Houston, TX - We are very fortunate that Harris County has developed a number of parks that are family friendly. To see a list of parks go to http://www.co.harris.tx.us/parks/park.asp to see information about Bear Creek, go to http://www.pct3.hctx.net/parks/bearcreekpioneers.aspx . Bear Creek is easily accessible on the northwest side of town. It can be reached from Eldridge, Hwy 6 and Clay Road.
The Eldridge entrance puts you in a fun part. Immediately to your left is a nice area to walk with a number of birds species to view and a small pond to feed ducks. If you follow the sidewalk, you will walk past buffalo, deer and turkeys. Be aware that due to extreme heat, the buffalo and other animals may be removed from the enclosures and may not be available for viewing. On your right from the Eldridge entrance are ball fields, a fun playground and bathrooms.
The Clay Road entrance brings you into a maze of roads that drive by pavilions, picnic tables, playgrounds, bathrooms and beautiful trees and fields. There is plenty of space for kite flying, throwing a frisbee or ball and just running around. During the week, there is not a lot of traffic and the roads make a nice level area to go for bike rides with small children.
Of course, you can reach all the sections of Bear Creek Park from inside the park. You just have to zig and zag a little through the roads.
For us the park is close and fun with lots of space to explore. We recommend Bear Creek Park for a family friendly day.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Beware Canyon Lake, TX
In today's economy "Stay-cations" are the "in" thing to do. Well, our economy has been tight for a number of years, and we have done a number of "stay-cations." This year we scraped together enough money for a weekend trip. We have friends with a boat, and we all decided a trip to a lake would be great. Who knew such frivolity could be so futile.
We booked a cabin and campsite at Mermaid Cove in Spring Branch, TX, which boasted to be 20 feet from Canyon Lake anywhere on the property. Our trouble started when our friends hit a rough patch and couldn't go with us. We were beyond the cancellation date so I called and the owner said he would cancel the campsite and move us into another cabin better suited for a party our size.
We were still anticipating a fun weekend at the lake and were kind of excited about staying in a cabin instead of a campsite for a change. Our disappointment started as we traveled down the main Farm Road towards the campground. We couldn't see the lake. The lake is in the Hill Country so we tried to tell ourselves we just couldn't see it because of the hills and trees. We held our breath as we entered the campground and still could not see the lake. We tried to stay optimistic, so we unloaded our gear and then went for a hike to find the lake.
We hiked in 100 degree heat with a 5 year old and 10 year old. Our best guess was the website meant 20 feet from the original coast line of the lake, but the lake in this part appears to have dried up a long time ago. The owner defended his position by saying he told us to get to the "lake" you had to enter the river bed from the old boat ramp and walk a block in the river bed. Now we saw what he was talking about on our hike and the old boat ramp is not a walk from the campsite, it is a drive to the other side of the dried up tributary. The "one block walk in the dried river bed" is longer than a block and not something I was willing to try with a 5 year old, and the "lake" is a swimming hole definately not big enough for a boat or jet ski and not big enough for the trouble of hauling a kayak or canoe.
Our disappointment turned to disgust as we walked back to the cabin and were informed that the cabin we were in had been double booked, and we had to move. They offered to move us into an RV, a self-contained trailer permanently parked on the property. We looked at it and were accosted by a strange odor upon opening the door, disappointed at the cushions on the floor situated like a couch with a covering that was far from its original color and turned away by the bathroom in the hallway. When we considered how much we would be paying for this lopsided smelly place, we told them it was unacceptable. They said they would not charge us the balance and would consider refunding our deposit, but we had to leave. So we packed our gear and drove off wondering where we would stay for the night.
We stopped at a local restaurant to get our bearings. We then got another call from the owner saying we could come back and stay in the cabin. Our disappointment and disgust became anger. Aside from the disappointment of this lakeside cove that was no longer on the lake, the cabin was not what had been promoted on the website. It was not a cedar cabin. It was a concrete block structure. It was not a one bedroom cabin. It was a one room effeciency. It did not have a grill. It had a fire pit without a grate. It did not have a kitchenette. It had a mini-microwave and mini-refrigerator; no stove top or oven. (You need to take a camping stove or grill with you to cook unless the mini-microwave is enough for you. We did not have either a camp stove or grill with us.) The bathroom was a nice size but had no windows or ventilation, and if you closed the door, no air conditioning. The cabin did have air-conditioning, one small window unit. The cabin did have a t.v. and DVD player so at least that was true.
Bottom line, disappointed by the lack of lake and cabin not meeting expectations, disgusted by being told to move to a smelly, lopsided, old and well used RV, and then anger for being told to leave and then extreme anger after packing up and disappointing our kids to then be called and told to come back and that they would not refund us our money. We did not return to the campsite. My husband was able to get the owner to agree to not charge us for the second night, but we lost our deposit and first night fee (there goes our vacation money).
We choked down our cold, undercooked food and started a search for a place to stay. We did finally see the lake through a gap in the trees and saw how low it was. It was sad, really. We passed a number of locations boasting "lake views" and "water falls," but there was no lake and no water on these shores anymore and, it appeared, not since a long time ago.
It was getting late, and we could not see how to get to the lake. We followed FM 306 into New Braunfels. There were a number of hotels. We went to probably 6 of the them. The best availability for our family of four was a room with a king size bed and roll-away for $160, one night. We couldn't afford that. Our hearts sank, and we began the trip back home. Our vacation, a 10 hour car ride from Houston to Canyon Lake to New Braunfels and back to Houston.
Our lesson was beware of Canyon Lake. We did see water and there is a lake there. Accessibility is quite another issue. If you go online, you will see that 13 boat ramps and 2 fishing docks have been closed. What we saw was remnants of an age that has past. In our minds eye we can imagine that many, many years ago when the water actually reached the lake front properties, it was a beautiful and family fun place to be, but today it is just sad.
An alternative is the Guadalupe River which is the river that feeds the lake, but you can see in another post that this is not a family friendly place on the weekends. We have been to the Guadalupe River and stayed on the river twice this year (once on a weekend and once during the week). Most people who come to the river are coming to drink and party. Their attire is swimsuits so a lot of exposed skin to expose to your children. If you go with children, go during the week and try to go the first part of the week to miss the party-ers who are making a long weekend and setting up early. We were very surprised how many party goers came on Thursday.
I suspect Canyon Lake could be fun, but we didn't find it.
We booked a cabin and campsite at Mermaid Cove in Spring Branch, TX, which boasted to be 20 feet from Canyon Lake anywhere on the property. Our trouble started when our friends hit a rough patch and couldn't go with us. We were beyond the cancellation date so I called and the owner said he would cancel the campsite and move us into another cabin better suited for a party our size.
We were still anticipating a fun weekend at the lake and were kind of excited about staying in a cabin instead of a campsite for a change. Our disappointment started as we traveled down the main Farm Road towards the campground. We couldn't see the lake. The lake is in the Hill Country so we tried to tell ourselves we just couldn't see it because of the hills and trees. We held our breath as we entered the campground and still could not see the lake. We tried to stay optimistic, so we unloaded our gear and then went for a hike to find the lake.
We hiked in 100 degree heat with a 5 year old and 10 year old. Our best guess was the website meant 20 feet from the original coast line of the lake, but the lake in this part appears to have dried up a long time ago. The owner defended his position by saying he told us to get to the "lake" you had to enter the river bed from the old boat ramp and walk a block in the river bed. Now we saw what he was talking about on our hike and the old boat ramp is not a walk from the campsite, it is a drive to the other side of the dried up tributary. The "one block walk in the dried river bed" is longer than a block and not something I was willing to try with a 5 year old, and the "lake" is a swimming hole definately not big enough for a boat or jet ski and not big enough for the trouble of hauling a kayak or canoe.
Our disappointment turned to disgust as we walked back to the cabin and were informed that the cabin we were in had been double booked, and we had to move. They offered to move us into an RV, a self-contained trailer permanently parked on the property. We looked at it and were accosted by a strange odor upon opening the door, disappointed at the cushions on the floor situated like a couch with a covering that was far from its original color and turned away by the bathroom in the hallway. When we considered how much we would be paying for this lopsided smelly place, we told them it was unacceptable. They said they would not charge us the balance and would consider refunding our deposit, but we had to leave. So we packed our gear and drove off wondering where we would stay for the night.
We stopped at a local restaurant to get our bearings. We then got another call from the owner saying we could come back and stay in the cabin. Our disappointment and disgust became anger. Aside from the disappointment of this lakeside cove that was no longer on the lake, the cabin was not what had been promoted on the website. It was not a cedar cabin. It was a concrete block structure. It was not a one bedroom cabin. It was a one room effeciency. It did not have a grill. It had a fire pit without a grate. It did not have a kitchenette. It had a mini-microwave and mini-refrigerator; no stove top or oven. (You need to take a camping stove or grill with you to cook unless the mini-microwave is enough for you. We did not have either a camp stove or grill with us.) The bathroom was a nice size but had no windows or ventilation, and if you closed the door, no air conditioning. The cabin did have air-conditioning, one small window unit. The cabin did have a t.v. and DVD player so at least that was true.
Bottom line, disappointed by the lack of lake and cabin not meeting expectations, disgusted by being told to move to a smelly, lopsided, old and well used RV, and then anger for being told to leave and then extreme anger after packing up and disappointing our kids to then be called and told to come back and that they would not refund us our money. We did not return to the campsite. My husband was able to get the owner to agree to not charge us for the second night, but we lost our deposit and first night fee (there goes our vacation money).
We choked down our cold, undercooked food and started a search for a place to stay. We did finally see the lake through a gap in the trees and saw how low it was. It was sad, really. We passed a number of locations boasting "lake views" and "water falls," but there was no lake and no water on these shores anymore and, it appeared, not since a long time ago.
It was getting late, and we could not see how to get to the lake. We followed FM 306 into New Braunfels. There were a number of hotels. We went to probably 6 of the them. The best availability for our family of four was a room with a king size bed and roll-away for $160, one night. We couldn't afford that. Our hearts sank, and we began the trip back home. Our vacation, a 10 hour car ride from Houston to Canyon Lake to New Braunfels and back to Houston.
Our lesson was beware of Canyon Lake. We did see water and there is a lake there. Accessibility is quite another issue. If you go online, you will see that 13 boat ramps and 2 fishing docks have been closed. What we saw was remnants of an age that has past. In our minds eye we can imagine that many, many years ago when the water actually reached the lake front properties, it was a beautiful and family fun place to be, but today it is just sad.
An alternative is the Guadalupe River which is the river that feeds the lake, but you can see in another post that this is not a family friendly place on the weekends. We have been to the Guadalupe River and stayed on the river twice this year (once on a weekend and once during the week). Most people who come to the river are coming to drink and party. Their attire is swimsuits so a lot of exposed skin to expose to your children. If you go with children, go during the week and try to go the first part of the week to miss the party-ers who are making a long weekend and setting up early. We were very surprised how many party goers came on Thursday.
I suspect Canyon Lake could be fun, but we didn't find it.
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Summer Fun, $1 Movies
Houston, TX (2009) - If you have the privilege of staying home with your kids, a couple of theaters around the area offer Summer Children's Series. These are second run family and animated films for only a $1. Studio Movie Grill is our personal favorite, http://www.studiomoviegrill.com/summerseries_houston.html . AMC has a good offer too, http://www.amctheatres.com/smc/ .The movie times are early: Studio Move Grill - 11 am and AMC 10 am, but for kids this is a good time.
Studio Movie Grill is our favorite but more expensive. It is my favorite because of the seats. This is a dinner and movie theater and offers independent, rolling office chairs. Because there are moving chairs, I can position chairs to mark off a boundary to allow my Preschooler to play out of his chair. Allowing my Preschooler to move around, makes the movie experience better for everybody and is my Preschooler's favorite part.
My Grade Schooler's favorite part is the food. The food is where it gets expensive, but at least I only paid a $1 to get in. Anyway, you hit a button and a waiter comes to you and you can order popcorn, pizza, hamburgers or a number of other things. They do have a children's menu which helps keep some of the cost down. Sometimes to help costs, I feed my kids a snack before going, allow them a dessert (one to share) at the theater and then feed them lunch at home after the movie.
AMC is much cheaper and the movies are just as good. The seating is traditional movie theater which is tight and difficult for my Preschooler. The bonus for my Grade Schooler, again, is the food. They offer a "Kid's Pack" for $3 which includes popcorn, candy and a drink. What else do you need?
Beat the heat and enjoy family entertainment, we recommend $1 movies.
Studio Movie Grill is our favorite but more expensive. It is my favorite because of the seats. This is a dinner and movie theater and offers independent, rolling office chairs. Because there are moving chairs, I can position chairs to mark off a boundary to allow my Preschooler to play out of his chair. Allowing my Preschooler to move around, makes the movie experience better for everybody and is my Preschooler's favorite part.
My Grade Schooler's favorite part is the food. The food is where it gets expensive, but at least I only paid a $1 to get in. Anyway, you hit a button and a waiter comes to you and you can order popcorn, pizza, hamburgers or a number of other things. They do have a children's menu which helps keep some of the cost down. Sometimes to help costs, I feed my kids a snack before going, allow them a dessert (one to share) at the theater and then feed them lunch at home after the movie.
AMC is much cheaper and the movies are just as good. The seating is traditional movie theater which is tight and difficult for my Preschooler. The bonus for my Grade Schooler, again, is the food. They offer a "Kid's Pack" for $3 which includes popcorn, candy and a drink. What else do you need?
Beat the heat and enjoy family entertainment, we recommend $1 movies.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Summer Fun, Pools & Picnics
Houston, TX (2009) - If your neighborhood maintains a community pool, this is a great way to spend the day. It is out of the house, requires exercise, a great way to get to know the neighbors and is a lot of fun. If your neighborhood does not have a pool and you live in Houston, the City of Houston maintains over 35 swimming pools. Check them out at http://www.houstontx.gov/parks/aquatics.html
Our community pool opens late at 11 am. This is frustrating since my kids wake-up wanting to go swimming and count the minutes until it is time to go. AND as soon as we get to the pool, it is time to leave for lunch.
Solution: Take a picnic.
For a fun filled day at the pool, we pack a picnic lunch, a couple of extra snacks and drinks. We also pack diving toys, a floaty toy of some kind, goggles and a pool safe car of some kind for the 5 year old (Matchbox and Hot Wheel cars are too small; get lost easily and fit in the pool filters). For comfort you will need plenty of sunscreen, towels and flip flops.
Another help is the pools required "Safety Breaks" also known as "Adult Swim." This happens about every 50 minutes and lasts about 10 minutes. Ten minutes is plenty of time for kids to snack and take a drink. It is important to get them to snack on something. All that exercise swimming can really drain a body and a little snack and maybe some sports drink can help keep the blood sugars and electrolytes in balance.
Swimming: it is good for you and fun too.
Our community pool opens late at 11 am. This is frustrating since my kids wake-up wanting to go swimming and count the minutes until it is time to go. AND as soon as we get to the pool, it is time to leave for lunch.
Solution: Take a picnic.
For a fun filled day at the pool, we pack a picnic lunch, a couple of extra snacks and drinks. We also pack diving toys, a floaty toy of some kind, goggles and a pool safe car of some kind for the 5 year old (Matchbox and Hot Wheel cars are too small; get lost easily and fit in the pool filters). For comfort you will need plenty of sunscreen, towels and flip flops.
Another help is the pools required "Safety Breaks" also known as "Adult Swim." This happens about every 50 minutes and lasts about 10 minutes. Ten minutes is plenty of time for kids to snack and take a drink. It is important to get them to snack on something. All that exercise swimming can really drain a body and a little snack and maybe some sports drink can help keep the blood sugars and electrolytes in balance.
Swimming: it is good for you and fun too.
Monday, June 22, 2009
HALS Train Rides
Hockley, Texas (2009) - TRAINS, what more do you need to say to excite the imagination of a child. My son has been fascinated by trains ever since he was given his first train set for Christmas at the age of two. I could go on and on about train sets, which we have two of, but today it is about Family Fun on the cheap. Today's family fun idea is Train Rides offered by HALS.
HALS stands for Houston Area Live Steamers, http://www.hals.org/ . This is a fantastic organization. They are serious steam train hobbyist who, out of the goodness of their hearts, share their love of trains with the public. They have struck up a mutually beneficial arrangement with the County for park land. HALS maintains their grounds and manages events as well as structures on the land. The County has added a nice parking lot to accommodate the numerous visitors.
So here's the deal. HALS offers for FREE rides on their steam trains. For you tech heads, it is a 7-1/2" gauge track (that is the model size of the steam trains for you non-techs). The track the trains use for the Public Run Days is 4,700 feet long which makes for a very nice 15 - 20 minute ride. The sitting area is like a bench that you straddle and will sit two adults and a number of small children. The trains pull 3 to 4 benches each.
On Public Run Days the Train Depot sells cold drinks at a low cost and recently they started selling t-shirts, hats and train whistles (while supplies last). The Depot also has bathrooms!
PLEASE remember that none of the people who are working/managing the Public Run Days are paid. Everyone selling drinks and souvenirs, handing out FREE tickets, managing the lines, driving the trains, maintaining the tracks, fixing trains, etc. are volunteers. The trains are NOT paid for by the county nor are the tracks and cute buildings, bridges and other accessories along the track. These are paid for by donations collected on Public Run Days and mostly by the Hobbyists themselves. The trains themselves are owned by individuals who spend their personal money and time building and maintaining them. That said, please donate something when you visit this great event.
On Public Run Days, you arrive and park on a paved parking lot, you walk to a covered area and get your tickets, you wait in a covered area with benches through a roped off line area, and then you enjoy a pleasant 20 minute ride that travels by cute little buildings, over bridges, past a pond and through a wooded area. And you will see ducks. When you are done, you return to the covered area where there are bathrooms and a stand to buy drinks and souvenirs. What's next?
We normally take a picnic with us and drive around to the county park area, Zube Park http://www.pct3.hctx.net/parks/zube.aspx . Zube Park offers play ground equipment, tree shaded benches, soccer fields, picnic tables and yes, bathrooms. Now that is a full day.
TIP on the train rides: this little secret is not secret anymore. We went this last Saturday (June 20). The rides start at 9:00am. We were there at 9:15am and the wait in the line was one hour. Thankfully, there was a nice breeze, the line kept moving and the wait did not seem like an hour, but I have been there when there was no breeze and that hour felt like an eternity. So what's the tip? Pack drinks, snacks and perhaps a couple of Match Box cars (or some kind of small toy) and a personal fan along with lots of patience for the line. I have been told if you go later the wave of crowds has receded, but last June we were there late and still waited an hour. My personal favorite is going in October when it is cooler.
Bottom line we recommend HALS train rides for a Family Fun Day. Train rides are open to the public only one Saturday per month Spring through Fall (no train rides in the winter months), so check the schedule and have a fun family day.
HALS stands for Houston Area Live Steamers, http://www.hals.org/ . This is a fantastic organization. They are serious steam train hobbyist who, out of the goodness of their hearts, share their love of trains with the public. They have struck up a mutually beneficial arrangement with the County for park land. HALS maintains their grounds and manages events as well as structures on the land. The County has added a nice parking lot to accommodate the numerous visitors.
So here's the deal. HALS offers for FREE rides on their steam trains. For you tech heads, it is a 7-1/2" gauge track (that is the model size of the steam trains for you non-techs). The track the trains use for the Public Run Days is 4,700 feet long which makes for a very nice 15 - 20 minute ride. The sitting area is like a bench that you straddle and will sit two adults and a number of small children. The trains pull 3 to 4 benches each.
On Public Run Days the Train Depot sells cold drinks at a low cost and recently they started selling t-shirts, hats and train whistles (while supplies last). The Depot also has bathrooms!
PLEASE remember that none of the people who are working/managing the Public Run Days are paid. Everyone selling drinks and souvenirs, handing out FREE tickets, managing the lines, driving the trains, maintaining the tracks, fixing trains, etc. are volunteers. The trains are NOT paid for by the county nor are the tracks and cute buildings, bridges and other accessories along the track. These are paid for by donations collected on Public Run Days and mostly by the Hobbyists themselves. The trains themselves are owned by individuals who spend their personal money and time building and maintaining them. That said, please donate something when you visit this great event.
On Public Run Days, you arrive and park on a paved parking lot, you walk to a covered area and get your tickets, you wait in a covered area with benches through a roped off line area, and then you enjoy a pleasant 20 minute ride that travels by cute little buildings, over bridges, past a pond and through a wooded area. And you will see ducks. When you are done, you return to the covered area where there are bathrooms and a stand to buy drinks and souvenirs. What's next?
We normally take a picnic with us and drive around to the county park area, Zube Park http://www.pct3.hctx.net/parks/zube.aspx . Zube Park offers play ground equipment, tree shaded benches, soccer fields, picnic tables and yes, bathrooms. Now that is a full day.
TIP on the train rides: this little secret is not secret anymore. We went this last Saturday (June 20). The rides start at 9:00am. We were there at 9:15am and the wait in the line was one hour. Thankfully, there was a nice breeze, the line kept moving and the wait did not seem like an hour, but I have been there when there was no breeze and that hour felt like an eternity. So what's the tip? Pack drinks, snacks and perhaps a couple of Match Box cars (or some kind of small toy) and a personal fan along with lots of patience for the line. I have been told if you go later the wave of crowds has receded, but last June we were there late and still waited an hour. My personal favorite is going in October when it is cooler.
Bottom line we recommend HALS train rides for a Family Fun Day. Train rides are open to the public only one Saturday per month Spring through Fall (no train rides in the winter months), so check the schedule and have a fun family day.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Summer Fun, Vacation Bible School
Houston, TX (2009 ) - In the Houston area there are several Vacation Bible Schools (VBS). VBS is fun with a purpose. It can be free. The expense is t-shirt and other potential souveniers such as a music CD. VBS is for kids who have completed Kindergarten through 5th Grade. After 5th Grade students can become youth volunteers. Some churches have special events for older students.
Some VBS accepted preschoolers as young as 4 years old, but these are hard to find. If you are a member of a church, if you volunteer to serve at VBS, then you can get your younger children registered.
I highly recommend volunteering in crafts. The prep work is pretty intense, but all the hard stuff is done before VBS begins. If you are not in charge of crafts, you may only have one or two work days and that is all the prep you do. The week of VBS students come to you for about 20 minutes for their craft time. The rotation of students makes the time go by very fast. It is also just fun to meet all the kids and see all their special creations.
We have attended the MET (Metropolitan Baptist Church, http://www.themetonline.org/jonesroad , VBS is July 13-17, 2009). For the kids it is a blast; lots of energy and fun. For volunteers it is tough; high expectations with little to no staff support.
For the last two years we have attended Copperfield Church (http://www.copperfieldchurch.org/ , VBS is June 15-19). For kids it is a blast; lots of energy, fun and the "Shark" song. For volunteers it is fun; lots of staff support.
Houston has a strong Christian Radio Station, 89.3 KSBJ which has a calendar of community events and listings of VBS throughout the city. http://www.ksbj.org/events_list_category.php?category=bible
We just finished our first day at Copperfield VBS, and it was fun listening to the boys talk (I took 4 boys: a 5 year old and 3 - 4th Graders). The boys remember the story (Paul becomes a disciple) and were proud of their craft (a sun catcher). They enjoyed talking about the music the most. The sang the "Shark" song and said the most memoriable song verse was the "Boomerang Express" theme song.
VBS a cheap fun way to spend a summer day.
Some VBS accepted preschoolers as young as 4 years old, but these are hard to find. If you are a member of a church, if you volunteer to serve at VBS, then you can get your younger children registered.
I highly recommend volunteering in crafts. The prep work is pretty intense, but all the hard stuff is done before VBS begins. If you are not in charge of crafts, you may only have one or two work days and that is all the prep you do. The week of VBS students come to you for about 20 minutes for their craft time. The rotation of students makes the time go by very fast. It is also just fun to meet all the kids and see all their special creations.
We have attended the MET (Metropolitan Baptist Church, http://www.themetonline.org/jonesroad , VBS is July 13-17, 2009). For the kids it is a blast; lots of energy and fun. For volunteers it is tough; high expectations with little to no staff support.
For the last two years we have attended Copperfield Church (http://www.copperfieldchurch.org/ , VBS is June 15-19). For kids it is a blast; lots of energy, fun and the "Shark" song. For volunteers it is fun; lots of staff support.
Houston has a strong Christian Radio Station, 89.3 KSBJ which has a calendar of community events and listings of VBS throughout the city. http://www.ksbj.org/events_list_category.php?category=bible
We just finished our first day at Copperfield VBS, and it was fun listening to the boys talk (I took 4 boys: a 5 year old and 3 - 4th Graders). The boys remember the story (Paul becomes a disciple) and were proud of their craft (a sun catcher). They enjoyed talking about the music the most. The sang the "Shark" song and said the most memoriable song verse was the "Boomerang Express" theme song.
VBS a cheap fun way to spend a summer day.
New Braunfels, TX
New Braunfels, TX (2009) - When I was a kid, the river in New Braunfels was a family friendly trip. Today it can be, but you really have to plan appropriately. DO NOT take small children to the river on the weekend.
We took five (5) kids ages 4 to 10 years old. The kids had a great time and rave about the trip. As Mom, it was a good trip with a few dicey moments.
The days you are there are an important factor to the success or stress of your trip. We decided to camp Wednesday through Friday. We left early Friday. We were surprised how many campers came on Thursday. I don't mind a full campground. What I do mind is a bunch of drunks with loud music and bad language. My kids are still too young to notice the lack of clothing, but in a couple of years it will be a concern. Everybody is running around in swimsuits and some of these "bikini's" are no bigger than dental floss. If I do it again, I will try to camp Tuesday through Thursday.
We camped at the Lazy L & L Campground up river. For kids this is a great campsite. They have an area called the "Devil's Playground." There is no playground equipment anywhere. As long as the river is running low, this area is a fun area for all ages to wade, throw rocks and go down a small chute. There are trash cans and plenty of rock shelf to picnic. You do have to hike up some serious stairs to get to the bathroom, but the bathroom is in walking distance. Oh yeah, not handicap accessible. The stairs are a challenge to get down to the river.
Benefits of the campground, it has a lot of sites on the river with steps built into the banks to make the river accessible. The campsites we saw all had a grill, a firepit and a picnic table. We were in site #15 which is pretty much in the middle of the campground. It was an easy walk to the bathrooms and to a dock to swim or drop a kayak. It was a healthy walk to the Devil's playground and several other steps that went down to the river for exploring and swimming.
Things to plan for include the showers and river equipment. You must buy tokens from the office to operate the shower ($1/6 minutes). It is helpful to have someone watch the timer for you since it is outside the shower and there is no beep or warning that the water is going to shut off. Showers are just concrete stalls so shower shoes are recommended.
River Equipment: we just took $4 tubes from Wal-mart. For our kids this was perfect. They probably would have enjoyed renting at least one tube to share, but I had a little trouble justifying the $15 rental fee. If we actually traveled down the river, it would have been worth the rental fee, but just for swimming around the campsite, it was not.
During the day, we had a great time. Night time was dicey. Every night we were there we had at least one neighbor we had to tell to keep the music down and watch the language. There is a quiet time from 10 pm to 8 am I think, but it is definately not enforced.
It was a good trip, but I don't think I will do it again for a long while.
We took five (5) kids ages 4 to 10 years old. The kids had a great time and rave about the trip. As Mom, it was a good trip with a few dicey moments.
The days you are there are an important factor to the success or stress of your trip. We decided to camp Wednesday through Friday. We left early Friday. We were surprised how many campers came on Thursday. I don't mind a full campground. What I do mind is a bunch of drunks with loud music and bad language. My kids are still too young to notice the lack of clothing, but in a couple of years it will be a concern. Everybody is running around in swimsuits and some of these "bikini's" are no bigger than dental floss. If I do it again, I will try to camp Tuesday through Thursday.
We camped at the Lazy L & L Campground up river. For kids this is a great campsite. They have an area called the "Devil's Playground." There is no playground equipment anywhere. As long as the river is running low, this area is a fun area for all ages to wade, throw rocks and go down a small chute. There are trash cans and plenty of rock shelf to picnic. You do have to hike up some serious stairs to get to the bathroom, but the bathroom is in walking distance. Oh yeah, not handicap accessible. The stairs are a challenge to get down to the river.
Benefits of the campground, it has a lot of sites on the river with steps built into the banks to make the river accessible. The campsites we saw all had a grill, a firepit and a picnic table. We were in site #15 which is pretty much in the middle of the campground. It was an easy walk to the bathrooms and to a dock to swim or drop a kayak. It was a healthy walk to the Devil's playground and several other steps that went down to the river for exploring and swimming.
Things to plan for include the showers and river equipment. You must buy tokens from the office to operate the shower ($1/6 minutes). It is helpful to have someone watch the timer for you since it is outside the shower and there is no beep or warning that the water is going to shut off. Showers are just concrete stalls so shower shoes are recommended.
River Equipment: we just took $4 tubes from Wal-mart. For our kids this was perfect. They probably would have enjoyed renting at least one tube to share, but I had a little trouble justifying the $15 rental fee. If we actually traveled down the river, it would have been worth the rental fee, but just for swimming around the campsite, it was not.
During the day, we had a great time. Night time was dicey. Every night we were there we had at least one neighbor we had to tell to keep the music down and watch the language. There is a quiet time from 10 pm to 8 am I think, but it is definately not enforced.
It was a good trip, but I don't think I will do it again for a long while.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Bane Park
Houston, TX (2009 ) - Looking for things to do in Houston with the kids on the cheap? Parks, Parks, Parks. Houston has a lot of great parks that are fun for everybody. On the Northwest side of town Bane Park is a little hidden beauty. http://www.hcp4.net/parks/bane/index.htm
Driving by all you see are ball fields, but turn into the parking lot, and you will see an entrance to a large playground with bathrooms next to it. After you enter you see that this park is bigger and better than you imagined. There is a pond with catch and release fishing. A sidewalk great for strolling or jogging all around the pond. Benches and picnic tables throughout. They even have a sand volleyball pit.
Downsides: they have a rockwall for climbing, but it is in direct sun with absolutely no shade anywhere near it. It gets very hot. There is also a "splash pad" which is really just a cirlce of 6 fountains coming through a concrete slab (no padding). We have been there twice and twice the water has not worked properly, which to a four year old is devastating.
Goodsides: it has several picnic tables and a bathroom so you can make a day of it. There is a lot of playground equipment. The walking path is a great size to have a four year old walk by themself all the way around and get a little worn out if they run. The pond is entertaining for my 9 year old. We don't fish, but we take bread and watch the minnows fight over the crumbs. Our last visit we were delighted to see a rather large fish jump into the mix. Someone said it was a bass. I don't know fish but I am guessing it was perch. There are also turtles in the pond which are always a treat to see.
For us this park is a close drive just a touch north of 290 on West Little York. With the good and the bad, we still recommend this park as a great place for summer fun.
Driving by all you see are ball fields, but turn into the parking lot, and you will see an entrance to a large playground with bathrooms next to it. After you enter you see that this park is bigger and better than you imagined. There is a pond with catch and release fishing. A sidewalk great for strolling or jogging all around the pond. Benches and picnic tables throughout. They even have a sand volleyball pit.
Downsides: they have a rockwall for climbing, but it is in direct sun with absolutely no shade anywhere near it. It gets very hot. There is also a "splash pad" which is really just a cirlce of 6 fountains coming through a concrete slab (no padding). We have been there twice and twice the water has not worked properly, which to a four year old is devastating.
Goodsides: it has several picnic tables and a bathroom so you can make a day of it. There is a lot of playground equipment. The walking path is a great size to have a four year old walk by themself all the way around and get a little worn out if they run. The pond is entertaining for my 9 year old. We don't fish, but we take bread and watch the minnows fight over the crumbs. Our last visit we were delighted to see a rather large fish jump into the mix. Someone said it was a bass. I don't know fish but I am guessing it was perch. There are also turtles in the pond which are always a treat to see.
For us this park is a close drive just a touch north of 290 on West Little York. With the good and the bad, we still recommend this park as a great place for summer fun.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Nottingham Park
Houston, TX (2009 ) - Living in Houston on a budget has made our look of Houston and the surrounding area colored. A Stay-at-Home Mom with a 4 year old and a 9 year old, it is hard to find things that engage both children that won't break the bank. But Staying at home all day everyday with two kids is just not an option. So ta-da, I will be writing about our excursions, on the cheap.
We traveled 20 minutes from Northwest Houston to West Houston to Nottingham Park. http://www.pct3.hctx.net/parks/nottingham.aspx . This was a great experience. We went on a Friday at about 11 am. There was one day care there, but it did not feel over crowded. This park had a splash pad that occupied the 4 year old and a large playground that occupied the 9 year old. They also had shaded benches for Mom to sit and still be able to see both the splash pad and the playground. The park also has bathrooms:) We were there an hour, but my kids easily could have stayed longer.
Lunchtime we decided to take the quick 5 minute trip to the Memorial City Mall, food court. Everybody gets what they want without spending a huge amount. The food court also hosts a beautiful carousel with rides only a $1 / child / ride. Next to the food court is a small video arcade. The arcade is a tough choice. There are some games for $0.50, but most are quite a bit more. I budget my kids to $2.00 / child which goes really fast. My 4 year old enjoys driving games for $0.50 and the 9 year old played games of chance and earned tickets. He was able to turn in the tickets for 2 pieces of candy. I thought it was crummy, but my son was happy.
We then walked down to the "castle." http://www.memorialcitymall.com/entertainment.html You must be under 48" tall to play on the castle which is great for the 4 year old, but the 9 year old is too tall. We still enjoyed the time. The 4 year old climbed, slid, played and made friends. The 9 year old got Mom's ear all to himself. He talked and talked.
We then headed home. The entire day cost about $20. Family fun on the cheap is a huge victory when it includes age appropriate, kid friendly activities. This was a good day.
We traveled 20 minutes from Northwest Houston to West Houston to Nottingham Park. http://www.pct3.hctx.net/parks/nottingham.aspx . This was a great experience. We went on a Friday at about 11 am. There was one day care there, but it did not feel over crowded. This park had a splash pad that occupied the 4 year old and a large playground that occupied the 9 year old. They also had shaded benches for Mom to sit and still be able to see both the splash pad and the playground. The park also has bathrooms:) We were there an hour, but my kids easily could have stayed longer.
Lunchtime we decided to take the quick 5 minute trip to the Memorial City Mall, food court. Everybody gets what they want without spending a huge amount. The food court also hosts a beautiful carousel with rides only a $1 / child / ride. Next to the food court is a small video arcade. The arcade is a tough choice. There are some games for $0.50, but most are quite a bit more. I budget my kids to $2.00 / child which goes really fast. My 4 year old enjoys driving games for $0.50 and the 9 year old played games of chance and earned tickets. He was able to turn in the tickets for 2 pieces of candy. I thought it was crummy, but my son was happy.
We then walked down to the "castle." http://www.memorialcitymall.com/entertainment.html You must be under 48" tall to play on the castle which is great for the 4 year old, but the 9 year old is too tall. We still enjoyed the time. The 4 year old climbed, slid, played and made friends. The 9 year old got Mom's ear all to himself. He talked and talked.
We then headed home. The entire day cost about $20. Family fun on the cheap is a huge victory when it includes age appropriate, kid friendly activities. This was a good day.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
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.
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.
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