slofamilylife's Passport
 | Been to 224 Attractions |
 | 201 Reviews |
 | 102 First to Review |
 | 232 Photos |
 | 142 Helpful Votes |
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Send a ComplimentAbout Me & My Family
I am a mom of 3 wonderful little boys (one with special needs), a beautiful baby girl, and am married to the man of my dreams. I am very interested in incorporating learning into activities that we do, so a trip to the beach turns into a school field trip. Recently, we moved back to California after a brief move to Texas and feel blessed to be able to be involved in all facets of Christian Camping. Because my husband and I serve in full time ministry, we're lucky to be able to spend a lot of time around each other and our family, having exciting adventures and just living life, day by day. :)
Our Family's Travel Personality
adventurous, curious, structured, relaxed, independent, energetic, spontaneous, easy_going, scheduled, artsy
We Just Got Back From
Japan, Lake Tahoe, Camp! (Not on the same trip though) :)
Our Favorite Vacation Spot
Anywhere new where discoveries can be made! We're pretty frugal, so budget traveling is definitely the way we go. However, occationally, we do love to splurge too! :)
A Place We'd Love To Visit
Austrailia to scuba dive the barrier reef, a zero-gravity flight to experience weightlessness, ziplining and exploring a rainforest, exploring the vast glaciers in Alaska, just to name a few!
Favorite Vacation Memory
It's completely simple, but watching our 6 year old get selected to be a Jedi Knight at Disneyland. It's his "lifelong" dream and still today when someone asks him what he's going to be someday, he proudly answers, "A Star Wars Guy!"
Worst Travel Moment With My Kids:
Right after checking into our hotel, my 4 year old threw up in the middle of the floor on the carpet, all over his jammies, his lovey, and on his little brother. Thankfully, the hotel we were staying in had a laundromat that was open late, so a few hours later, and after some carpet scrubbing, everything was cleaned up and like new.
Websites I Like:
Must See Family Attractions In Austin!
Austin is home to the weird and funky, but also boasts amazing cultural and family-friendly activities! The list below lists several must-see attractions for the whole family.
300 Pressler
Austin, Texas
Comment:
Explore the city with duck beaks quacking and laughing away as your tour guide leads you from land to water all from the comfort of your bus's seat!
Congress Avenue
Austin, Texas
Comment:
A trip to Austin isn't complete without a visit to Texas' State Capitol. Just stepping through the doors will make you feel like you're a part of history. It is definitely a great place for older kiddos and history buffs.
reviewed on: May 11 2011
"Fun For Parents, Older Kids"
My husband and I were thrilled to be able to visit Texas's state capitol building in Austin, but our kiddos, not so much. The building itself is remarkable, one of the most beautiful examples of 19th century architecture I've ever seen. The inside of the building features 4 distinct hallways all meeting at the rotunda room in the center. The rotunda room has 4 levels the public is allowed to access and gaze down upon the mosaic of the six flags that originally made up Texas. When we were there, the senate was in session and we were allowed to peek in and take pictures (no flash). It was thrilling to be able to get a glimpse of how government's run and see one of the most spectacular government buildings in the US. For kids, there's an interactive exhibit and an IMAX theater a few blocks away in the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum. We didn't visit that this time, but I would like to in the future! I would recommend taking your family, even younger kids, just to give them a glimpse of Texas's government. It was fun!
Austin, Texas
Comment:
This Zoo is not your typical zoo, it's an animal sanctuary! Check the many events online and take part in their many contests, like naming their new peacock, and events, like the Kid's Summer Paint Out Day!
301 Nature Center Drive
Austin, Texas
Comment:
This is a must-see place for young kids and budding archeologists! They have a large dino dig area, and an wildlife area. There's also an indoor area to explore hundreds of bones and fossils under a large-lensed microscope! Not only is it educational, it's free!
reviewed on: May 11 2011
"Free Educational Fun! "
We discovered the Nature and Science Center on a recent trip to Austin. I expected it to cost something, and we were on our way out of town, so we almost didn't stop. Luckily we did, because this spot became one of the highlights for our trip. Our kids (7&3) loved digging for fossils in the dino pit, looking at the wildlife in the Birds of Prey Exhibit (they have a live bobcat, coyote, owls, turtles, and more), and checking out the smaller critters in the Small Wonders Exhibit (spiders, lizards, snakes, fish). In the indoor naturalist area there's a small indoor cave that was a hit for my boys to run through. It sits on a small lagoon and is incredibly beautiful. We also enjoyed looking at the critters through the high powered microscope that had a large lens so little kids didn't have to squint to see the animal underneath! Also in the naturalist area are hundreds of bones, preserved insects and species, feathers, and more. It's a great place for the budding archeologist. Because my family chooses to believe in creationism, we appreciated that the center didn't overdo the evolutionist theory. It supported it, but didn't throw it in our face. I would definitely go back. Next time, I'm going to check the schedule and see if there are any classes we can take the kiddos to!
2100 Barton Springs Road
Austin, Texas
Comment:
Step through different countries landscapes in one place. From the Japaneese Gardens with water snakes, turtles, and more to Prehistoric times, with large scale dinosaurs, it's a great place for all ages. Kids like to roam and run on the sidewalks or hunt for different plants on the classifications charts. And the best part about the gardens is, it's free!
reviewed on: May 11 2011
"Beautiful Garden's For Free!"
My family and I had a blast walking through the different areas of the botanical gardens looking for "botans". My husband, the prankster that he is, told our kiddos that botans are the fun & creative statues around the park. Zilker's Botanical Gardens had so many of these beautiful "botans" that we spent a few hours hunting for those alone! Our favorite area was the prehistoric garden with dinosaur "botans", a huge waterfall, and a wide open pool with turtles, fish, and birds. We also really liked the Japanese gardens for similar reasons!
1800 Congress Ave
Austin, Texas
Comment:
Austin's only IMAX theatre is this one! It seats 400 people and shows amazing footage and imagery on it's 2D, 3D, and 4D screen. Check the schedule to see what's playing.
401 E. Whitestone Blvd.
Ste A-10 Cedar Park, Texas
Comment:
Take a ride on a steam train! The train has comfortable seats and incredible scenery. You can choose from short rides to longer ones with leisurely stops along the route that allow for shopping and lunch. Also, some of the longer trains even have wild west gunfights or magic shows. Sometimes they even have special trains, like Thomas, chugging down the tracks.
2100 Barton Springs Road
Austin, Texas
Comment:
Barton Springs Pool, The Botanical Gardens, and The Nature and Science Museum are all located at Zilker Park. Not to mention, large play grounds, miles of grass, and a view of the city that is breathtaking!
reviewed on: May 11 2011
"You Could Spend A Day Here...At Least!"
We went to Austin this past week and loved Zilker Park. You can easily spend a day there walking through the botanical gardens identifying different flowers and plants, discovering fossils, bones, and other live creatures like bobcats, coyotes, and birds at the nature and science center, hike on the many trails and paths near Ladybird Lake, or have a picnic and play at the massive playground! They also have volleyball courts, frisbee golf, barton springs pool (fee), and so much more! The park is on 351 acres and hosts many different festivals and activities throughout the year. It's a must see if you're heading to Austin!
2201 Barton Springs Rd
Austin, Texas
Comment:
Barton Springs Pool is a 3 acre pool in Zilker Park. The pool is the fourth largest natural springs in the state. There is a nominal charge per person, but the pool is family-friendly but check the rules before hand since they do have restrictions on coolers and beverages.
5808 McKinney Falls Parkway
Austin, Texas
Comment:
This 744 acre park has campgrounds, hiking, mountain biking, road biking, picnicking, fishing, wildlife viewing, and other activities. Unfortunately you can't swim in Onion Creek which goes through the State Park, but it is a great spot for some amazing animal encounters and pictures.
