CLHCO Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 We'll be heading that way in a couple weeks with one day to spend in Austin - partial day there, and a couple of completely free days in San Antonio. Obviously, we'll hit the river walk and Alamo. Any other ideas? I can't afford Sea World or amusement parks, but I know they're beautiful cities with so many other options. I'm just drawing a blank. TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Julie in Austin Posted January 16, 2011 Share Posted January 16, 2011 There are several free museums on the UT campus in Austin. The LBJ museum, the Texas Memorial Museum (science/natural history), and others. They have a Gutenburg Bible on display at the Harry Ransom Center! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kathleen in VA Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 How about visiting The Alamo? Admission is free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mama Geek Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Lake Travis in Austin is beautiful. It probably won't be warm enough to swim but there are parks that you could take a picnic to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unicorn. Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 The Witte Museum in San Antonio is free after 3 on Tuesdays. http://www.wittemuseum.org/ Special exhibits excluded, but your 10 yo and younger would enjoy the HEB Buddy Treehouse. They are located right by the SA Zoo. http://www.sazoo-aq.org/ $10.75 for adults, $8 for kids. If you have a museum or zoo membership where you live, check to see if these are on a list of museums/zoos that offer reciprocal discounts w/ yours. I know they participate in those. The Institute of Texan Cultures usually has some pretty cool stuff. Admission is $8 for adults, and $6 for kids. http://texancultures.com/ You might also look into touring the other missions in SA. Many of them are better than the Alamo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 In San Antonio: The Witte Museum--free on Tuesdays after 3:00 and the San Antonio Museum of Art--free on Tuesdays after 4:00 if you happen to be here on a Tuesday. In addition to the Alamo the other missions along the mission trail, such as San Jose and Concepcion, are interesting and free. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renthead Mommy Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 It's been 3 1/2 years since we lived there, but I'll try. The zoo was pretty cheap. (And to this day I swear they still have THE BEST onions I've every eaten!!) And there are free days at the museum right by the zoo. I think it was called the Whitney, or something very similar to that. I can't remember exactly where it is, or even what it's called, but there is an old road side snake place. Somebody on here can give you the name I'm sure. It was pretty cheap. It's one of those exhibit type places that popped up in the late 60's/70's and it still looks it from the outside, but it was really neat. We did a trip there and they held off on feeding till we got ther. I'd call and find out when they feed if you want to see that. Tell them you are coming that day and they may wait for you with at least a few. They also pulled out one of the large, albino boa's for everyone to hold and take photos with. I figured it was going to be super cheesey, but it was really fun and neat. The guy from Dirty Jobs did an expisode there which you could probably find on Nexflix. Out back they had some other animals as well. Also Fort Sam is an open base and it's located right there near the zoo and Whitney. There is a quad where deer and peacocks still roam and you can feed the deer carrots right from your hand. It has a lot of history you can look up. Geronimo was held there for awhile before his trial or they moved him to Florida or something. Out side the quad is a number of different helicopters, tanks and various large gun type things. There is also a small museum on the base, but it had very limited hours, so be sure to look it up. If you are taking a rental car, just be sure to have all your paperwork. If it's your car, just be sure to have your driver's license and insurance paperwork. If you want completely free, there is the mission trail. We did all four of them in one day. The first two were fun, but by the third, it was getting old, and by the fourth, we just went in to get the kids Nation Parks Passports stamped and that was it. But it was mid summer and hot and nasty. Better weather may make it more exciting! I don't know how old your kids are, but my son LOVES Davy Crockett, especially DC at the Alamo. Might be something to watch from Netflix before you go. My kid of course decided he wasn't into the Alamo (during the 8 times we went during our two years) or Davy Crockett, until we lived on the other side of the planet in Japan! Instead of driving 20 minutes to buy christmas prestents, that year I had to order them and have them shipped to Japan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yucabird Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) The missions are off the beaten track and are worth visiting (though I agree w/ RentheadMommy; don’t do them all). The McNay Museum is a lovely place (free adult admission on Thursday nights) http://www.mcnayart.org/ . The cathedral is easy to combine w/ a visit to the Alamo. Take a water taxi on the Riverwalk at night and scout a place to eat yummy food. I’m in Mexico, but there’s nothing like Tex-Mex! :D Edited January 17, 2011 by yucabird omitted word Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PiCO Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Here's a tip for you- if you go to the zoo, DON'T go on the "zoo train". It doesn't go through the zoo. We saw construction guys, trash in the river (a LOT), a feral cat eating garbage, and a driving range. I have a long amusing story about our visit to the zoo also- involving crazy bears, an escaped cheetah, and violently pooping birds... but overall I would recommend the zoo (just not the train) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLHCO Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 We will definitely consider the zoo... and not the train. ;) My youngest would love that. We'll likely spend one day doing the River Walk and Alamo. Fort Sam sounds right up our alley too, but I'll have to see how overwhelmed we are with other ideas. We will be there on a Tuesday, so I'll look into the Witte Museum too. The Harry Ransom Center looks like a nice option for our Austin day. Thanks for all the recommendations! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 You might look at these: Free (or very cheap) fun in Austin 365 Things to do in Austin You might also try temporarily subscribing to the Austin Area Homeschoolers AAH-Announce list. There are no membership fees or formal membership requirement for the AAH support group; anyone is welcome to show up at any of the activities, and any homeschooler is welcome on the lists. You could come play soccer in the morning at beautiful Zilker Park, wander over to Chess Club for a few games, or come to the homeschooler Valentine's day party if you're in town. Or sign up to the AAH-Discuss list and ask for recommendations for things to do from all the locals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blueridge Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Here's a tip for you- if you go to the zoo, DON'T go on the "zoo train". It doesn't go through the zoo. We saw construction guys, trash in the river (a LOT), a feral cat eating garbage, and a driving range. I have a long amusing story about our visit to the zoo also- involving crazy bears, an escaped cheetah, and violently pooping birds... but overall I would recommend the zoo (just not the train) :001_huh::lol::lol: I hope the construction guys made your train ride worth it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLHCO Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 You might look at these: Free (or very cheap) fun in Austin 365 Things to do in Austin You might also try temporarily subscribing to the Austin Area Homeschoolers AAH-Announce list. There are no membership fees or formal membership requirement for the AAH support group; anyone is welcome to show up at any of the activities, and any homeschooler is welcome on the lists. You could come play soccer in the morning at beautiful Zilker Park, wander over to Chess Club for a few games, or come to the homeschooler Valentine's day party if you're in town. Or sign up to the AAH-Discuss list and ask for recommendations for things to do from all the locals. We'll be in town the week before Valentine's Day, but our group won't have one this year, so I wish we were there! My parents will be there and we play at a cowboy church that evening, so we will have to go easy on the exciting stuff for our Austin day, but the 365 link looks promising! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLHCO Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 What about Mount Bonnell in Austin? Good place for lunch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 (edited) Yes indeed! But don't be deceived by the "Mount" part. It's a smallish hill, with steps going up it. Mount Bonnell You might also try to catch the bat flight from under Congress Ave. Bridge. It used to be the largest urban bat colony in the country (there's a larger one now in Round Rock :glare:). ETA: Mt Bonnell is very very close to Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve; good for shady walks and watching the peacocks. No admission fee; just pull into the parking lot and have a nice walk. Edited January 17, 2011 by Sharon in Austin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLHCO Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 Yes indeed! But don't be deceived by the "Mount" part. It's a smallish hill, with steps going up it. Mount Bonnell You might also try to catch the bat flight from under Congress Ave. Bridge. It used to be the largest urban bat colony in the country (there's a larger one now in Round Rock :glare:). ETA: Mt Bonnell is very very close to Mayfield Park and Nature Preserve; good for shady walks and watching the peacocks. No admission fee; just pull into the parking lot and have a nice walk. I didn't figure there was a "real" mountain in Austin, being from Colorado. :tongue_smilie: What time is the bat flight? Probably too late for us, sadly. We have to be in Liberty Hill at 6:30, but my son would *love* to see a bat flight. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TXMary2 Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 The Witte Museum in San Antonio is free after 3 on Tuesdays. http://www.wittemuseum.org/ Special exhibits excluded, but your 10 yo and younger would enjoy the HEB Buddy Treehouse. They are located right by the SA Zoo. http://www.sazoo-aq.org/ $10.75 for adults, $8 for kids. If you have a museum or zoo membership where you live, check to see if these are on a list of museums/zoos that offer reciprocal discounts w/ yours. I know they participate in those. The Institute of Texan Cultures usually has some pretty cool stuff. Admission is $8 for adults, and $6 for kids. http://texancultures.com/ You might also look into touring the other missions in SA. Many of them are better than the Alamo. I second the Witte and the Zoo. Also, in Austin there are a couple of sanctuary zoos you can visit for cheap and the fee helps support the care of the animals. Also in Austin is Zilker Park. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
i.love.lucy Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 Aw. We love the train at the SA Zoo. It's only $2 to ride. But I do have a 6 year old boy, sooooo... there's that. The zoo is a lot of fun, it's a good medium size. I can't suggest anything that's not on that 365 list. Have fun! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Violet Crown Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I didn't figure there was a "real" mountain in Austin, being from Colorado. :tongue_smilie: What time is the bat flight? Probably too late for us, sadly. We have to be in Liberty Hill at 6:30, but my son would *love* to see a bat flight. They come out at dusk, which is a little before 6:00 right now, so you might be able to squeeze it in. There's a great radio spot on our local station, in which someone talks about moving to Austin with his girlfriend, getting excited about Mt Bonnell, and showing up there with full mountain-climbing gear ... only to see people just walking up the steps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 I think in San Antonio I would hit the Alamo and Riverwalk, and probably the zoo. I would definitely hit The Historic Market Square and if you do that, be SURE to have hot chocolate at Mi Tierra. I would try to see the bats in Austin, but I think they are migratory and may be further south at this time of year, and I'm not sure you could get to Liberty Hill in time from there. Traffic going north out of Austin can be bad at the end of the day. Another thing to throw out there is Homestead Heritagein Waco. It's a communal style working homestead and traditional craft village run by a bunch of homeschoolers. Depending on your travel route you might go there on your Austin day and you could be to Liberty Hill in about an hour and a half. It's pretty cool. Also, north of Austin on I35 is a really cute little town called Salado. That might be a nice stop, too. Is the event in Liberty Hill open to the public? We might make a run down there to see y'all. Let me know! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CLHCO Posted January 17, 2011 Author Share Posted January 17, 2011 Is the event in Liberty Hill open to the public? We might make a run down there to see y'all. Let me know! It's a cowboy church, but I bet you could sneak by! It is a service, so we'll only play about 35 minutes, then there will be a sermon, if I understood the format correctly. There is a link on our web site (linked below) in the calendar area. We hoped to also find someplace to play in San Antonio before heading to Arizona, but no luck, so we'll just jam at our room in New Braunfels. The neighbors can appreciate it or not. :nopity: We will have 2 days we can go into San Antonio with no other commitments (unless they take busking :tongue_smilie:), so we'll see about that historic market square too. I'm all for hot chocolate. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amy loves Bud Posted January 17, 2011 Share Posted January 17, 2011 It's a cowboy church, but I bet you could sneak by! It is a service, so we'll only play about 35 minutes, then there will be a sermon, if I understood the format correctly. There is a link on our web site (linked below) in the calendar area. We hoped to also find someplace to play in San Antonio before heading to Arizona, but no luck, so we'll just jam at our room in New Braunfels. The neighbors can appreciate it or not. :nopity: We will have 2 days we can go into San Antonio with no other commitments (unless they take busking :tongue_smilie:), so we'll see about that historic market square too. I'm all for hot chocolate. Gruene is a fun little area in New Braunfels. Great burgers at The Gristmill, and Janie's has AMAZING barbecue!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bootsie Posted January 18, 2011 Share Posted January 18, 2011 If you will be in San Antonio in early February, the San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo can be interesting to attend. The Toyota Tundra plant offers free tours on Mondays-Fridays. Reservations are required, but they can be made on their website. If you are driving from Austin to San Antonio the LBJ Ranch is an interesting place to stop. A national park and a state park are adjacent to each other. Tours are offered of the Johnson Ranch on the national park side. There is an old Texas homestead on the state park side which has farm animals and workers in period clothing doing daily farm chores. There are grills, picnic tables, etc. for cookouts. It appeals to a wide range of ages and interests. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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