Pedernales Falls

Yet another place that we have only just now visited for the first time.  I can't believe I've missed coming here all these years of living in Austin!  It has been on my list to go to for a long time, but it just seemed too far away.

We decided to check it out over the Christmas holiday and it was amazing.  Lots of hiking paths, biking trails, geocaching and more.

Fortunately, there had been a lot of rain recently, so the falls were more than a trickle!  I did hear that even in the worst of the drought, they never did dry completely!

The highlights were a cave for the boys to climb around in and a natural spring that sprung up right on the beach for them to play with.  They spent at least an hour diverting the outflow in various directions by building dams.

Not having been here is summer, I can still guess this would be a great place, though hot!  There is no swimming for two miles surrounded the falls.  A friendly ranger explained that between 1970 and 1974, 25 people drowned in the falls, and as a result they shut the falls to swimming.  Makes sense to me. 

I did ask how strictly they enforced the rule (ie, does getting wet up to your knees count as swimming?) and he seemed pretty lax.  So coming on a hot summer day, the boys could still cool off a bit wet while enjoying the falls.

Swimming is allowed in another part of the park, further away from the falls - but we didn't have a chance to explore that area as - it being winter - it wasn't a huge draw :o) 

This will be a definite add to my top 50 list, and we will definitely return in the summer for a day of biking, hiking and swimming!

Mount Bonnell

We've been to Mount Bonnell many times.  It is one of those places you just need to take visitors to Austin!  So, when K had a school project to photograph the best places to visit in Austin, one of the places he chose was here.  One hundred and five step up to one of the best views in Austin!

While this location may not be worth a trip all by itself, it is a definite side trip if visiting Laguna Gloria or Mayfield park. 

The kids love to run up and down the stairs and check out the view.  There are a couple of geocaches and there even used to be a letterbox.  It is a fun place to check out if you only have an hour!

Harvest Fun at Sweet Berry Farms

We've have been enjoying autumn at Sweet Berry Farms for many, many years now!  I truly can't remember the first time we came, but the boys were very young.  As they have gotten older, they have enjoyed different activities -- and Sweet Berry has added more fun!

The are many things to do at Sweet Berry.  My favorite is the corn maze.  The age recommendation for this activity is 6 years and with good reason.  The maze takes a minimum of 45 minutes to complete... Our time this year was one hour and 3 minutes :o)  The owners have scattered sign posts throughout the maze, and the goal is to find all of them (ten total maybe).  We found our first six in fifteen minutes, but the last one took at least fifteen minutes to find!  Very fun! 

Note: they also have a Candy Corn maze which is much different. It is a straight-through maze with the goal of getting from beginning to end.  It takes between 5 and 10 minutes and is perfect for younger children.

This year, we had some girls along, and so I felt safe in suggesting we try the flower picking.  Sweet Berry has a field full of zinnias, and for $3 you can buy a cup and some scissors.  Honestly, I think the boys enjoyed this as much as the girls :o)  And I came home with a beautiful bouquet!

We also tried the hay ride.  It is a short trip into the back field decorated with various scene of scarecrows.  The girls and I thought it was cute and original, but K wasn't as impressed and it did seem a bit short.  This might be one that is best for the younger kiddos.

Probably one of the boys' favorite activity every year is feeding the assorted livestock on the farm - an almost completely free activity- $0.25 per cup of goat food, with lots of nearby plants, hay and acorns to use once the cup is empty!  We usually bring a bag of carrots, which are quickly munched by the horses and donkeys. And this year was special, as they had a one-day old donkey in the pen! 

The goat pen is incredible, with two large yards connected by an overhead bridge.  We never saw any of the goats cross using the bridge, but the kids probably spent twenty minutes feeding and coaxing the goats along!
 
The farm also had paint your own pumpkins, an activity we have enjoyed in the past, but just ran out of time for this year, face painting and a stuff-your-own scarecrow.  There are also horse rides on the weekend.

We always finish the day off by picking out the best pumpkin from the pumpkin patch -- if you were hoping to get the best this year - sorry, we've already got it ;o)  In the past the pumpkins were priced by the pound, which got somewhat pricey, but this year they sold most of the jack-o-lantern pumpkins for $6.  They also had a huge assortment of variety pumpkins, and a pile of pumpkins that were huuuge (and $28).

And no trip to Sweet Berry is complete without a cup of their homemade pumpkin ice cream. The strawberry and vanilla are good, but for me, the pumpkin is the best!

Tips and thoughts:  The farm takes only cash or check.  The various activites adds up so make sure you bring enough cash!  To participate in most of the activities is around $20-$25 per person, plus $6 for a take-home pumpkin and an extra $16.50 for the scarecrow...  Just to help you figure how much to bring. 

This year, the farm is offering their new Pumpkin Grille with hot food.  But they also have wonderful outdoor tables that are just perfect for a fall picnic lunch.

And when planning timing, Sweet Berry is about 45 minutes outside of Austin.  We spent around 4 hours at the farm this year.  But without the Texas maze, plan on spending 2-3 hours to see everything.

Brushy Creek Lake Park

Brushy Creek Lake Park in Cedar Park is a wonderful park, with something for just about everyone. 

Where ever you live in Austin, it is well worth the commute for a full summer day.  And one of the best parts is that it is all free!!

The park, acquired in 1987, is 90 acres including a 38 acre lake and has miles of trails for bikers or runners.  The trail winds along Brushy Creek Park and then runs past the lake and goes under Palmer lane for another couple of miles (not sure of the distances).

If you head out on a weekend, there is a canoe/kayak rental place for a chance to get in some paddling!  Bring bathing suits (for the sprinkler pad, not the lake!), bikes, skateboards, fishing rods and hiking shoes!

The park is split into two, divided by Palmer Road (or maybe it is two parks?  Not sure)  On the west side are a large number of sports fields and a really fun playground!

Also on the west side of the park is a neat skate park which you can also use for scooters. Not knowing much about skateboards, all I can say is that the variety of ramps, turns and bowls was pretty amazing!

On the east side is the lake with kayak rental, another nice playground, a labyrinth and what I believe is the most fun sprinkler park in Austin (though it does get crowded during the summer!)

If you have a free day in the summer, this is a great place to come and enjoy a huge variety of outdoor recreations!

Day Trip to Brenham: Bluebell Creameries

We have wanted to check out the ice cream tour at Bluebell Creameries for a long time.  But it is hard to justify a two hour trip for a forty-five minute tour.  This year, D really wanted to go, so I looked around the area to see what else we could find to do, and wham, found the Washington-on-the-Brazos State Park twenty minutes away.  Perfect!

With that in mind, we decided to make a day trip to Brenham.  I intended to get a much earlier start (I alway intend this), but we didn't get out the door until around 9:30am.  Combine that with my poor navigational skills and complete disregard for the google map that I printed, GPS system and smart phone with navigation in the car... we arrived just at noon.

I admit, I had no idea what we were in for.  I feared that they would be on lunch break at noon, and we might have to wait until they returned for our tour.

Not at all.  The factory was packed and the tour process very formalized.  After paying the admission fee, we received our token for the 12:10 tour.  During the summer months, tours seem to leave around every twenty minutes, and include up to 40 people.  Ours was full.

The tour takes about 45 minutes and finishes with a scoop of ice cream of your choice.  And it was really fascinating, from the bare facts (milk from 60,000 cows every day!), to the automation (the only non-automated task is placing the icecream gallons in boxes for shipping).  We decided that we really needed to get a home version of the ice cream sandwich machine, churning out 120 sandwiches per minute!

Combined with our trip to Washinton-on-the-Brazos State Park, we really enjoyed our day trip to Brenham!

Day Trip to Brenham: Washington-on-the-Brazos

Having not grown up in Texas, my local history is somewhat lacking.  I must admit, I didn't even know the significance of this place when we arrived. The Washington on the Brazos state park is devoted to informing visitors about the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence.  And it does a wonderful job.

On site, there are a number of attractions, some are free, some are not.  We purchased the multi-site pass which allowed us to view all, and it was well worth it. 

There is a visitors center, with a large walk-through display of Texas history.  The boys and I probably found this section the least interesting. 

A short walk from the building is a replica of the original building where the Declaration of Independence was signed.  Walking on the wood floors, even the boys fell hushed, as you could almost feel the time past.

Because all we had eaten since breakfast was a scoop of ice cream (see Bluebell creameries post), we first hit the picnic area for some lunch. 

The picnic area is beautiful, with large trees, lots of picnic tables, restrooms and a small playground area. 

Within a short walking distance, you can see the previous location of Robinson's ferry on the Brazos and the location of the old town of Washington, originally capital of Texas.

We then viewed the Star of Republic Museum, which was very helpful, interesting and informative. 

The museum starts with a twenty minute film explaining the significance of this location to the revolution. 

There is then a very nice museum to walk through with a discovery center with activities for children of all ages and lot of interactive displays.  It definitely kept the interest of all ages. 

We would have stayed longer, but the day was getting late, and we still hadn't made it to the Barrington Living History farm.

Barrington Living History farm is a reproduction of a Texas cotton farm in the 1850's, complete with the home of Anson Jones, last president o the Republic of Texas. 

The home was, unfortunately, closed the week we visited due to roofing repairs.  But the barn and slave quarters were still open. 

The park provides an 'interpreter' to guide visitors through the farm.  Our guide met us in the hundred degree heat and entertained us for at least forty five minutes. 

If I was amazed at how many people packed the halls of Bluebell Creameries, I was somewhat dismayed at how few people there were in the park.  Our interpreter said we were her only visitors of the day!

Our interpreter was very informative, friendly and kid-friendly.  She let the kids feel the weight of an oxen yoke. 

The boys got to pick cotton from the fields, lift a thirty pound bag of cotton and check out the pig pens, baby turkeys and chickens.

We really enjoyed our visit and learned a lot about Texas history. 

Combined with our trip to Bluebell creameries, this was a perfect day trip from Austin!

Red Bud Isle

Red Bud isle is not just a favorite with my boys, but also for my dogs :o)  It is, to my knowledge, the nicest leash-free area in Austin. 

Red Bud Isle is an Austin Park located on a small island on the west side of Town Lake just south of Tom Miller Dam.

There is a short half-mile hiking loop around the isle that takes you out to the eastern point, than loops around back to the parking lot.

There is also an access ramp for canoes or kayaks to put in.

For dogs, it has a lot of benefits - access to lots of fresh water both to drink and play in, lots of room to roam, lots of friends to play with and no close roads for the wandering dog to get trampled.

For kids, it has almost the same benefits (minus the drinking part!)

Seriously, my boys can spend a whole day here splashing around in the water.

I have seen people bring tubes and floats to hang out in the water, but we generally hop around too much for that.

Throughout the loop around the island are easy access spots to the lake.  You can pick one and hang out, or check them all out.

Tips and Thoughts

Be careful where you park!!

There are very limited parking spots for this park.  Lots of people park in the fire lane, on the grass, or on the road outside.  And lots of people get tickets for parking there.  People are frequently coming and going from this park, so the best thing to do is to just wait until somebody leaves, and take their legal spot. 

This probably goes without saying, but if your children are afraid of dogs, this is probably not a good place to come, as the place is over-run with dogs of all sizes.

Also, if you do bring your dog, there are a couple of different places distributing poop bags.  Please pick up after your pet.  With so many dogs in the area, if everyone doesn't pick up, it starts to smell really bad!