Well, this morning at the crack of 11 a.m. Gulley and I loaded up the kids for our annual summer road trip. This is just one of the reasons we are great travel companions; our belief that there is no need to get going any earlier than necessary.
Although I will admit I was a little nervous we wouldn’t have time to get in all the activities we had planned for our first day. In fact, we had several people question our ambitious itinerary, but we felt confident that we were going to be just like Jerry Reed and do what they say can’t be done.
So we packed up her car until we looked like a traveling band of gypsies and made the thirty minute drive to our first stop in New Braunfels. I’m sad to say that it was during this leg of the trip that my own child was the first one to break the “DO NOT ASK HOW LONG UNTIL WE GET THERE” rule.
After a brief reminder that no one is supposed to ask that question during the road trip, we arrived at our destination. The Texas Snake Farm & Exotic Animal Park. The word “Farm” in the title is a bit of a misnomer because it might lead a person to believe there might be assorted snakes milking cows and slopping the pigs. But, sadly, this isn’t the case. It’s just a bunch of various species of snakes in cages that don’t really look so much like cages as maybe old office furniture that someone inherited from their grandparents.
I’ll be honest. It’s a little disconcerting. You know what I need between me and a cobra? About 1,000 miles as opposed to a piece of plexiglass that slides back and forth.
But the kids enjoyed it and recounted all their vast reptile knowledge while Gulley and I tried to pretend we were somewhere else until we eventually herded them outside to the Exotic Animal Park part of this equation. We saw some river otters that were really cute even though I once heard someone say that you should never take on a river otter because “pound for pound they are the most ferocious thing around”. I kept this advice in mind and didn’t challenge them to any sort of duel.
There were also wolves, monkeys, lemurs, peacocks and the ever popular capybara. And then we went into the petting zoo where the kids fed goats and a few potbelly pigs the food we’d purchased along with our tickets. All in all, it was a hit. But I can’t guarantee I’m not going to have a nightmare about snakes and an old stereo console my grandmother used to own.
Our next stop was the glass bottom boats at Aquarena Springs in San Marcos. By this time it had started to rain on us a little bit, but the boats are covered and the kids loved it. Once upon a time there used to be a swimming pig and some mermaids. However, it is much more serious and science-based now, as evidenced by the fact they tout the various fish and plant life you will see on the boat ride. Gulley said she was skeptical about any activity that mentions “plant life” as an actual part of the entertainment, but we ended up finding the whole thing enjoyable and educational.
Finally we made our way to Austin to eat at Shady Grove and then swim at Barton Springs. During our meal the kids began to share about their frustrations with various aspects of school. Gulley and I thought for a moment we’d stumbled into a group therapy type situation. Will remarked that his main annoyance with one classmate is that “all he talks about is the iPhone and how he hates the Samsung brand”. I’d like to say this falls in a category of second grade problems, but in what world?
In theory, swimming at Barton Springs was a great idea because it would achieve two goals. Allowing the kids to see a famous landmark AND wearing them out so they’d be exhausted when we got back in the car to drive to Dallas. What we didn’t take into proper account is that it’s freezing cold in Barton Springs on the best day (hence the spring part of that equation) and when you add in the fact that it was rainy, it created a situation that almost caused our children to contract hypothermia.
So we dried them off and set off for Dallas. This is where I give thanks to God above for the tollway that takes you completely around Austin traffic and spits you out past Georgetown. Otherwise we would have sat in Austin traffic until I lost my will to live.
After several rain showers and a quick stop for baked goods at the Czech Stop in West, we made it to Dallas where everyone was delighted to discover that our hotel has an indoor/outdoor pool. I don’t really know that anything says fancy like that. Gulley and I let the kids go for a late night swim and now we’re all tucked in our hotel room where I plan to emulate this porcupine we saw earlier today at the Snake Farm and Exotic Zoo.