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Right now, this is little more than a list. But as my family takes trips throughout the next year, I’ll be writing posts about each of these locations and turning it into a huge resource of fun things to do in Houston.

1. 1. Walk or bike Buffalo Bayou (and push the button!)
   2. Underground Cistern
   3. Funeral Museum
   4. Kemah Boardwalk
   5. Galveston Beach
   6. Galveston Bolivar Ferry
   7. Galveston strand
   8. Katy Mills Mall
   9. Houston Museum of Fine Arts
   10. Houston Police Stables
   11. Chocolate Factory Tour
   12. Houston Zoo
   13. MorningStar Houston
   14. Space Center Houston
   15. Jesse H. Jones Park
   16. Street Art
   17. Children’s Museum
   18. Fire History Museum
   19. Moody Gardens
   20. Galleria
   21. Discovery green park
   22. Houston underground tunnels
   23. The water wall
   24. Wortham center/ Houston ballet
   25. Miller outdoor theater
   26. National Funeral Museum
   27. The Chocolate Bar
   28. Newman’s castle
   29. JP Mortan Tower
   30. Tour St Arnold’s Brewery
   31. See the bats at Waugh Drive Bridge
   32. San Jacinto Monument
   33. Battleship Texas
   34. Submarine tour at Seawolf Park
   35. Critical Mass social bike ride (monthly)
   36. Mercer Arboretum
   37. Dellorean museum
   38. Old town spring
   39. Farmer’s Market
   40. Herman park train
   41. Jerry Matheson Park
   42. Tomball Railroad Depot (sunday tours)
   43. Cockrell Butterfly center
   44. Holocaust Museum
   45. Downtown Aquarium
   46. Ride the metro rail
   47. Cypress trails horse rides
   48. Ikea
   49. Texas Rock Gym
   50. Berry picking
   51. Exotic Wildlife Park
   52. Boardwalk FantaSea Tours
   53. Stingray Reef
   54. Kemah Lighthouse Maze
   55. Indoor ice skating
   56. Rodeo Houston
   57. Moody Gardens
   58. Dewberry farms corn maze (fall)
   59. Main Street Theater
   60. Offshore drilling rig & museum
   61. Tree sculptures (galveston)
   62. Segway tours of houston
   63. Zoo Lights (Christmas)
   64. Adickes’ Sculpture Studio
   65.  Beer can house
   66.  Air terminal museum
   67.  Eclectic Menagerie Park
   68.  Nutcracker market (Christmas)
   69. Listening vessels in Discovery Green
   70. Museum of printing history
   71. Wonderwild
   72. Interactive Theater company

Are there fun things to do in and around Houston that I missed on the list? Let me know in the comments so I can be sure to hit them all!

If you’ll be in Houston for a few days, considering getting a CityPass. With CityPass you get admission to five of the coolest destinations in Houston (including the Houston Aquarium) at a 49% discount. CityPass gives you tickets to the Houston Museum of Natural Science, Space Center Houston, the Houston Aquarium and your choice between the Houston Zoo and the Museum of Fine Arts and Kemah Boardwalk or the Children’s Museum of Houston. It’s a great value, that includes most of our favorite spots! Get your CityPass here!

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It serviced the city of Houston with drinking water from 1926 until 2007.

In 2007 it got a crack that was too much to be repaired so they shut it down and Houston now gets water another way. But for those of us living in Houston since before 2007…we drank water from right here!

It is fairly dark during the tour (I lightened these photos quite a bit) from certain angles it’s hard to tell if the chasm is two stories or if it’s just filled with water. We finally realized it was water by seeing the “exit” signs reflected backwards on the surface.

From some angles I was completely certain it was just another story, and from others I felt sure the whole space was filled with water. It was an amazing optical illusion.

There is now a walkway around the circumference of the room, to walk along for tours. Tour guides tell you the history of the cistern and how it served Houston for so many years. It was fascinating to learn about.

Located near Buffalo Bayou, there is plenty to do above and below ground in the area! You can walk along the Bayou or rent a bike to ride around the city on top of the water cistern.

Tours run Thursday through Sunday and are only $2. You do have to reserve a space for yourself and order tickets online, but it’s well worth the effort.

Be aware that this is a guided tour, so it’s important to be on time. In my experience, if you show up late, they will bump you to the next tour if possible at no additional charge, but you’ll have to wait the 30 minutes until it’s time for the next tour.

If enclosed spaces aren’t your thing, you can explore Buffalo Bayou Park up top, and take a turn on the Periscope that peeks down into the water cistern to see what it’s all about without being inside it yourself. You can even look through the periscope online!

With so many amazing things to do in Houston, we’ll be sure to keep you updated on the most exciting things we find to do with and without kids in Houston!

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Fire Museum – This is a must see for any fire truck enthusiast, child or adult! There were 4 fire trucks inside, one of which the children were allowed to climb on to pretend “drive”. They could even scoot up the back of the truck to play with the hoses and other parts of the truck. The museum is walking distance from the Alamo, so it would make a great stop after touring there, so the kids could run around and do some “hands on” activities that are not available at the Alamo, which is a more “hands off” tour.

The River walk – If you hit this up with your kids, you might realize, as I did,  that there are few things in life more terrifying than walking along a river bank with your two small children. That aside, it was super fun, and the kids enjoyed the view! We didn’t bring a stroller, but we probably should have. The kids were able to walk it without any trouble as long as some one was holding tightly to their hands so they didn’t go swimming. The river is shallow, so an adult could easily stand up in it, but you’d definitely have to dive in after little ones if they were to slip, as there is no fence or barrier keeping kids out. There were lots of great restaurant options along the river and some cute little shops. We did one of the river walk boat tours as well, and it was really fun for the whole family!

The Tallest Boots In Texas – This was a super fun place to take some pictures! The boots are just outside North Star Mall and there’s a spot in front where you can stand for photos. My 3 year old is obsessed with boots, so this was an obvious stop on our trip. The mall was really nice too, it had a Lego® store and a Disney® store inside and a cheesecake factory (yum!).

The Children’s Museum – While not specifically a tourist spot, it was definitely a fun place to go if you’re brining children on the trip. There was a mini airplane for the children to climb in, a small version of an H-E-B (popular Texas grocery store) where the kids could shop and work the registers, along with loads of other fun displays. My son’s personal favorite was the front loader that children were allowed to climb in a “drive”. It took them forward a few feet and then backwards again in an enclosed area, but he was so impressed with himself getting to handle the front loader on his own.

Texas Ranger Museum – This is two museums in one, and a bit pricey because of that. You can do two separate tours at your own pace. The upstairs portion is mainly wild animals that have been stuffed and put on display. Very neat to look at! At the end there were some optical illusion stunts that the kids really enjoyed! The other portion of the tour/museum shares the history of the Texas rangers and lots of wonderful facts that I wasn’t able to read because I was keeping up with my little ones. I did see Bonnie & Clyde’s car and a cool little township that the kids had fun wandering around. This was definitely a neat stop, but not ideal for toddlers. If you kids are older and can make it through a neat place with minimal touching, this is a good place for them! My kids at 3 years old and 1 year old had some trouble with it, but it was still fun.

The Alamo – This is an obvious stop if you are going to San Antonio. I’ve been there before and it’s certainly something to see! We snapped a few photos out front but that was the extent of our Alamo tour this time around since it was so cold while we were there, and I wasn’t too excited about taking the kids to another place where they wouldn’t be allowed to touch things.

Although we didn’t visit them, a few other fun spots that San Antonio has to offer are the SA Zoo, Schlitterbahn and Sea World!

Planning a trip to San Antonio, Texas with your kids? What are your must-see stops?

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There are lots of amazing places to road trip throughout Texas, but San Antonio is one of our absolute favorites! There’s something to do for everyone in San Antonio, amazing stops for kids, rich history and fun outings for adults as well.

We live in Houston, so San Antonio is a relatively shorter road trip. If we were to venture over to El Paso we could be driving for over 10 hours. Fun Texas fact? El Paso is actually closer to California than it is to Houston.

We live in a big state.

If you are getting ready to road trip to San Antonio (or anywhere else) you need to make sure you are road trip ready!

To do this, we like to head over to Walmart. You can visit their Auto Care Center to get your car ready, while you shop for all of your must-have snacks and activities for the car ride!

I love that I can do everything in one place. This is so helpful, especially if you are road tripping with kids! Getting everything ready for vacation can be exhausting, but it’s important to make sure your car has a recent oil change and is in tip-top shape before going!

You can find the closest Walmart Auto Care Center near you here.

I also appreciate that they use Pennzoil® High Mileage Vehicle® on cars with over 75,000 miles. I’ll be honest, I had to have this one explained to me, but it makes so much sense now that I know! 

Basically, Pennzoil High mileage vehicle cleans out sludge left behind by lesser oils. It also helps to reduce leaks and oil consumption, to keep your engine going strong.

You can see how this would be super helpful before a road trip! You can save so much time and money getting everything in one place at Walmart! AND from June 15- September 28 High Mileage is on rollback (it’s regularly $39.88 on Rollback to $35.88)!

After you get your car all ready for the big trip, load up on snacks and games while your car is getting pampered at the walmart auto care center, it’s time to hit the road!

San Antonio Road Trip Ideas

San Antonio is one of the Big Texas cities that everyone knows a little bit about, of course there’s the Alamo.

Then there’s the iconic riverwalk. It’s a romantic spot to walk with your significant other, a fun place to walk with friends and even entertaining and fun for the kids! It kept my little ones busy for a full morning and they kept asking to go back!

You can also purchase riverboat rides. It was super fun and a good long ride!

There’s also a fire station museum that’s great for adults to see different models and learn about history, while also being very hands on, if you have kids with you!

Of course, there’s also Sea World in San Antonio, but I’ve never been. Next San Antonio road trip, it’s totally on my list. My in-laws took my kids last year and they still talk about it!

There are too many wonderful places in San Antonio to mention here, but if your car is road trip ready, you can hit up a bunch of them yourself before the Summer is done!

The post A San Antonio Road Trip appeared first on Traveling Family Blog.

10 Things to do in Austin with Kids

1. Zilker Park – You could spend days exploring Austin without ever leaving the city’s beloved Zilker Park. Take a dip in the spring-fed Barton Springs Pool, ride the Zilker Zephyr train, play on the playground, and see a free show at Zilker Hillside Theater. Plus, enjoy a stroll through Zilker Botanical Garden, dig for dino bones at the free Austin Nature & Science Center, and touch the art at Umlauf Sculpture Garden & Museum. In summer months, be sure to catch the incredible free live music series Blues on the Green, hosted by local radio station KGSR.
2. Thinkery – Austin’s new children’s museum is sure to be a hit with kids of all ages. Younger children will have a blast getting drenched by the indoor and outdoor water features (you may want to bring a change of clothes), while older tinkerers will be drawn to the STEAM activities. Visit during Community Night–every Wednesday from 4-8 p.m.–when admission is by donation (suggested $1). When finished, kids can burn off extra steam at the Mueller Lake Park playground across the street.
3. Texas State Capitol – Join a free tour to learn about the history of government in Texas. Then, head over to the nearby Capitol Visitors Center, which has free interactive exhibits on the second floor.
4. Explore by Boat – Escape the crowds and see Austin from the water. Canoes and kayaks are available for rent in Zilker Park, swan pedal boats make for fun photo ops, and several local companies offer Stand Up Paddle rentals. Bat cruises at dusk are another exciting way to learn a little about Austin, as you wait for the nighttime emergence of 1.5 million Mexican free-tailed bats.
5. Austin Boardwalk – Austin’s brand new boardwalk, which completes the city’s Hike and Bike Trail, provides a scenic route for a stroll along Lady Bird Lake. Don’t forget your camera as the boardwalk offers picture-perfect views of the Austin skyline.
6. HOPE Outdoor Gallery – No visit to Austin is complete without a stop at this unique graffiti park. If you love what you see, head off on your very own mural scavenger hunt! Austin boasts street art around nearly every corner.
7. Historic Walking Tours – If you’re interested in learning about the history of Austin, this is the way to go. These $10 guided walking tours are a great way to see downtown at a relaxed pace.
8. South Congress – Follow Congress Avenue south of the Texas State Capitol to eat, and shop, and then eat some more! You will find quirky antiques, vintage clothing, locally owned restaurants, live music, candy shops, a cupcake trailer, cowboy boots, coffee shops, murals, and more. Bring your camera, and your appetite!
9. Take a Hike – When you’ve had your fill of culture and cuisine, head out into nature to see why locals love living in Austin. Follow a trail, cool of in a creek, and keep an eye out for Texas wildlife. You can find great kid-friendly hike recommendations here.
10. Mayfield Park – Picnic among the peacocks at this free preserve. Peafowl strut their stuff, lounge on the roof, and call down from the treetops. An added bonus, the park is located near the picturesque grounds of Laguna Gloria (free on Tuesdays), the free scenic overlook at Mt. Bonnell, and the free Texas Military Forces Museum at Camp Mabry.

Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks for your trip!

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