Congress Bridge Bats

This is such a cool event to see! We've been going every summer. Here is what it is:

"The Congress Avenue Bridge spans Town Lake in downtown Austin and is home to the largest urban bat colony in North America.  The colony is estimated at 1.5 million Mexican free-tail bats.   Each night from mid-March to November, the bats emerge from under the bridge at dusk to blanket the sky as they head out to forage for food.  This event has become one of the most spectacular and unusual tourist attractions in Texas."

You can view the bats take flight from the bridge in the above photos or from restaurant patios that line the river. But we think the best and most fun way to see them is on a Sunset Bat Watching boat cruise. These are pictures I took from this past summer when we took my parents on one.

Public  Sunset/Bat Watching Tour Rates: $10.00 / adults, $8.00 / seniors, $5.00 / children (3-12)

It's a great Austin experience! Leave a comment if you are interested!

Blue Hole in Wimberley

We've been to a few swimming holes in the Austin area (all great!) but this one we plan on going to this coming summer. So if enough are interested, we can make this a day excursion. It's about a 25 minute drive out into the hill country west from our home.

Here is how one review given on Yelp of the Blue Hole:

"Possibly the most beautiful and refreshing swim in Texas.  One end of this stretch of the creek is very shallow for toddlers, and you can see that there are mothers and small children down there most days.  It progresses nicely, deeper for big kids, then deepest for more proficient swimmers.  Rope and chain swings, huge shady trees, cool water may become murky where many children are jumping in and stirring up the silt, but is otherwise crystal clear.  It is perfect for anyone of any age."

I can picture many of our nephews taking turn on this tree rope swing!

The fee schedule is: children under 3 years old admitted free; children from 3 to 12, $3; adults, $7; adults over 60 years, $3. Leave a comment if you are interested.

Schlitterbahn

We have one of the best waterparks in the country not too far south of Austin. This is definitely a fun place to go for the day for the whole family! Here is the description from their website:

"Our family-owned, family-friendly park offers FREE parking, FREE tubes, FREE lifejackets, and allows you to bring your own picnic (no glass or alcohol please). Schlitterbahn Waterpark Resort in New Braunfels has over 3 miles of tubing adventures, 7 children’s water playgrounds,17 water slides, the world’s first surfing machine, and 3 uphill water coasters spread over 65 acres of fun!"

What is also unique about this waterpark is that it incorporates a river into one of the rides. Grab an inner tube and head for the River Tube Chute ride, which begins at the end of the Comal Express and Tunnel Tube Chutes and ends in the cool, green Comal River. It is a bit pricey but it's worth going to at least once in your life! Adults are $41, Children 3-11 are $33 and Seniors 55+ are $33. If we get enough show of hands for people interested in doing this day excursion I will be sure to keep my eye out for local coupons and groupons. Leave a comment if this sounds fun to you!

Cypress Valley Canopy Tour

We've never done zip lining before but it sure looks fun! And there is a beautiful one near our area. Here is the description:

 "Join us at Cypress Valley Canopy Tours® for a thrilling eco-adventure, where you fly through the canopy of old growth cypress trees, some up to 100 feet tall. A new world unfolds as you glide on steel zip lines from platform to platform high in the treetops. After your canopy zip tour, enjoy a picnic and swimming at a private lake where you can share your adventure with family and friends."

The normal rate is $75. But if you get 20+ people to go you can get a discount rate of $60-65 depending if you go on a weekend or week day. Leave a comment if you are interested in this excursion.