When we were planning our trip, we decided on 5 days total: 1 day going down, 3 days within, and 1 day coming back. I chronicled our trip down, so this time I will discuss our first day.
Our first full day in San Antonio wasn't actually spent there; we headed to Austin since the Hubster has family there. It was a fun packed day while we were there with play time at a museum, good food, and family town.
Lesson 1: If you are heading up to Austin from San Antonio, avoid I-35 at all cost. Listen to the GPS when it tells you to take the around-about way. We left at 11:30, and we didn't get to the place until right about 2. It should have been only an hour to hour 15 minute!
First Stop: The Thinkery Children's Museum http://thinkeryaustin.org
-We had heard several times about this museum, and it was definitely worth the stop. Since we have a membership to the Perot, we got into free since they are part of the same association. While the Perot is geared more for children, it is really more for older children except for the lower level children's area, but the Thinkery had much more for Mr. G to do. We actually started with lunch from the Snap Kitchen outlet they have out front; I'll get back to that in a bit. Afterward, we head to their outside area to play. They have a water feature to play with, and of course, our little water baby headed straight to it. After a romp in the water, we went into the main downstairs area. Little Man loved the Painting on Glass area and Building Landscape to build a house. Upstairs, there was the Current room which was another water area. We were a little hesitant to let him play in here for another soaking, but they did have smock covers for this room. He loved playing with the different musical instruments. We then discovered the story nook and were just in time for storytime, and it was a perfect place to relax a minute since Gray had only had a short nap in the car on the way up. They also had a market/kitchen area to play in. Gray had fun in there motion room which had large soft pieces to build with and climb on. We headed back downstairs for a little play with the train. They had a camera set up for kiddos to take a pictures, and then there were screens to display the photos. Mr. G got a kick out of seeing his on the wall. They had a good size toddler area as well, but Mr. G was just barely too old for that.
Lesson 2: Make sure to bring an extra set of clothes and a towel for water play. The upstairs water room does provide crocs for the kiddos to wear if you don't mind them wearing someone else's shoes. They also have lockers you can rent which came in handy for us since we stashed our backpack there rather than carrying it around.
Lesson 3: Eating and drinking is restricted downstairs next to the outside area and the outside area.
Lesson 4: Either bring lunch or map out restaurants before going. The Snap Kitchen outlet had decent food, but it was on the expensive side with limited selection. Most of their food was gluten free or contain lettuce which was difficult to me since I am allergic to rice and lettuce. They didn't really have anything my sometimes pick toddler would eat, and the Hubster found the selection not so great. It cost a roughly $25 for lunch, and neither the Hubster or Little Man ate theirs. Mine was good and filling on the bright side, and they did have the green tea I am addicted to. If I had checked out their vending machine first, we could have gotten G's meal for half the cost since they had hummus and pita chips he does like, and mapping out the neighborhood (we drove through later since the Hubster's grandmother lives near) would have shown me better options for our needs.
Lesson 5: There is a park across the street that is fantastic. When Little Man got bored with the museum we headed over for some playtime there. There is also a pond with a walking path as well, but it does have a fairly step drop off so be mindful with children who run without watching and those learning to walk.
Second Stop: Julio's http://www.juliosaustin.com/
-The Hubster's grandmother recently moved to Austin, and his Uncle R has lived there for years. Uncle R actually runs a branch of a popular local chain that is yummy, but he suggested this place for a change of place. He has been going there for year, and the owner knew him by name. There is definitely a reason he keeps going there. The food was delicious. The salsa was had just the right kick, and the chips were crisp. I had the chicken quesadillas, and they were excellent. The Hubster was impressed with his fajita tacos as well. It would be somewhere we wouldn't mind returning to in the future. The only thing to remember is that they only accept cash as payment.
Third Stop: Quack's 43rd Street Bakery http://www.quacksbakery.com/home
Our last stop was this little bakery around the corner from Julio's. They had a wonderful selection of treats even at the point in the evening that we arrived. Little Man had pirate sword sugar cookie that was gone within an instance. My first selection was cinnamon roll. They were running a special of two for the price of one, so I got a banana nut muffin for the next day. I also got a coffee, and Brett got an ice coffee later. The cinnamon roll was a yummy treat, and the coffee had a good medium flavor. They had a good selection of both gluten free and vegan-not my fave as I am allergic to rice. Make sure to read the labels carefully though before purchasing. The banana nut muffin was actually gluten free, and I had issues after eating it.
Lucky for us, there was a patio area behind the center, and since the night was nice, we hung out with family for a bit before heading back to San Antonio. Going back, traffic was much better thank goodness. Next blog I'll talk about our adventures in Fredericksburg and the San Antonio Zoo.
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