Vacation Update 2

I really was going to try to post more during the trip. But, invariably, by the time I had a chance to get to a computer, I was too tired to care. I don't rest on vacation, I prefer to get out and do things. I can rest on the sofa on Sunday in front of the TV. Vacation time is for getting out and doing something fun and new. So, to pick up from where we last left our heros....

Friday found us sleeping in after a full Thursday. We got on the road around 9am and heading up to Natural Bridge Caverns. The wife and I had each been there before long ago and we still can't figure out if we actually went together. But, we worry no more as we have definitely done it now. As I recalled, it was a fantastic journey and I think Denali was suitably impressed with it all. Despite being in the 70's in the caves, the humidity is so high, that we were soaked and sweaty by the time we came out.

Denali is so funny some times. At the Montessori school, they do a great job of keeping a large group of kids fairly well behaved. We would linger a bit as the group moved to the next area so I could take some pictures and Denali would get all concerned that we weren't staying in line. I think she eventually just decided that Momma and Daddy weren't any good at following the "rules".

After this, we headed to New Braunfels for some lunch and rest. Then we continued on to San Marcos to the Aquarena Center. I had been them probably 20 years before on a field trip when it was the Aquarena Springs amusement park. A lot of people my age probably remember the commercials for the underwater theater and the swimming pig. It apparently went under just a few years later after nearly 50 years or so. Texas State University in San Marcos was able to take over the property in 1994 and the only thing still in operation are the glass bottom boats on the lake. Everything else is there, but it is all abadoned and rusting. The boat ride was cool, but it was kind of sad to see the place in such a state. The tour guide said that over the next few decades, the university plans to remove all the amusement park leftovers and work to restore the lake to its original state and make it a nature preserve and education area.

From here, we headed back down to New Braunfels for a visit to Landa Park. Its probably been at least 15 years since the last time I was there. The cool attraction is the pool that is fed by the river. I had originally planned for us to spend a good bit of time there and take in the train ride and paddle boats. However, our schedule lead us to just spend about an hour playing in the pool. Denali enjoyed the pool and I made a few runs on a big suspension slide that had been added.

We finished the day with dinner at my parents house and visiting with my aunts. Once again, my son spent the day with my parents and he enjoyed a good deal of it in the backyard in a small blowup swimming pool. After dinner, Denali wanted to go play in the pool, so we put both the kids in their suits and turned them loose. It was really quite a sight to see those two splashing and jumping around together in that little pool. After that, we were once again worn out and turned in.

On Saturday, the day centered around a road trip up to Lake LBJ. We attended a delayed wedding reception for some old family friends at their lake house. It's probably been 20 years since the last time I was there, but I remembered the place well. We spent several hours visiting, having lunch, and playing in the lake before making the trek back to San Antonio. A much slower paced day compared to the others.

On Sunday morning, we returned home early. The drive did not go smoothly as Little Ed wouldn't settle down to go to sleep. Jen had to crawl into the back of the minivan to entertain him and even with that, we had to make a couple of extra stops to give him some time out of his seat. I'm not sure why he was so fussy. He finally settled down to sleep for the last hour of the trip.

Denali had a play date to meet some of the other kids that would be going to the new kindergarten with her. Apparently that didn't go very well. I watched the boy at home and managed to get most of our stuff unpacked and put away. Finally, in the evening, we parted with the minivan that we had grown rather fond of. The utility of a minivan just can't be beat. I don't think I would buy the van that we used, particularly for the price vs. comparable models. However, I wouldn't hesitate to use it again for a rental and I expect we will be for some future trips in the fall.