Baldwin Photography: Houston Area

Well - the weekend got away from me. Somewhere between the long road-trip home with two very tired little girls, tackling the mounds of laundry that seem to appear after a week-long vacation, and just getting back into the swing of things, it was back to the "real world" in a blink of an eye. So, my apologies for making you wait an extra day or so for TOP TEN FAMILY VACATION SPOTS in TEXAS. And, onto number 6...

6. New Braunfels

This German town is the perfect get-away when you just want to escape with the family over a holiday weekend. We go up there at least once every summer, if not more. And, I have memories of camping on the river with my Dad growing up - so it's a tradition I love passing along to my two little girls. New Braunfels is surrounded by two cold-spring fed rivers: the Guadalupe and the Comal rivers - and many of it's great attractions feature at least one of the rivers. Many families float the Comal which is a short float on mild rapids punctuated by a few water "shoots". It's a very nice, relaxing time, but probably more appropriate for families with kids 9 years old or older.
The most well-known attraction is Schlitterbahn - and while, we have a version here in Galveston, it is nothing compared to the original in New Braunfels. And, it's a great place to have fun, no matter what your age! Half the rides in the park (called Schlitterbahn West) are actually fed by water taken directly from the Guadalupe. It is one of the biggest water parks in the US and is consistently ranked the Best Water-Park in America.
Another great county park (one of my girls' favorites) is Landa Park. They have boat rides, train rides, Frisbee golf - and a river-fed splash area + wadding pool for the kiddos to play around in. It's also a perfect location to view fireworks from on the 4th of July (a new family tradition - now going on three years). If you're looking to stay dry for a day, two excellent places to visit are the Natural Bridge Caverns and the New Braunfels Children's Museum. The caverns offer two tours - the original, which is suitable for walking toddlers and pre-schoolers, and the new illuminations tour - more suitable to older children who can climb steep stairs and are not affraid of the dark. After seeing the cool stalagmites and stalactites, the kids can then "pan" for gems, fossils and arrowheads outside. We just did this with the girls over Memorial Day Weekend - and they just loved it. They are still talking about it! Finally, the New Braunsfels Children's Museum is a quaint play-based museum very similar to the Houston Children's Museum. Its a great place to let the little ones burn some energy while you enjoy the cold A/C.


7.  Corpus Christi - the Sparkling City by the Sea

Corpus Christi is a nicer alternative to Galveston for a seaside family vacation. The city itself is actually on the bay, as opposed to the barrier island, Mustang Island. Thus, the gulf-side beaches are undeveloped and more pristine than those in Galveston. When down there, we like to stop by the Mustang Island State Park to stroll the beaches looking for shells and play in amongst the gorgeous sand dunes. Other nice attractions within the Corpus Christi city-limits, include the USS Lexington and the Texas State Aquarium. The USS Lexington is a air-craft carrier that saw extensive service in the Pacific during WWII. You can tour almost the entire ship, including the flight deck which holds several various planes for the kids to be inspired by. Texas State Aquarium is located within walking distance from the USS Lexington. Inside you'll find dolphins, sea otters and various other sea-animals that are fun to see and experience. For a fun afternoon or evening outing, take in a Hook's baseball game at Whataburger field (Corpus Christi is home to the original Whataburger!). They are a minor-league team - and the field is located right on the channel next to the bridge which provides for some very scenic views. Finally, when we're visiting, we always make a point to splurge on one fancy dinner at the Water Street Oyster Bar, home of the best seafood around.

8. Wimberly

Wimberly is quaint little tourist town between Austin and San Antonio that sits along the crystal-clear Blanco River. To kick-off the summer, we rent a house right on the river and hang out with Granny, Auntie and all her crazy friends (think ya-ya sisters). The girls love the attention they are smothered in while Chad and I enjoy the relaxing on the river (you can just sit your lawn chair right in the river!) and maybe even sneaking away for a date-night. There is also a swimming hole nearby called "the Blue Hole", and I think there might even be fishing. Our two favorite spots to visit while in town are the Salt-Lick and Driftwood Vineyards. The Salt-Lick is my absolute favorite BBQ restaurant to visit. It is a family-style restaurant that serves all you can eat brisket, ribs, sausage and smoked turkey - and a big side of fresh homemade bread with the MOST delicious BBQ sauce I've ever had. It is BYOB and a long wait is guaranteed on the weekends.  Though, the atmosphere is gorgeous and there is usually a small band playing live music so between the music and our cooler of beer and wine, the wait is just fine. The winery is a nice little place we discovered three years ago and sits atop a hill overlooking vineyards in the valley below. They have wine tastings and you can also purchase bottles with cheese and crackers to enjoy while you soak in the scenery. It is really a piece of heaven right there in the Hill Country.

9. Inks Lake State Park
I remember visiting this beauty during my summer geology field class in college. We got to see some many cool things while learning about the geological history of Texas. It was such a wonderful class that, if it wasn't my last semester of college, I may have actually switched majors to Geology based strictly on that class! And, during that class, I distinctly remember being so impressed with the beauty that Inks Lake had to offer. It is located in Burnett County - right on the Colorado River and next to Inks Lake. You can canoe (yourself or guided) and paddle through gorgeous granite gneiss exposed from the Llano Uplift. There is also fishing, swimming and camping. But, be sure to make your reservations early as this park is almost always near capacity.
Another great thing about Inks Lake State Park is that it is very near my favorite cavern in Texas, Longhorn Caverns. While it is certainly not the prettiest cavern in Texas (that belongs to the Caverns of Sonora), I think I love Longhorn Caverns because of its history. Before it became a State Park it was used by Indians, Confederate Soldiers and outlaws. And, during the prohibition, it was a speak-easy! Now you can tour the grand caverns, enjoy the lovely grounds, or even rent out one of the caves for weddings and birthday parties. On some nights they also offer concerts right inside the cave!

10. Davis Mountain State Park
We first visited this park on a leisurely road-trip out west - and used it as a spring-board to explore the surrounding area. The park, itself, is nestled amongst the scenic Davis Mountains. The park is a good place for hiking and also features a historic Indian Lodge, constructed in the 1930s and still has the original furnishings! A short drive from the park will take you to McDonald Observatory, operated by the University of Texas. Here you can see really BIG telescopes, including the 5th largest in the world, and even take a peak at the sun! They also have tours during the day and star parties at night. Really lots of fun if you are a nerd like me :) If you travel a short way out of the mountains to the flatland below, you'll come upon Balmorhea State Park - home to one of the largest spring fed pools in the country. The pool is fed by the San Solomon Springs which gush out up to 28 million gallons of water a day. It's beautiful, crystal clear water that is the perfect temperature to refresh yourself on a hot Texas day.

And, there you go! My top ten favorite places for family vacations in Texas. It was really really hard for me to narrow it down to ten - which is part of the reason it took me so long to put this together. There are many honorable mentions and maybe some day I can do another post on more great Texas getaways. But for now, I'll leave you with a few links so you can persue potential places yourself:

Texas State Parks Directory - full listing and description of each State Park within Texas - and there are many!

Texas State Travel Guide - a city by city, divided by region (Texas has seven, you know), guide of things to see and do in the great state of Texas.

Finally, if you have any questions or would like some personal recommendations, just shoot me an email. Or, let me know and I can bring you a personal copy of the Texas State Travel Guide at our next session! We always grab plenty of copies to share when we visit the Texas Visitor's Center down in the Valley :)