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Posts Tagged ‘picnic’

5 Texas Hill Country Family Activities

Thursday, March 18th, 2010

Texas Hill Country is a beautiful place to explore. The region encompasses 14,000 square miles in the center of the state and is made up of 55 cities/areas including San Antonio and Austin. Although many people associate the Hill Country with bed & breakfasts and antique stores, there are also plenty of places to explore with your kids. The best part? Many of these activities are inexpensive or free of charge.

Here are my five favorite Hill Country activities:

1. Zilker Park and the Zilker Zephyr
Zilker Park is a great place to spend the day. You can take a swim in the Barton Springs pool, stroll down the winding walking trails, fly a kite in an open field, or visit this city park’s large playground. Our daughter’s favorite Zilker Park activity? The Zilker Zephyr, a miniature train that makes a 20-minute loop through the park.

The view of the Austin skyline from the Zilker Zephyr train

2. Greune General Store and Cowboy Kringle
The town of Gruene, located north of San Antonio, is filled with Texas landmarks, including the famous Gruene Hall. Among this town’s treasures is the Gruene General Store, a place brimming with Texas personality. Old wooden floorboards that creak as people walk by and a counter where you can sit and order an sundae or soda make this a place you’ll remember. If you visit during the holiday season, stop by the general store to meet Cowboy Kringle, the Texas version of Santa Claus!

Downtown Gruene is a great place to eat, listen to live music, or meet Cowboy Kringle

3. Cibolo Nature Center
A short drive from San Antonio is the Hill Country town of Boerne, where you’ll find the FREE Cibolo Nature Center. It consists of hiking trails, prairies, marshes, a creek…in other words, 100 acres of wilderness. Consider bringing a picnic lunch. You can nab a perfectly-located picnic table near the creek.

Have a picnic at this lovely spot at the Cibolo Nature Center, near the beautiful creek and the twisted roots of tall trees

4. Yummy Treats and Some Texas History in Castroville
Haby’s Bakery specializes in delicious baked goods that have a European flare. From traditional desserts to colorful cookies, this bakery offers a wide variety of treats at reasonable prices. Take your goodies with you and eat them down the street in a small park called September Square. Next, visit Landmark Inn State Historic Site. This park/inn/historic site is a beautiful place to talk a stroll and learn a little history along the way.

Landmark Inn Historic Site in Castroville is a beautiful place to take a stroll…and a nice spot to eat those pastries you picked up at Haby’s

5. A Walk through Downtown Fredericksburg
This area is filled with historic buildings and fun shops. Make sure to stop in the town’s Marktplatz (Main Square). Here you’ll see a distinctive octagonal building called Vereins Kirche, which now houses a small museum. After your visit, head to the Clear River Pecan Company to enjoy an ice cream cone.

Market Square in Fredericksburg is a great place to pose for photos

Hill Country encompasses what Texas is all about: a rich historical tradition, good food, and plenty of personality. I’m not a native Texan, but I think the Hill Country is really the heart of the Lone Star State.

Sarah V. writes a family travel blog called Wandering Off, which focuses on her family’s adventures through Texas. She loves nothing more than jumping in the car, firing up the GPS, and seeing where the road takes her. To go along on her adventures, follow her on Twitter at @wandering_off.

What Texas Hill Country activity would you most like to try? Please leave a comment below!

Paris with Kids – C’est Magnifique!

Thursday, January 28th, 2010

I can still hear the musical bonjour and au revoir, taste the fresh croissants, and picture the gorgeous Parisian architecture. My kids still talk about the parks, the fruit markets, Notre Dame, and Napoleon. The elegance, energy, and culture for adults combined with wonderful food, interesting exhibits, and an abundance of parks for kids, make Paris a spectacular city for a European family vacation.

Nancy with three of her children, Ellie (seven), Max (five),
and Joe (three), at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris, France

Why Paris?
Having traveled with four kids to multiple European cities, Paris is still our favorite. Although it is often thought of as an adult destination, the ambiance is surprisingly family-friendly. Parks welcome you all over the city and they are packed with French children playing soccer, picnicking, and enjoying life.

Nancy’s son, Joe, takes a spin on the carousel at Les Tuileries

Since the business district is set apart from the main tourist area, the pace on the sidewalks is calm and the sidewalks are wide, making them comfortable for strollers and kids alike. The expansive parks and gardens like Les Tuileries, Luxembourg Gardens, and Champs de Mars, provide plenty of space for kids to run around. For younger kids, the Jardin D’Acclimatation is a sweet little amusement park that my kids loved.

As for the food, please, it’s Paris. Fantastic bread shops, fruit markets, creperies, and bistros are endless. Every afternoon we would stock up on supplies at a local market or grocery store and then choose a picnic spot. With fresh baguettes, cheese, and charcuterie in hand—we ate very well and inexpensively. My kids still talk about the raspberries from the market on Rue Cler.

A Parisian boulangerie

Where to stay?
Staying in a central location in Paris essential. Although the Metro is efficient, you don’t want to spend all of your time getting to and from what you want to see—it is difficult and tiring with little kids in tow, not to mention expensive.

We have a great list of Paris family friendly hotels on Ciao Bambino. If you are staying long enough to rent an apartment, see my recent post with Paris apartment rental recommendations.

How to explore Paris with kids?
Plan a child-friendly itinerary that balances adult and kid interests, with free-time and sightseeing. Note that plugging children into an adult-focused itinerary is miserable. Choose one or two venues a day to visit, and then relax and enjoy those places in full.

This slow and thoughtful approach will enhance your trip—you’ll see things that you might have rushed past when traveling without kids. For example, I have been to Notre-Dame a few times, but with kids, we took the time to climb the bell towers and hear the story of Quasimoto. Our sightseeing excursion was followed by playing at the little park adjacent to the church and a gelato stop. The perfect afternoon! By incorporating time for playing each day, you keep the kids fresh while parents get a chance to decompress.

A view of the Eiffel Tower from the
top deck of a hop-on-hop-off bus tour

Start with a hop-on-hop-off bus tour of Paris. This provides a broad oversight while you are fighting off jet lag. Then don’t miss the Eiffel Tower (make reservations at the restaurant to avoid waiting in line), the famed Notre-Dame Cathedral, The Louvre art museum (again, get tickets in advance), and Le Marais, which is one of Paris’s oldest and most charming neighborhoods. I highly recommend a formal walking tour during your stay. Both Context Travel and Paris Muse offer great family options.

Once you’ve hit all the main attractions, my favorite part of planning a trip is finding one activity that is unique. Choose something that creates memorable experience for your family like attending a local soccer game or taking a cooking class. You can peruse tour brochures for ideas (Ciao Bambino’s Paris with kids resource list is good for brainstorming too). A favorite website of mine to uncover and book activities is Viator.com. Bon Vacance!

Nancy Solomon is a travel writer and mother of four kids under 10 who lives outside of Boston, MA. She blogs about traveling with kids on CiaoBambino.com.

Dreaming of a trip to Paris with your children? Tell us why in the comments below!