Austin Kids' Directory Blog
Bebe Paluzza this Friday & Saturday!
This Friday & Saturday August 19th & 20th at Palmer Events Center 10 am - 4pm is Bebe Paluzza, The Maternity, Baby, & Toddler Faire! Look for the Austin Kid's Directory booth and stop by to register for great prizes! Visit http://www.bebepaluzza.com for more info and to puchase tickets. Use code AUSTINKIDS for a buy one ticket get one free special admission deal!
The Austin Premiere of Spy Kids IV in 4D…tickets on sale NOW!
This just in....
Join the Austin Film Society for the Austin premiere of SPY KIDS IV in 4D Saturday August 13th. The event will be held from 4-6pm at The Long Center and will include a Q&A with the director, Robert Rodriguez, and talent including Daryl Sabata. Attendees will also be able to enjoy a post-screening carnival from 6-8:30pm on the City Terrace. There is a ticket discount offered for group purchases (10+ tickets). Tickets start at just $15. This will be the first-ever 4D movie in Austin and will incldue AromaScope. Don't miss it!
All proceeds will benefit the youth education program at Austin Film Society and Dell Children's Medical Center. It should be the event of the summer in Austin and we hope to see you there!
South Padre Island… a perfect family vacation spot!
We just returned from a family vacation at South Padre Island and I thought I would share some of our experiences there in case you are planning to head that way this summer. It is only a 6 1/2 hour drive from Austin and well worth the trip.
Some of the things we enjoyed most:
Beach time, of course! There are lots of access points to the beach along the island and the beaches were clean and beautiful. A beach umbrella, chairs, and lots of suncreen are all great to have on hand. Lots of families had large pop up tents like found at Academy which seemed to make great shade for long days at the beach. The kids enjoyed boogie boarding and working at mastering a skimming board (harder than it looks!). For younger kids buckets, shovels and life jackets are all good.
Schlitterbahn has a water park right on the island. It is designed so that you can float from ride to ride so you stay cool all day. Our favorite thrill ride was The Tempest. There is a giant Sand Castle Cove with lots of fun for the younger kids. They also have the Sea Trek (for ages 8 and older and an additional fee) where you can go underwater in a saltwater tank with divers and have photos taken with stingrays, puffer-fish and more. Look for the opportunity to register to win a trek when you enter the park. We actually won! http://www.schlitterbahn.com/spi
We took a morning bay fishing trip on the Osprey, which docks at Pier 19. Lots of fun. We saw dolphins and we caught enough sand trout and whiting for dinner that night ....delicious! Rods and reels and bait are provided and the crew was very helpful and knowledgeable. Also caught on our boat were catfish, a crab, and several ribbon fish (beautiful but very scary teeth!) all thrown back by the Captain. For a very small fee they will even clean your fish for you. And you can take them to a local restaurant and they will cook them for you for a fee if you prefer not to cook them yourself. http://www.ospreyfishingtrips.com
While on the subject of Pier 19....this is a perfect place to watch the sunset. Nice view of the bridge and lots of pelican watching.
We also climbed the Port Isabel Lighthouse. A lovely view of the island from way up there. It was recommended to us to go in the morning as it gets hot in the top of the lighthouse later in the day. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/port_isabel_lighthouse/
A trip to Sea Turtle Inc was educational and enjoyable for all ages. This group does some very important work. They have lots of sea turtles to see. They sometimes do turtle releases so be sure to ask about these. We did not get to go to one but it sounded very interesting. http://www.seaturtleinc.org
Behind the convention center on the island there is a free nature walk. This boardwalk goes to Laguna Madre Bay and is a very nice place to observe the ecosystem. We saw fish, hermit crabs, blue crabs, and watched heron while they fished. Nearby is South Padre Island Birding and Nature Center. There is an admission fee here but they have an observation tower and more boardwalk. It also looked interesting. http://www.worldbirdingcenter.org
Looking for a place to stay? We rented through Seaside Services and were very impressed by how well maintained the property we stayed at was and by how helpful they were in answering questions and suggesting things to do. They manage about 70 properties on the island. http://www.southpadrebeach.com or call 877-544-1066
South Padre made for a great vacation! And there was lots more to do there but we could only fit so much in and still have plenty of beach time!
Hope you get to go ...if not this summer, sometime in the future!
NEW edition of our annual Field Trip & Teacher Resource Guide!
The 2011-2012 edition is now available on our website (look for the link near the top right-hand corner of our homepage) and in selected stands. If you are a teacher, Scout leader, member of a PTA, active at your child's school, home schooling your kids, a camp director, or just a parent looking for things to do with your family be sure to check it out. It is filled with great ideas for field trip destination ideas in the Austin area and beyond. Plus ideas for enrichment programs that come to you, carnival planning, fundraising, and much more. Thank you for using our publications as a resource!
Summer has arrived in Central Texas….so many fun things for families to do!
Looking for things to do with your kids? The Austin Kid's Directory can help. Check out our on-line calendar as well as the current issue of the Austin Kid's Directory and our Field Trip Guide for some great ideas! Look to us for LOTS of ideas for summer camps, inflatable drop-in fun, arts & crafts, dance, roller skating, tumbling, cheering, laser tag, go-carts, swimming, movies in the park, manicures, pony rides, berry picking, zoos, soccer, aquariums, museums, fitness, parents nights out, caves, farms, culinary classes and treats, horse-back riding, ice skating, carousels, video game arcades, sports, martial arts, magic, film making, drama, music, technology, and more! And if you are ready to cool off, don't forget our summer issues include a coupon for Schlitterbahn Water Parks! How's that for inspiration?! Have a great summer!
