Hill Country Adventuring
This year we decided to utilize our house and do our big Summer trip up at the lake. While we take trips to the lake a lot, we rarely get to spend more than a couple nights there. This was going to be totally different. I headed up on a Thursday afternoon, and was going to stay till the following Sunday.
Jordan was right behind us and drove up after work on Friday afternoon.
We decided to cap the trips with friends up on the weekends, while the week was dedicated solely to our family adventures. Our first family up was the Schmeers.
While a lot of girls wouldn't
love
the idea of a family with only boys (3) coming to stay, Isla was super excited. She loves to roughhouse and play hard with the boys.
The first day we headed over to Flat Creek Winery to hang out before we spent the rest of the day on the lake.
they just got a selfie booth, which provided a good hour of entertainment...
Holden just preferred feeding Justin starburst
Isla was in a very obliging mood and was quite the model in front of the camera lens
After the winery we headed down to the lake and spent the afternoon on the boat. The kids had fun trying to knock each other off of the rubber dockie.
We loved having our friends up to kick off the trip, and the Schmeer's were perfect guests.
Krause Springs
The next day we woke up early and headed over to
.
Texas and the Hill Country in particular are known for their "swimming holes," and
is just one of the many great options within the area.
It was still pretty crowded since we were there on a Sunday, and this being one of our first visits, we were unsure of what to bring. I think the kids would have been happier with some floats and more snacks, but now we know for next time!
If you're interested in visiting Krause Springs check out their website
for tons of valuable information on tickets, hours, etc...
/Wimberley, Texas
There were a lot of swimming holes on our list for this trip. Being Mid July in Texas theres just not much to do outside that doesn't involve water!
This being our second trip to a swimming hole in as many days, we were much smarter and brought floats.
The water at these places are all natural, spring-fed so the temperature stays constant, and is usually chillier than what you're used to. It definitely takes a second to acclimate to, especially for Holden, but once you do, it's super refreshing.
The picnic of snacks, tubes and rope swings all made for an awesome afternoon.
After our swim we drove a couple miles into town to have some food and drinks in
. Wimberley is a charming little town with lots of cute shops, restaurants and no shortage of sweet treats.
after lunch we took a stroll along the Blanco river
getting a picture of them both together is HARD work
With all the heat and activity we were pooped and ready to head back to the lake late that afternoon.
Camping at
One of the items on this years Summer bucket list was to "sleep under the Texas stars." With this in mind we decided that Jordan would take Isla camping while we were up in the Hill Country. Holden's just too young at this point. Once his sleep is more regular we will make this a family outing.
Isla was super excited to have this time with just Daddy and her and luckily Jordan took some great photos of their trip to share with Holden and I.
\
how cute are these two?!?!
I think she'd do it again, she just wants to wait till its a little cooler out... Jordan told me he kept trying to put her back on the sleeping mat, but this is how she wanted to sleep, right next to the fan on the ground.
a much deserved Whataburger breakfast
Floating the
One of my most anticipated outings on this trip was floating the Comal. It's a Texas tradition in the hot Summer months to float one of our many rivers. The Comal grabbed our attention because of its river chutes and proximity to our lake house.
At a constant 70-72 degrees the water does take a little getting used to, but felt amazing on this hot day. The kids
loved
the tube chutes, and once we got Holden some Doritos at one of the snack spots along the way he was happy as well.
This is one I highly recommend for both families and couples alike. It's a great way to spend an afternoon. Theres lots of different tube companies to use. They'll drive you to the start of the river, and then pick you up at the bottom and drive you back to your car. We used
and were very happy with our experience.
After the river we headed over to the Wildlife Ranch Safari. We've heard about this place for years now, and since we were right next to it figured it would be a perfect time to check it out.
The kids were tired from our day, but perked right up every time we saw an animal, or one came over to our car. However, the highlight for them by far was riding while standing outside the sunroof. This also caused a lot of spillage of the animal feed. There was definitely more in my car than in the animals mouths.
Our last big excursion was Hamilton Pools. We've been here a number of times before but it's such a beautiful place that its always a treat. We spent the morning here since we had our friends the Lennon's coming in that afternoon to close out the trip with us.
To those wanting to visit, make sure you visit their website
as it is now mandatory during certain times of the year that you make a reservation in advance.
We headed back to the house after swimming to finish the trip with a bang.
Theres so much more I didn't capture in photos as this was such a fun and relaxing trip that I didn't want to put too much pressure on myself in trying to make sure I documented absolutely everything.
We had an awesome bike ride that ended with a run through some fountains in downtown Austin, enjoyed a variety of great meals together, played on the back porch, jumped off cliffs, learned to paddle board, rode jet skis and tubed to our hearts content.
It was the perfect way to celebrate the Summer with my most favorite people. Taking out the hassle of cross-country travel truly made it totally relaxing and I was able to be more present in the moment.
lunch at the
We're already planning next Summer's adventure!