Texas Spring Break 2024

Kris' family lives in Texas, so we've visited many times, but each time is a little different. This time was the best!

Day 1

There's nothing like leaving the house at 1:30 a.m. for a 5:00 a.m. flight! The sense of adventure of heading out for a long drive with only three hours of sleep under your belt is WILD. It's just so much easier with teenagers than it is toddlers.

We flew Southwest, which we normally don't do, but since we took golf clubs and they don't charge for doing it, it was an easy choice. Southwest was wonderful. I feel like they really leave you alone and don't tell you what to do, and no one's trying to cram suitcases in where they don't belong because they let you check for free.

We got our rental car at the airport (super fast and easy, because we didn't have to wait the desk) and then drove straight to Lazarus Brewing to meet up with Kris' parents - Joanna and Mike, and our friends who were also on break - Destinee and Thom! 

We sat outside in the sun, and it had a lovely atmosphere and good food. We had dessert at Dolce Neve Gelato courtesy of Thom and Destinee (thanks guys!) - and at their recommendation. It was heavenly.

We walked the length of Austin admiring the murals and art along the way. When we got to the capitol building, we walked all through it and went to the very top. So pretty inside and out.

There were scooters everywhere for rent, and we thought...why not? So Kris rented us all a scooter and we zipped through traffic, along a trail, and across the city to make it back to our car. So fun! I love scooters.

We drove the hour and a half to Kris' parents' home in Burnet, which is in hill country. They live on a ranch that was divided into ten acre sections to form a neighborhood, and they built a home there in 2008. We had a bonfire in the back of their house, looking at the cattle in the next pasture. 

Day 2

I went running and saw horses, ponies, and goats! 

We all went golfing at the Lighthouse Country Club. The sky was so blue and it felt so warm and nice. The course was a nice mix of water, sand, and rocks. They had just aerated the greens and so when you hit them, your ball just stopped! It was really hard to putt, too. Just another challenge!

We ate afterward at Inman BBQ, where we had never tried. We got a mix of meats and sides. I loved the macaroni and cheese and brisket the most. The people who worked there were so friendly. 

Mike and Joanna had their friends over. The boys went to Putters and Gutters, an arcade and bowling alley, while we talked with them. Then we were treated to a perfect rainbow...which then developed into a double rainbow! It covered the sky. Nice show, Texas!

Day 3

The guys went golfing at Hidden Falls Golf Club, and I worked and went for a long run. It is so much easier to run when you don't have to put on two layers and wear gloves and an ear covering!

We then drove to Lake Travis Ziplining! This place was super cool. Some of the ziplines were a half mile and got up to speeds of 65 miles per hour. It really felt like flying. There were little hikes up rocky paths and there were beautiful views all the way. This was a real highlight, emphasis on the high!

We seven met up with Meghan, Jon, and their kids at Oasis, which was a giant outdoor complex overlooking Lake Travis. We ate burgers and took advantage of the free locks they had. You wrote something on the lock, locked it on the fence, and threw the key (littering, no doubt.) But Kris and I totally did it and it was romantic all the same! (I've seen this in many places including Paris but never have done it, so that was fun.)

We all headed back to the Wardins to watch NCAA basketball and go in their hot tub. The stars were big and bright. (Deep in the heart of Texas!)

Day 4

We hiked at Inks Lake State Park, and the bluebonnets - although great all over Texas - were absolutely breathtaking here. They were thick and deep as far as you could see, and they smelled so wonderful! I absolutely couldn't get over them. Wildflowers in general were great. I took pictures of so many I didn't know, and they were all so colorful.

We hiked for about two hours, and it was really great. I've been here before, and I love this place. 

In the afternoon, the guys golfed at Delaware Springs, and I hung out with Meghan and Anna as her boys slept. Anna and I walked on the path in the back of their property that Mike mows. 

All of us went over to Rick and Donna's house (their friends) to see their donkeys and chickens, ride in their ATV to see bluebonnets, play on the putt putt course, eat burgers at their outdoor kitchen, go in their hot tub, and celebrate Anna and William's birthdays!

We also did this photo recreation of the kids on the guys' shoulders...and then the guys on the kids' shoulders. We laughed and laughed as they struggled to hold each other up. I'm laughing just thinking about it now! 

Day 5

We left the house at 1:30 a.m. again and walked into our own house at 1:30 p.m. Home sweet home and back to school after a great spring break!

Austin and nearby places in Texas - yeehaw!

I've been to Austin a number of times.  My family and I just went to visit Kris' family in March, so here's what we did and what I think is worth seeing ...

FROM THE AIRPORT -

DAY 1 -

The Texas Capitol

We just parked in a downtown parking garage, so we could leave the car there and walk around.  What's not to like about this?  It's usually open, it's free, and it's pretty inside.  If you want to spend just a little time, go in and look, and if you want to spend more, you can take a tour.  I like going into state capitol buildings and hit them whenever I can.

6th Street

Sometimes 6th Street looks trashy, as in actually has trash on it, and there are lots of people asking for money.  But at night it's transformed into a musical wonderland.  When the music is coming from every place, the street is closed off, and everyone's walking around it's just ... exciting and fun.  It just gives you that city feeling.  I love walking here at night and ducking in to listen to different bands. 

Places to Eat

Cooper's Old Time Pit BBQ is Kris' favorite Texas BBQ, and he's tried a lot of them.  We've been to the one in Llano, but there's one on Congress in Austin.  (If you like BBQ, which I don't.)  If you're more into giant pretzels and beer gardens, then Scholz Garten is your place.  It was a fun outside area with tons of taps, a giant pretzel, and when we were there, a trio of string musicians jamming together.  They weren't doing it for us, just for them.  Nice atmosphere.

We've also enjoyed the Iron Cactus, because you can sit outside on a balcony and look at all the Austin weirdos.  Easy Tiger is another outdoor place we've been a couple of times.  I love the ping pong tables and the greenery wall.  I could easily spend a few hours here ... and again, they have a giant pretzel.  (You may be picking up on my food favorites.  BBQ, no, huge hunks of bread covered in salt, yes.)

Bats at Congress Bridge

After seeing the Capitol, 6th street, stopping at Easy Tiger and a few other places, Kris' sister Meghan said, "We're about a half mile from Congress Bridge!"  I knew just what she meant because although I've been here before, I've never been here at a time I could see the bats fly out from under Congress Bridge.  It happens March-ish through Septemberi-sh at sunset.  People gather in huge crowds - and in kayaks on the water - to watch 1.5 million bats head out from their batcave for the night.

We have bats here in Michigan ... every night in the summer we have a few that circle the yard.  But to see a stream of them that went on and on and ON was pretty cool.  There were just so many of them.  It made you wonder how the bridge stayed up with all that extra weight!

DAY 2 -

Enchanted Rock

I love cities, but I love nature even more.  Enchanted Rock is a fun, easy hike up a giant rock.  Once you reach the peak and hit the other side, there are rock caves to explore, the scenery to admire, and the fun of looking at being on such a giant rock that is, ostensibly, enchanted.  How else did it get that name?

While we were up there Ty found a 20-lb weight someone had apparently lugged up it.  THAT'S a workout.  I once walked up here when I was pregnant with twins, and they didn't even weigh that much.

Fredericksburg

Fredericksburg is a touristy town that is German, so it reminds me of Frankenmuth, MI, and every tourist beach town in Michigan.  Cute stores, ice cream, pretty parks - all the markers of a tourist town if you feel like walking around and sitting in cow seats.  This cow must be German!

We ate at the Fredericksburg Brewery which was beautiful and almost empty.  Great outdoor seating - perhaps it's more popular in the summer and not on a spring Wednesday at 4:00 p.m.

DAY 3 -

Pedernales Falls State Park

This is more exploring than hike, but there are a lot of places to explore.  The water and rock mix makes for some pretty beautiful scenery.  It warns you everywhere to not swim in it, but I can see how that would be difficult to follow when it was hot outside.  We jumped around, skipped rocks, and then went left from the entrance, where there were spots you could climb even farther and higher.

We stopped off at Bear King Brewing Company in Marble Falls later that night.  It had recently opened and didn't offer pretzels...yet.  Better call and ask before going here!

DAY 4 -

Inks Lake State Park

This is the prettiest park of the three in my opinion.  It has nice, twisty, cool hikes through it.  We brought kayaks and kayaked on the water, which was fun, and we jumped off a cliff into the water.

There are two places you can jump off - a high cliff and a lower cliff.  I was sure I was going to jump off the higher cliff, but then once I went there, I was really uncertain.  For one, you can't see into the water to make sure you're not going to hit something, because it's not clear.  For two, the other people jumping off told me to make sure I jumped toward the sign, because there weren't rocks that way.  For three, the cliff is not straight down - it's angled out so you also have to jump OUT to make sure you clear it.

As a result, I went on the lower cliff, since I was weighing how mad I would be if I hit something in the water and was paralyzed for life.  It didn't seem worth it.

My first jump off the lower cliff was fine.  The second time I jumped with my son, and in the water, I hit a big rock with my leg.  It wasn't painful or anything, but I did hit it, because there are rocks down there!  I'd probably pick a different park to cliff jump ... like one that DOESN'T have big rocks that you can't see in the water!  But hiking and kayaking here?  Totally fun.

DAY 5 -

We flew home out of Austin, because there are some really cheap flights to here.  Spirit flies into here, so you're always going to be able to find something reasonable from a big airport.

Other things in Austin and surrounding areas?  E-scooters - this is the first place I saw them, last summer!  My friend Aimee just did a line dancing class at the White Horse, rented bikes to ride all around the city, and liked the Hops & Grain Brewery.  I also like running along the river early in the morning.  The difference between 6th Street at night and the early morning river is a nice comparison.

And any place you can get a pretzel.  I'm always in favor of that.

Questions?  Email carla.wardin@gmail.com.