard but it was impossible to pass anyone on the narrow sidewalk without the possibility of collision. Luckily we were in a tight pack so Michelle and I knew it would come down who could dock the fastest. Michelle quickly zoomed to the station and slid her bike into the rack like a pro and I got mine in just at the nick of time… or so we thought. After being announced the winners ,our high was quickly brought down when the judges decided that they were not in fact clear enough in the rule about docking the bike and instead gave it to the team who reached the area first. We were disappointed about the loss and after asking to go to the tapes (in true racing form), the judges decided to just give both our team and the orange team a tie in first place.
Challenge two brought us to the San Antonio Culinary Institute, housed in the former Pearl Brewery. When we walked inside, my stomach began growling in response to the wonderful smells coming from the kitchen. During this challenge, we tied on our aprons and placed our chef hats atop our heads as we prepared to make some salsa! Each team was given a different set of ingredients and a general recipe to follow, but the spicing was up to us. The fun part about preparing the salsas was that we were able to use a traditional mexican mortar and pestle called a molcajete. After grinding our roasted tomatoes, chipotle in adobo, and garlic into a good consistency, we set about seasoning the salsa. After tasting many samples on the back of our hand (as the pros do, of course), we finally agreed that we had seasoned our salsa to perfection. In actuality, all three teams had done an excellent job preparing their salsas, making judging very difficult for the CIA chef. Unfortunately, it was determined that we used a bit too much cumin in our salsa (what can I say, I guess I like cumin a bit too much) and we ended up in third! Coming in third during a salsa challenge was very hard for a girl who loves to make Mexican food but my spirits were lifted by all the compliments we received on the salsa by our large Race to the Alamo entourage (which includes a camera crew and various members of Visit San Antonio team).
We took a brake from racing to stuff ourselves silly at La Gloria, a popular Mexican restaurant with food that will live on in my dreams for the days to come. I can’t recommend this restaurant enough. The atmosphere is casual and definitely family friendly. The food…. oh the food! We were able to sample two different ceviches, shrimp cocktail, queso fundido, two varieties of tostadas, and a molcajete. Everything was delish! When you visit San Antonio, don’t leave without at least one meal here.
Our final challenge of the day brought us to Sea World San Antonio. Upon arrival, we were instructed to change into giant tshirts, watch the Shamu show, and then wait for instructions. We sat in the shaded but still sizzling (the temperature today hovered around 104) stadium, and watched Shamu put on a show, nervously wondering why we were wearing such large shirts. After the show, we learned the details of our challenge. Shamu and his family would be splashing us four times with their giant tails. One of us would hold a bucket and catch as much water as she could during those four splashes. Meanwhile, the other team member would be getting their giant shirt as wet as possible so that she could wring as much water as she could into the bucket for 30 seconds. There is no anticipation quite like waiting for three killer whales to drench you with 52 degree saltwater. Michelle caught as much water as she could while she was blinded by drenching gushes of saltwater and I did my best (which wasn’t hard) to get soaked. We squeezed and wrung my giant shirt out, laughing hysterically as we tried to get every last drop. In the end, we came in second place. This put the orange team in first place for the day and us in a tie for second, behind by only 5 points.
Sharlene and Michelle after the soaking
After the soaking, we were lucky enough to get a behind the scenes Dolphin Discovery Tour. We braved the heat to learn about the animals that lived at the park and get a glimpse at two one-month-old dolphins swimming in a protected area with their moms. We were also able to participate in some training exercises with the dolphins, feed them fish, and give them plenty of belly rubs. It was a very special experience and one that I think families with older children would especially enjoy. At the end of the tour, we were told that we would have to answer a tie breaking question. Whichever team raised their hand the fastest, was able to answer first. The first 2 times, we raised our hands at the same time and both gave the correct answers. The third time, the green team raised their hand a millisecond quicker, and though we knew that YoYo was one of the dolphins which had recently given birth, our slightly slower hand ended up losing us the challenge. Ugh. So after a long hard day of competition, we ended up in third. Luckily, we have two more days to compete and wonderful readers who are helping us lead in the voting.
If you would like to follow our adventure live as it happens, be sure to follow us on Twitter @doubleadventure, @mcfamaroo and @trekaroo, as well as on the Trekaroo Facebook page. We will also be posting a daily recap on the blog. Thank you so much for all of your votes and don’t forget to keep heading back to the Race to the Alamo page daily so you can cast your vote and enter to win a trip to San Antonio!
Disclosure: All travel, lodging, meals, activities, and an iPad are being provided by the San Antonio Visitors Bureau so that Michelle and I can compete in the Race to the Alamo. No monetary compensation is being provided and Visit San Antonio did not ask that any specific opinions about their destination be mentioned. All opinions about San Antonio and the Race to the Alamo are those of Michelle and I and reflect our honest opinion of both the destination and the experience.
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Sharlene Earnshaw (aka doubleadventure) is Blogger-in-chief for Trekaroo and the blogger behind Double the Adventure.
Travel with kids to: CA |CO | DC | FL | HI | IL |MA | NC | NY | OR | PA | TN | TX | VA | WA
