Georgetown, Texas

Georgetown, TX (2009 ) - We were on our way to a wedding in Salado, Texas, but couldn't find a hotel in Salado with availablility at the right price. Now remember we live in Texas, everything is a drive, and drives take time. We don't generally measure in miles. We measure in time. We found a La Quinta Hotel 30 minutes from the wedding location in Georgetown. This was a reasonable drive time for us.

Here is what we did to enjoy a fun, quick trip on the cheap:

We decided to leave early Saturday and only stay one night in a hotel. We traveled from Houston to Georgetown in just 3 hours. Along the way, we stopped in Elgin, Texas, for some famous BBQ for lunch which extended our travel time.

We were on our way to a wedding so we when we got to Georgetown we had to make a quick change and head to Salado. If we could have meandered in Georgetown, we would have enjoyed a craft show in the town square. Georgetown hosts Market Days every 2nd Saturday of the month and usually has timely themes. Fun for Mom, check it out at the Downtown Georgetown Association, http://www.dgagtx.org/.

Salado was a quick trip of only 30 minutes. The wedding was at a quaint bed & breakfast with wonderful gardens and small ponds. The Stone Creek Settlement, http://www.stonecreeksettlement.com/ , was a beautiful location for an outdoor wedding. We decided to go back to the hotel, but my sister with her small children stopped in Salado and spent time at the creek near Pace Park, http://www.saladotx.gov/pacepark.htm . They had a great experience and raved about an adventure involving a boy, a fish and NO fishing pole.

Our one night in the hotel we enjoyed swimming in the pool. The pool at the La Quinta Georgetown is very small. For small children there is only one set of corner steps to stand on, but there is a hot tub that is not too deep. We were fortunate to have it to ourselves and enjoyed our time. We kept the evening cheap and stayed in the room for pizza and movies (whatever was on cable).

We took advantage of the hotel's breakfast and then set out for San Gabriel Park, http://parks.georgetown.org/san-gabriel-park/ . This is a very nice park with picnic tables, play grounds and a great view of the San Gabriel River. The kids found a tiny creek bed that they really enjoyed climbing around and exploring. Lucky for Mom & Dad there was a picnic table beside the creek for us to watch the kids. Lucky for my littlest one there was a park bathroom in the parking area.

We decided to splurge on lunch though we could have made things cheaper by bringing a picnic. Anyway, we went to the town square. It was a Sunday and the entire square was closed except for one diner: The County Seat. Take your patience and your appetite. It was the only restaurant open on the square so quite a wait. But the food was good and the service was fair. I always keep a couple of MatchBox Cars in my purse for those times the kids need a little patience to occupy their time.

After lunch we visited the Blue Hole, http://parks.georgetown.org/blue-hole/. Parking was hard, but the walk was worth it. The blue hole is a swimming hole in the San Gabriel River. There was plenty of low water area for small children to explore and get plenty wet. There were deeper areas for older children and exploring with Mama and papoose. There were even some people rock jumping. If you go to the website, look in the trees for the cliff. There is even a bathroom. We had a great time. TIP: the river bed is very slippery. Water shoes would be helpful.

We then packed up and headed back to Houston. We had a very peaceful drive home as the munchkins snoozed the time away.

It was a quick trip. It was a fun trip. I recommend Georgetown, Texas for a family get-away.