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https://kissingtree.com/got-the-grandkids/
Got the grandkids?
We all know that Kissing Tree is fun for all ages, but the fun with grandkids extends way past the boundaries of our neighborhood. We sat down with Kissing Tree Pioneer, Ambassador, and grandma extraordinaire Pat Wills to get the scoop on some local hot spots that she, Larry, and their grandkids love around San Marcos and beyond.
Located in San Marcos just off CM Allen Parkway, this park and playground is Pat’s granddaughter’s favorite spot to play. The park features areas for different ages, as well as a poured rubber safety surface, wide ramps throughout, a roller slide, 4 seat We-saw, Expression Swing, Liberty Swing, Omni Spinner, Team Swing, and a therapeutic seat on the Zip Krooze. “That’s the #1 thing our granddaughter likes to do,” Pay says. “The park was redone this past winter, and it’s a great place to come in the evening. There’s a paved walkway path along the river that goes from downtown by the Lions Club down to I-35. It’s a nice walk.”
The Meadows Center for Water and the Environment provides a classic San Marcos experience – glass-bottom boat tours of Spring Lake (otherwise known as the headwaters of the San Marcos River). In the early 1950s, this area was the popular tourist spot Aquarena Springs, and visitors of all ages still enjoy learning about the plants and animals that call these crystal-clear waters home. “I’d say the kids should be about 6 or 7 to really enjoy the boat tour,” Pat says. “They have to be old enough to stand up and look down into the viewing area. There’s also a free small aquarium run by Texas State that just takes about 10 minutes to walk through.”
Just off the access road of IH-35, The Discovery Center offers programs, workshops, and events to educate the community on local flora and fauna. As part of the San Marcos Parks and Recreation Department, the Discovery Center is a great place to find free hands-on activities for kids. “They have Turtle Tuesdays, where they let you play with turtles and feed them,” Pat says. “And it’s within walking distance to the river. They’ve also had Komodo dragons and corn snakes — we got a picture of our granddaughter holding the snake!”
Wonder World Cave & Adventure Park
Wonder World might be best known for its cave, but there are lots of other attractions here as well, including an anti-gravity house, a trackless motor train, and a wildlife park. “Wonder world is a great place to go,” Pay says. “They have a small petting zoo where you can feed the animals from a tractor-train. When our granddaughter was 4, she was a little hesitant to put her hand out and feed them. My granddaughter is not fond of the dark, so we waited until she was older to take her on the cave tour. You can buy separate tickets for the different sections.”
For older children, Pat recommends tubing the San Marcos River. The Lions Club offers all-day tube rentals and shuttle passes, and each “float” takes about an hour. “We normally do at least two runs,” Pat says. “Tubing can be gentle and quiet, or if older kids want to go down the falls, they can. We like to sit outside at Ivar’s afterward for Margarita Monday — you can sit outside on the patio and watch the people go by.”
Just a short drive down the road in New Braunfels, the McKenna Children’s Museum offers lots of spots for imaginative play. You’ll find hands-on exhibits and interactive games, with themed play areas including a hospital, grocery store, bank, and ranch. “It’s my granddaughter’s favorite place,” Pay says. “There’s an under-3 area with soft cushiony things, building blocks, trains, and an outdoor water play area, so bring their bathing suits. We always go at least once a year. We went for New Year’s Eve, and they had a Noon Year’s Eve party with a balloon drop, games, bingo, snacks, and it was a lot of fun. And about every 3rd time we go, we run into friends from KT with their grandkids!”
A visit to New Braunfels wouldn’t be complete without a trip to Landa Park. This 51-acre park offers three playgrounds, miles of walking trails, an outdoor amphitheater, a miniature train, a spring-fed pool, an Olympic pool, a golf course, and perhaps most famously — the Wurstfest grounds. “Landa Park has age-appropriate play equipment for different ages,” Pat says. “There’s lots of parking and picnic tables. We like to take a lunch and drinks. They also have putt putt golf — we haven’t done it, but we’ve seen people play. We’ve done the train once — it’s in the same area as the pool.”
While it’s a little farther afoot, Pat recommends the Dinosaur Park in Bastrop. This adventure park features life-size dinosaur replicas hidden along a woodsy serpentine trail, allowing kids of all ages to immerse themselves in the world of the dinos. While the park has picnic tables, they don’t sell food, so bring your own lunch. “It was a hit,” Pat says. “Our 4-year-old grandson loved it. Every 20 feet or so, there are huge life-size dinosaurs you can climb on, and at the end, there’s a very nice playground all geared toward dinos. And you can do a dinosaur dig in the sandboxes. That was a big hit!”
Natural Bridge Caverns & Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch
Head south toward San Antonio and you’ll find Natural Bridge Caverns. In addition to the underground cavern, you’ll find a ropes course, ziplines, an outdoor maze, and fossil mining station. Next door, the Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch is home to more than 500 unique animal species. Guests can choose to do a self-guided car tour or take a tour with one of the park’s safari guides. “Now, you don’t have to walk down to see the caverns,” Pat says. “Now they have a moving carpet so you don’t have to climb all those stairs. The first time we went there was no moving carpet!
If your grandkids love animals, don’t miss the San Antonio Zoo. Located in beautiful Brackenridge Park, this 57-acre zoo has more than 3,500 creatures in a variety of natural habitats. “We’ve been there with the grandkids 3 or 4 times,” Pay says. “It’s a really nice zoo. In the winter, they have a mini ice skating rink. And right next to the zoo is a place called the Japanese tea garden, not exciting for kids but it’s free, good to run around, they have fish in ponds and pretty flowers, plus a little snack bar. You can walk to the zoo if you don’t mind walking about half a mile.”
Pat says they’ve been meaning to visit the Snake Farm, but we’ll have to save that adventure for another post. She also recommends watching the white-nose Mexican bats fly out from under the Kissing Tree bridge at dusk! It’s like our own wildlife exhibit right in the neighborhood.
Thanks to Pat for all the wisdom and advice. If you want to live in a neighborhood that makes it easy to entertain the grandkids, don’t miss these move-in-ready homes that are currently available.