Texas Traffic Jams

Don't you just love Friday afternoon traffic?!?!?!

We recently got stuck in a traffic jam returning home from a camping trip in Bandera. Not the usual kind of traffic jam, though. It was what you might call a Texas-style Taffic Jam.  Now if they would just hurry up and moooove out of the way!

Goliad & Presidio La Bahia

On our recent trip to the coast, we decided to take the scenic route along Highway 183 which takes you through the small town of Goliad.  If you have never visited the Presidio La Bahia in Goliad, I encourage to do so.
http://www.presidiolabahia.org/index.html 

This historic fort played a key role in Texas History. It was at this fort that the first formal Texas Declaration of Indepence was signed in December 1835. It was also here, a few months later, that the worst massacre in Texas history took place under the orders of General Santa Anna.

This week marks the 175th anniversary of the Goliad Massacre on March 27, 1836.
http://www.tshaonline.org/handbook/online/articles/qeg02.  The massacre, following on the heels of the defeat at the Alamo, became part of the Texians' battle cry at San Jacinto -- "Remember the Alamo! Remember Goliad!"

The Goliad Masscre took place just a few weeks after the Battle of the Alamo when the Mexican army led by General Santa Anna marched through Goliad on their way toward San Jacinto.  They encountered the Republic of Texas soldiers at the Presidio La Bahia, defeated them in battle and took the Texians prisoner. The Mexican army held the prisoners captive for a week. But on Palm Sunday, the Mexican army was ordered to march the captive Texian soldiers out to the road near the fort and shoot them at point-blank range. 342 soldiers were killed. A handful managed to escape with the help of the Angel of Goliad. http://www.tamu.edu/faculty/ccbn/dewitt/goliadangel.htm

The Presidio La Bahia is also site to one of the oldest churches in America. This beautiful chapel, Our Lady of Loreto, still serves as a community church today and has been in continuous use since the 1700s. The inside of the chapel is painted with beautiful murals.  But outside, be sure to see the statue of Our Lady of Loreto located in the niche above the chapel entrance. This statue was sculpted by Mount Rushmore sculptor Lincoln Borglum. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/rushmore/peopleevents/p_lborglum.html

Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch, San Antonio

The Hyatt Wild Oak Ranch (http://wildoakranch.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/index.jsp)  is a Hyatt Vacation Club property, but you don't have to be a vacation club member to stay there. You can reserve their studios and condos just like a regular hotel. It is located right next door to the ever-popular Hyatt Hill Country Resort in San Antonio, and guests at Wild Oak have access privileges to that resort, too. We love to stay at the Hyatt Hill Country Resort on special occasions, but for our frequent overnight visits to San Antonio the Wild Oak Ranch is a better fit for our budget. It also has some perks that you won't find at the resort next door --- like an indoor pool and waterslide!

Indoor Heated Pool

When the weather is nice the giant doors are raised,
joining the indoor pool with the outdoor pool.

Indoor Waterslide

Pricewise, I've always found the Wild Oak Ranch to be about half the price of the Hill Country Resort, except for Holidays. Then, like all resorts, the price goes through the roof. But I can typically reserve a Studio room at Wild Oak Ranch for $99-$110 a night. The Studio has a king size bed and a living area with a full-size sleeper sofa. There's also a private balcony, and a kitchenette/wet bar with microwave,  mini-refrigerator, coffee maker and toaster.  The larger condos are very nice, too. They have separate bedrooms, a living room with dining area, and a fully equipped kitchen. They're great to reserve when you're traveling with another family.

Outdoor Pool & Waterslide

Wild Oak Ranch is a smaller property than the Hill Country Resort, but it's a great value in comparison. Wild Oak has two pools and waterslides, both outdoors and indoors, plus the lazy river with a sandy beach and several hot tubs. Hill Country Resort does NOT have an indoor pool.  So that makes Wild Oak Ranch a better choice for us in the winter. When it's 20 degrees outside, my kids can still swim all weekend. (I know . . . that's rare in Texas. But it actually happened this year).

Lazy River

Sandy Beach next to the Lazy River

When the weather is nice, Wild Oak Ranch offers lots of free outdoor family activities. There are organized pool games, s'mores by the firepit, and outdoor movies. There is also a Kids Camp with their own Clubhouse, but my kids tell me it's geared for younger preschool kids. A real gem is the playground with a merry-go-round. You don't see those very often. In fact, this was the first time my kids had ever played on one and they loved it!

Lots of hammocks on property for relaxing in.

As for eating, there's only one restaurant on property. JB's Poolside Restaurant. It's okay, but I wouldn't want to eat there every meal, every day. In fact, we seldom eat there more than once each trip. But my kids do love to get a smoothie there. And they have a daily Happy Hour. Another option for eating is to grill your own dinner. The staff will set up a BBQ Grill for you outdoors if you ask. I see lots of people doing this in the summer months. But just so you know, there's also a Rudy's BBQ (http://www.rudys.com/default.aspx) not too far down the road.

Taking a break at JB's

If you're a golfer, guests at Wild Oak Ranch have access privileges to the Hill Country Resort Golf Club next door.  And for the ladies ... access to the Windflower Spa, too.  I love this spa and have been known to get a massage or two there. In fact, Freddie and I once had a couple's massage there for our anniversary.  It was wonderful!

By the way, if you'r not familiar with the San Antonio area, these Hyatt properties are located right across the highway from Sea World. Sounds like a fun weekend getaway to me!

Kick Butt Cab & Whittington's Jerky

Texas has really stepped up its game in recent years when it comes to winemaking. One of my favorite Texas Wines is produced right here in Central Texas. Kick Butt Cab.  The name says it all!

Kick Butt Cab is produced in Johnson City at the Texas Hills Vineyard. The vineyard is located 1 mile east of Hwy. 281/290 on RR 2766.  http://www.texashillsvineyard.com/index.html  Don't be surprised when you stop by for a tasting if owners Gary and Kathy Gilstrap personally pour your wine. If you're real lucky, you'll meet their dog, too.

On your way back home, make a quick stop at Whittington's on Hwy 281 South for some of the best homemade jerky around.  My son is quite the jerky connoisseur, and he begs to stop here whenever we're in the area. It's not cheap, but it's worth the splurge.  http://www.whittingtonsjerky.com/index.html 

** If you want to try some Kick Butt Cab but don't have the chance to personally visit the Texas Hills Vineyard, I have found it at the local Spec's Liquor Store. http://www.specsonline.com/

Baby Bambi

Spring is just around the corner. A time for new life and new beginnings. 

I love this picture taken last Spring in my sister's front yard. She lives in San Antonio near 281 & 1604, one of the busiest intersections in town. But you'd never know it because it's so quiet and peaceful. Deer sightings are all too common throughout the Spring and Summer in her neighborhood. But this was the first time that my kids had ever seen a newborn up close.

My sister had seen Baby Bambi with his mother earlier that morning, but mom was nowhere to be seen at this point. When Bambi saw us he started walking over. As cute as he was, though, we knew not to touch him and suspected that mom was probably watching from nearby. Sure enough, after we hid on the porch to watch, several adult deer suddenly appeared and surrounded the baby deer.  One of the deer, who was clearly the mom, walked up to him and began nuzzling the baby. Then off they went, lickety split, to wherever deer go.

Family Cottage is Texas Historical Site

This cottage was built by my paternal great great grandfather Isaac McCormick in 1899, north of Amarillo in the Texas Panhandle. It has been designated as a Texas Historical Site.
http://www.9key.com/markers/marker_detail.asp?atlas_number=5233000002

Inks Lake State Park

Every October we hitch up the camper and head out to Inks Lake. This Texas State Park is located near Burnet, TX, about an hour's drive northwest of Austin. It is an absolutely beautiful park with most campsites located right on the lake. You can't beat waking up in the morning to a lakefront view!

I typically reserve 5 or 6 campsites a few months earlier and then spread the word to any friends or family who want to join us. This is a very popular park so you need to make reservations several months in advance. We love to camp here in the Fall because the summer heat has finally started to cool down and it's perfect camping weather.  If you're lucky, it'll be cool enough to wear jeans and a sweateshirt in the early morning hours. But don't be surprised if it warms up enough to swim in the lake by afternoon!

I love the camp store at Inks Lake. It's small, but they sell everything you may have forgotten to bring from home.  And my kids love to stop by every afternoon to buy popsicles and ice cream. The store has a large deck out back with a beautiful view of the lake. You can stay awhile and enjoy your ice cream while playing checkers or chess at one of the picnic tables. Or reserve one of the canoes or paddle boats for the day. They're tied up along the pier behind the store.

Don't forget to bring your bicycles to Inks Lake. You'll see people, young and old, biking throughout the park. Although take it from me, don't try riding up the big hill to Devil's Waterhole without stretching! One year I tore my calf muscle trying to keep up with the kids and ended up on crutches for a month.

Devil's Waterhole is the popular swimming hole at Inks Lake. Many daredevils swim across the lake here, climb to the top of the rocky hill and jump into the lake. I have my fun just by watching them!  If it's too cool to swim, you'll find several hiking trails around Devil's Waterhole. And if you're into Geocaching, there are several caches hidden in the park.

If you don't have a camper or tent for camping, Inks Lake has some mini-cabins that you can reserve. These are small cinderblock buildings, each with two sets of bunkbeds and a table inside. Definitely utilitarian conditions, but they do have air conditioning! And most of them have lakefront views. Every campsite has a grill, picnic table and fire ring.

Photo from TPWD

If you like to fish, be sure to bring your fishing poles. And you don't need a fishing license if you're fishing in a State Park.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/inks/

Garner State Park

Texas has some really great State Parks. But one stands out above the rest for being the kind of place where families return, generation after generation. I first went to Garner State Park as a young girl in 1975, but my great-grandmother went there with her family long before I was born.  And today my sisters and I, along with our mom, try to make at least one trip together every summer with our families.

Garner State Park is located 90 miles west of San Antonio in the beautiful Texas Hill Country. Situated down in a valley beneath the famous "Old Baldy" mountain you'll find one of Garner's main attractions -- the clear, cold waters of the Frio River. This is the same river immortalized in George Strait's song "All My Ex's Live in Texas".  I remember that old Frio River where I learned to swim...

Camping at Garner in the summertime usually means daytime temperatures of 100+ degrees fahrenheit. So we pretty much stay in the river until dusk.  You can rent paddle boats near the dam for cruising up and down the river, but most people enjoy just tubing along the Frio for hours on end.  And Garner has several rope swings where kids line up for the chance to jump into the water.  But one of the main attractions is parking yourself on a float or tube in the middle of the river and watching the daredevils who jump and do back flips off the top of the giant tree!  BTW, I've told my kids a million times that I don't care how old they are ... they will NEVER have my permission to jump off this tree!

After spending the day in the river, there's still plenty left to do at Garner. A private organization, Friends of Garner, hosts a hayride around the park several nights a week. There's a small fee for the hayride, but the money goes toward preserving the park.  The hayride takes you, literally, over the river and through the woods. There's usually plenty of wildlife to be seen on the hayride, as well as some beautiful views of the hill country.

And halfway through the trip, the hayride stops at a spot by the river for a watermelon and lemonade break.

When the sun finally sets for the day, the outdoor pavillion at Garner comes to life.  There's a snack bar and gift shop at the pavillion, but the real money maker is the old jukebox that cranks out country-n-western songs for dancing under the stars.  Many summer romances began on this dance floor. You'll find dancers of all ages -- toddlers to grandparents.  And a variety of dance styles, too.  Everything from Line Dancing to the Bunny Hop to the traditional Texas Two Step.

Dancing at the Pavillion Today

Old Family Photo of the Pavillion circa 1950s

And for those who don't like to dance and people watch at the Pavillion, there's a nearby miniature golf course.

The dance ends every night at 11:00pm with the jukebox being unplugged. The Park Rangers come out to disperse the crowds and direct traffic back to the campsites.  Speaking of campsites, at Garner you have a few different options available.  You can rent a water/electricity site and pitch a tent or hook up a camper. Or you can reserve a screened shelter or a cabin. But just know that none of the shelters or cabins are air conditioned. So bring your fans because the summer heat can be unbearable without them.

Once back at your campsite for the evening, it's time to roast marshmallows and tell stories around the campfire. This is the favorite time of day for my kids and their cousins.

This is what eating one-too-many S'mores will do to children!

If you do decide to go to Garner, you need to know that they stay booked throughout the summer. So make your reservations months before. I think you can reserve a campsite online up to a year in advance. And I would also suggest that you avoid going during a holiday. The day crowds (people who visit just for the day and don't camp overnight) are unbelievable and it's so crowded that it stops being fun. And although I've only visited Garner in the summer, I hear that the Fall is a beautiful time to go and rent one of the cabins with a fireplace.

http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/garner/

Port Aransas

My first trip to Pt. A was Spring Break 1983. I still love visiting this small fishing village -- just not so much during that week-long teen party called Spring Break. But any other time of year, it's a great place to visit for a relaxing vacation.  http://www.portaransas.org/

THEN



AND NOW

FAVORITE THINGS TO DO (when you're not swimming in the waves):
1) Electric Buggies http://www.nauticalwheelers.net/
My kids love to rent an electric buggie for a few hours and drive all over town, as well as up and down the beach.  The buggies are painted in bright colors and themes, so picking out the buggie is almost as much fun as riding in it!  We like to drive down by the ferries and stop at the park to watch for dolphins. Then we head down to the UT Marine Science Center (http://www.utmsi.utexas.edu/visit/visitors-center.html) to look around their exhibit hall, and from there continue driving up the beach. There's also a bird sanctuary that we'll drive over to for a visit. And stopping along the way for snow cones is always a must!

2) Sandcastle Lessons http://sandrum.com/lessons/lessons.html
Hiring the Sandcastle Guy for a family lesson is well worth the money! Both kids and adults will have a great time mastering the art of sandcastle building. But call or email the Sandcastle Guy before your trip because he books up quickly in the summer months.

3) Miniature Golf http://www.onpadreisland.com/minature_golf.aspx
Heading north up the island toward Corpus Christi is a fun miniature golf course. We love to head over there in the evening after the temperatures have cooled down. And right next door is one of the nicest gift shops around.

4) Destination Beach & Surf Store aka "The Shark Store" 516 South Allister
You won't be able to miss this souvenir store because it has a giant shark out front. No trip is complete without pictures made of the kids standing inside the shark's mouth. The shark is actually a tunnel and you can walk through him, from mouth to tail. Kids love it! And we usually end up buying at least one boogie board in the gift shop during our trip.

5) Texas State Aquarium http://www.texasstateaquarium.org/
My kids love to visit here any time ... but it really makes for a great rainy day activity.

Petting sting rays at the Texas State Aquarium

6) Fishing and Crabbing
If you like to fish, especially deep sea fishing, then Port Aransas is the place to go. Several companies will take you out on their boat for a day of fishing, or you can fish from one of the piers. My nephew once caught a baby shark fishing off the pier!  After dark, though, is when the real fun begins for my kids -- crabbing! All you need is a small net, a sand pail and flashlight. My kids prefer to wear a head lamp, though, because it's easier to catch crabs when both hands are free. The kids walk along the sand, shining their flashlights, looking for sand crabs. When they're lucky enough to actually catch one of these fast little critters you'll hear lots of yelling and cheering. The kid who ends up with the most sand crabs in their pail is winner for the night. Mom then makes sure that all the crabs are set loose before we head back to the beach house for the night.

RESTAURANTS:
1) Pelican Club - Many people say this is the best restaurant on the island. It's upscale high-end seafood, steak & sushi. Reservations suggested. Not too kid friendly, though, unless you go early.
2) Virginia's - Those same people say Virginia's is the second-best seafood restaurant on the island. Good atmosphere with cheaper prices than Pelican Club -- but you may wait a while for a table.
3) Shells Pasta & Seafood -- This hole-in-the-wall restaurant has great food and is perfect for carry-out.
4) Moby Dick's -- Be prepared to eat here at least once if you're traveling with kids. They love the atmosphere! And there's plenty of picture-taking opportunities.
5) Snoopy's -- This has been a family favorite for as long as I can remember. No trip to the coast is complete without a meal at Snoopy's. Some of the best, fresh-of-the-boat fried seafood and hush puppies can be found at this casual restaurant. If the weather's good, you can eat out on the deck. And after dinner, head next door to Scoopy's for an ice cream cone.
6) Seafood & Spaghetti Works -- This "round house" restaurant is where we go when we want to eat something besides seafood.  Our kids love the spaghetti and pizza, while mom and dad enjoy a glass of wine.
7) Port Aransas Brewing Company -- My husband loves brew pubs and was thrilled to discover a new one on the island. http://www.portabrewing.com/

PLACES TO STAY
Port Aransas has several different condos and hotels available, as well as beach houses for rent. I've stayed at all of the above throughout the years. They're all suitable for a great vacation -- just depends on the size of your group and how much money you want to spend.


Final word of advice -- I would be remiss if I did not tell you to watch out for tar on the beach and jellyfish in the water. If you've never been to the Texas beaches, you might be surprised by the amount of seaweed and tar that sometimes washes up on the sand. But don't worry because nearly all the local stores sell tar remover.  And if someone gets stung by a jellyfish during your trip, just walk over to one of the lifeguard stands and they'll treat the sting for you.