the first dip (field trip: barton springs pool)

"Ahh!  That water is COLD!"

The final week of summer break is here.  To celebrate the last of the dog days I took Eli to the iconic Barton Springs Pool.  It was a first for the both of us.

This man-made pool is about 3 acres in size and is fed by one of the largest natural springs in Texas.  Because of its source, the water is clear and cool, maintaining an average temperature of 68 degrees all year long.  The cold water is an initial shock to the system but on a triple digit day it is well worth it.

Just chillin' under the trees

I am always looking for new, fun, and relatively thrifty family adventures and Barton Springs Pool meets all of the criteria.  The pool charges $3 for adults and $1 for children.  We arrived in the noon hour on Monday and the parking lot was packed!  I felt a flash of dread warm over me as I pulled into the next to the last available parking spot-ugh!  I dislike crowded pools very much but because of the pool's enormity in size it didn't seem crowded at all.  We even set our blanket and bag down in a shady spot under a tree.

The pool has a shallow end which was great for us, since the little one doesn't know how to swim.  Because it is a naturally fed and natural bottom pool, the surface is slick with algae and there are tadpoles and schools of fish swimming amongst everyone.  Eli loved "ice skating" on the rocky surface and enjoyed watching the fish near the rocky beach at the end of the shallow end.

Towards the end of our stay.  We dried in the sun as we laid on our towels, watched the passersby and people jump off the spring board.  Our two hour stay was well worth it and we had such a great time!  We will definitely be back.

Things to remember:

1. Bring cash as it is a "cash only" establishment.
2. You cannot bring a picnic, cooler, food, or glass into the pool area.  Plan on eating before or pack a picnic and find a spot in Zilker Park.  You may bring in plastic water bottles, however.
3. Bring water shoes.  I had learned this years ago in my teen years when swimming in New Braunfels, furry river bottoms creep me out!  The shoes give you good traction on the slippery rock bottom.
4. Lay out and chill out for a while.  It is a great place to people watch.  Eli enjoyed watching everyone take turns on the springboard and couldn't peel his eyes off a girl with lavender hair.  Who knows, maybe someone will bring a guitar and serenade you as you bathe in the sun.

Field Trip: Gristmill River Restaurant

Texas Tough

Industrial

Ribs with Jack Daniels Sauce

 Nestled under the old water tower, peering amongst the oak trees, high upon a bluff over looking the Guadalupe River sits the Gristmill River Restaurant in the Gruene (pronounced "green") Historic District.  The New Braunfels, Texas restaurant is located in an old two-and-a-half story brick boiler room, a surviving portion of a 19th century cotton gin that was destroyed by fire in a 1922. The Gristmill also is listed on The National Register of Historic Places.  It is a very popular get-away for Texans and offers a laid back casual dining experience.

This happened to be where my husband wanted to dine for his birthday last weekend.  I believe he dreams about the half rack of Jack Daniel's Ribs and of course that is exactly what he got.  They were quite delicious, I'll admit I snuck two pieces off his plate.

music to my ears

photo source:  austincitylimits

Just a few little shots of what my evening looked like last night.  Keane (pictured above), is my all time favorite band and I was lucky enough to have them perform only 20 minutes from my home.  His voice is amazing!  If you would like to see the performance you can watch it here!  Lucky you!

Field Trip: Trailer Hopping for Tacos & Cupcakes

Izzoz's Padre

My youngest sister, fourteen years my junior, and I have a lot in common despite the huge age difference.  We both are very hard on people, quick tempered, have an obsession with lip gloss, watch the same food programs and like the same types of food.

When she came to visit me, we struck up a conversation about Austin food trailers featured on the Cooking Channel.  As our conversation progressed, it became apparent that we were talking about the same episode of Eat St.  We were even talking about the same taco!  Pork! Pineapple! Avocado!  Salsa!  We were there...or at least a few days after the conversation we were there.

The Baking Toddler thought he was on a "picnic" :)

This was not my first time visiting Austin's food trailer scene and boy do they have one.  Food trailers can be found all around the city serving up tacos, crepes, BBQ, cupcakes, Thai, Indian, farm to trailer-you name it, they probably have it.  Our mission, however, was to find Izzoz Tacos and eat The Padre.  The Padre is a delicious pork carnita taco with avocado, tomatillo salsa and pineapple. Two thumbs up!

Hey Cupcake!  Vanilla and Carrot flavors

My sister is also a cupcake freak, so I had to take her to an Austin food trailer institution, Hey Cupcake!  It was around 11:30 am, the sun was scorching and we broke a sweat walking across the crosswalk but we still managed to grab cupcakes to go.  It was a great ending to a fun filled foodie day!

Trailer Hopping Sisters

Now she wants to make a weekend trip which involves us (plus my younger sister) eating from different food trailers-breakfast, lunch and dinner.  I can't wait-that will be a fun and delicious weekend.

This is what happens when you go trailer hopping