Austin. Mom. Blog. » Texas

Interstate Lanes in Round Rock: Closed

Dianna — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 15:17:08 +0000

I write this posting on a sad note. Interstate Lanes in Round Rock, Texas has closed. This past summer we visited the bowling alley at least twice a month. I wanted to make sure to post this information to the site since I had wrote an article in 2010 about the bowling alley. It will always be remembered as the first place we took our two sons bowling for the first time.

Alpha and Omega

Dianna — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 16:14:23 +0000

We haven’t been to a movie in a while so I jumped on the chance to take the boys to see “Alpha and Omega” when it got released. We went to a ”new to us” theatre in Georgetown called City Lights Theatres. We were very impressed with the theatre. It was clean, comfortable, and enjoyable. I say enjoyable because my two boys were in awe of how cool the theatre was. The entrance to the theatre was overwhelming with pictures of movie posters, a man who greeted you with a suit and top hat, and a very large selection of menu items. Unfortunately we only bought a kids movie meal that included popcorn, a drink, and a fruit snack. We ate lunch before we went. I can’t wait to go on an empty stomach to order a hamburger or fried mushrooms. The reason we chose this theatre was because it was the only one showing “Alpha and Omega” in 2D. My boys do not enjoy 3D movies since they will not keep the glasses on during the entire movie. The movie was really good. It wasn’t awesome, but it captured my two sons’ attention. The storyline consisted of two wolves who loved eachother, but couldn’t be together due to family obligations of uniting other wolf packs. I believe it was a little too mature for my 4 and 6 year old, but it was animated and they seemed to really enjoy it.

City Lights Theatre in Georgetown

Russell Park in Georgetown, Texas

Dianna — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 18:08:06 +0000

We have the perfect lake to swim at. Russell Park in Georgetown, Texas is the lake to go to. We have been a total of three times this summer. Russell Park has a large section carved out for swimming. My two sons love it. My husband and oldest son attempted to catch fish, but had no luck. Each time they did not receive one nibble. The swimming was great, but it wasn’t a place to go fishing. Another setback is that there aren’t grills/pits near the beach. In order to do any cooking you must walk or drive to a grill/pit in another section of the park. It isn’t too far, but inconvenient. Fortunately, we had family members with us to handle the cooking. There are restrooms available on site, but not clean. Something to keep in mind, is that there is a fee to enter the park. It must be cash. We usually do not carry cash so I thought that might be useful information. The fee is $4.00 per vehicle up to four adults, kids under 12 are free, and it’s an additional $1.00 for any adult after the four. I totally think it’s worth it, but only if you like to swim in lakes. If you are a pool person, this isn’t the place for you.

The Beach Area

My Boys with Aunt and Uncle

Rock ‘N River Family Aquatic Center

Dianna — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 14:20:41 +0000

Sunday afternoon we visited Rock ‘N River Family Aquatic Center in Round Rock, Texas. A friend of ours threw her daughter a birthday party there. The party allowed our friend to reserve three shaded tables. Rock ‘N River is like a miniature water park. It includes water slides, a lazy river, and a water playground. Our two sons loved it. When we left they stated it was their favorite place to go swimming. It was a little too crowded, but we managed. We want to go again, but I’m hoping to go during the week next time to see if there’s less people. We were allowed to bring in our own food and drinks. The Center does have a concession stand that includes mostly soda and chips. The soda was $1.50 each and the chips were .75 each. There is also a snow cone stand. The prices for a small, medium, and large were $2.50, $3.50, and $4.50. A small snow cone was perfect for each of our boys. One thing to keep in mind about Rock ‘N River Family Aquatic Center is that it does not allow you to bring in floats. They provide life jackets and you are able to use them without a fee. We all had a blast and can’t wait to go again.

Deutschen Pfest

Dianna — Wed, 19 May 2010 02:20:02 +0000

On Saturday we went to the Deutschen Pfest in Pflugerville Texas. The boys and I had a great time. The only reason we left after a few hours is because I ran out of cash. I will keep in mind to bring more next year. We started Saturday morning by joining the Children’s Parade on Main Street in Pflugerville. We only walked four blocks with other children, but it was totally worth it. The boys thought it was pretty cool to be waving to onlookers. I pulled them in our red wagon and we all wore our t-ball Dodgers shirts. I wasn’t aware that the kids get ribbons. Every participant got a green ribbon. They also judged the parade and to my surprise we placed second and also got a ribbon for that. Way cool! After the Children’s Parade we stayed on the side of the road and watched the Main Parade come through. The boys got tons of candy and even received a popsicle. The popsicle was a huge hit since it was hot and humid. We headed to the festival afterwards. I thought it would be a good idea to check out the booths for something to eat so we ate in the festival. The boys ate hot dogs. Each one was two dollars and they were so overwhelmed with everything around them, they only ate half of it. So, for next year I will try to feed them lunch before we go into the festival. We went directly to the children’s activities after lunch. There were inflatables (free), a petting zoo that cost $2.00 for ten minutes per person, a train ride that cost $3.00, horses to ride for $3.00, face painting (free), and a clown making balloons (free). My boys still had the same interests as last year. Andrew’s favorite was the petting zoo and Collin’s favorite was the train ride. Since I only had a few dollars after all the activities, I allowed for each boy to pick one game to play. They both chose the paintball game. For five paintball shots it cost $1.00 and then they got to choose a prize. There was still so much we could have done, but my cash flow ran out. There were plenty of food booths that had ice cream, funnel cakes, kettle corn, cotton candy, fajitas, hamburgers, barbecue, and so much more. A funnel cake kept crossing my mind. The Deutschen Pfest also had carnival rides and games. I didn’t even walk that way with the boys since the cash was out. I definitely know for next year to bring a lot more cash and to make sure my husband is off of work to enjoy the festival with us. We had such an entertaining time and can’t wait to go back next year.

Andrew Holding a Rabbit at the Petting Zoo

Collin on the Train Ride

Deutschen Pfest in Pflugerville

Dianna — Fri, 14 May 2010 19:11:57 +0000

There’s an annual festival in Pflugerville called the Deutschen Pfest this weekend. We plan to go if the weather permits. We went last year and the boys had a lot of fun. My youngest son Collin loved the train ride and Andrew (my oldest) liked the face painting the most. The petting zoo (which I hope they’re having) is always a big hit. For the first time we will participate in the Children’s Parade. We will walk with other families on Main Street in our wagon. I’m really hoping the weather will clear out overnight. Rain or shine, the festival will still go on. I’m just not sure if I want to take the boys in rain. We will just have to wait and see how this Texas weather pans out.

Mother’s Day

Dianna — Wed, 12 May 2010 03:12:47 +0000

I’m hoping every mom had a great Mother’s Day. I certainly did. My two sons covered me with cards, hugs, and kisses throughout the whole day. With the boys getting older they have a better understanding of what holidays are about and it is truly special to see it through their eyes. We relaxed for the first part of the day, but from 2 to 4 my oldest son (Andrew) and I got to enjoy a Mother’s Day Workshop at Young Chef’s Academy in Round Rock. My youngest son Collin is very active and I didn’t foresee him sitting through a two hour class. Once the workshop was over my predictions were absolutely true. Fortunately Collin had a great time with his uncle and aunt while Andrew and I cooked sweet potato bread, truffles, and strawberries dipped in white chocolate. Young Chef’s Academy went out of their way to make us moms feel special. When we first arrived they made each mom a large construction paper hat with a flower to attach. Afterwards we went into their cooking class rooms and made delicious sweets. Not only was it fun, but we got to eat everything we made. To my surprise the academy had a small plant pot to decorate for our dipped strawberries. It was a unique keepsake. I’m hoping to do the workshop again next year with the whole family. After the workshop we celebrated with my mom’s family and we always have a great time with them, so the day ended in pure bliss. I’m truly blessed to have such a wonderful family and treasure being a mom.

Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas

Dianna — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 17:11:46 +0000

Our family loves Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, Texas. We have been there a total of four times now. Our last visit was this past Thursday and Friday before Easter. The lodge was 75% full. We have been when it’s 100% full and 20% full. We absolutely loved it when it only was 20% full, but even when it’s full capacity the lodge can handle it. We don’t have to wait two hours to ride something. It’s the perfect vacation for our two boys. Andrew is five and Collin is four. Great Wolf Lodge’s main attraction is an indoor waterpark with tube rides, waterslides, a wave pool, and a huge treehouse with water overflowing each way you look. Since I’m a huge water fan myself, I also love it. There are several places you can dine at when you visit. They include Pizza Hut Express, Bear Paw Sweets and Eats (where we enjoyed ice cream), Starbucks, and Loose Moose Cottage (a restaurant). Inside the waterpark is a snack bar where you can buy small pizzas, hamburgers, fries, and miscellaneous snacks. We purchased a hot dog, a chicken burger, and fries. It was actually pretty good. The prices were typical. A hot dog cost us three dollars, the chicken burger was six dollars, and the fries were two dollars. I believe Six Flags prices are much higher. The lodge has so many activities for kids including a cub club with painting, coloring, or decorating items. Some items may have to be purchased. There’s also an arcade, a kids’ spa, and a game called MagiQuest where you have a wand and go through the hotel to conquer challenges. The game can last hours so this last time we didn’t purchase the game, but we will next time. Our boys were disappointed, but since we only stayed one night, time wasn’t in our favor. Our next visit we will stay two nights. When you visit Great Wolf Lodge, you are able to start enjoying the park as early as one o’clock and can stay until it closes the next day at nine. You have to check out of your room by eleven, but can still stay to enjoy the lodge. We always take advantage of staying. We all were truly exhausted after visiting Great Wolf, but we can’t wait to go back. It is truly a kid friendly, family friendly hotel.

Andrew and Collin Loving Great Wolf Lodge

Indoor Waterpark

Andrew Catches a Fish

Dianna — Sat, 27 Mar 2010 15:06:07 +0000

Well, my son finally caught a fish at San Gabriel Park in Georgetown, Texas. We have been fishing a lot with the weather being so nice. My son, Andrew gets pretty disappointed that he doesn’t catch anything. We finally had some luck at San Gabriel Park. We pulled in two fish. They weren’t keepers, but the excitement on the kids’ faces were priceless. We fished for two hours and in the last thirty minutes we caught two. We also went to the spillway of Lake Georgetown. We didn’t have any luck there, but my brother went last year and caught a lot. I’m just happy Andrew finally caught something.

Reeling in a fish at San Gabriel Park

Fish on a Hook at San Gabriel Park

Spring Break Continues

Dianna — Fri, 26 Mar 2010 18:06:35 +0000

I am finally getting the chance to finish our spring break vacation details. The last time I wrote, we had finished up with the zoo. We still had a lot of time on our hands for the rest of the day, so we decided to go to Six Flags. Our plan was to go the next day, but we decided to go both days. We arrived at 5:30. It was perfect. There were not any lines for the season pass processing center or hardly any lines for the kids’ rides. We left at 8:30 since we were going to come back the next day. We didn’t want to drag it out too long and have the kids exhausted. Wednesday arrives and we head out to Six Flags again. The time is 11:30 a.m. and we are in stop and go traffic to proceed through the gates of Six Flags. It took us one hour to go through the gates and park our vehicle. During the wait, my husband decided to go in and check out how long the lines were for the rides. It was ridiculous. The rides we rode the day before would now take us an hour to get on. It just wasn’t worth it. We decided not to park and head home. Luckily, we have season passes and could easily come again another time. I am happy we went the night before and got to enjoy the park for a little while. I’m not sure why it wasn’t busy that night, but I honestly believe we will not attempt to go to any theme parks another spring break. The boys were pretty disappointed we didn’t go, so we decided to visit Cameron Park Zoo in Waco. By far, this is our favorite zoo. It’s the perfect size for Andrew and Collin. Andrew is five and Collin is four. It’s not so big where it’s overwhelming. The zoo has a new area that is called Asian Forest. It includes orangutans, tigers, and komodo dragons. It included a play area for the children to climb on or hang from ropes like an orangutan. We have been to the Cameron Park Zoo before, but the Asian Forest hadn’t been opened yet. We finished touring the zoo in two hours and finally headed for home. I love being on vacation, but there’s no place like home.

Cameron Park Zoo

Spring Break is Over

Dianna — Mon, 22 Mar 2010 02:12:46 +0000

I know it’s been awhile since I have posted anything, but spring break was here and now it’s over. I’m sad to say it’s over. It was so nice to have the boys home all week. We had such a great time. Now I’m looking forward to summer. We had a fun filled packed week. We arrived at Fossil Rim in Glen Rose, Texas at ten a.m. Monday morning. It was starting to get busy, but it wasn’t too bad yet. We enjoyed feeding the animals, but our best part were the giraffes. Out of our sunroof, my husband fed two giraffes out of his hands. Our two sons were smiling ear to ear. It truly was an awesome experience. We toured the property within three hours. The weather outside was windy and cold so being in our vehicle was perfect. Unfortunately the weather kept us from going to our next adventure. We were going to visit Dinosaur Valley State Park, but the weather prevented us from doing so. We proceeded to the hotel and relaxed for the rest of the day. We stayed at Embassy Suites and loved it. We went with another family and had conjoining rooms. Andrew and Collin (our two sons) loved it. All the kids ran back and forth and we felt like one big family. The hotel also had an indoor pool, full breakfast, and complimentary drinks from 5:30 to 7:30. We couldn’t ask for anything more. We stayed two nights. Both Andrew and Collin continue to ask when are we going back to the hotel. Fortunately summer is not too far away. Well, Tuesday arrived and we went to the Dallas Zoo. Out of all the zoos we have visited, in my opinion, Dallas Zoo has the best kids area. The boys got to ride a horse for $2 each, pet a pig, pet a rabbit, crawled in a mongoose tunnel, fed birds, and so much more. We could have stayed at least two hours in the kids area. Everyone was getting hungry so we had to cut it short. Our favorite animals to see were the gorillas. They were some fascinating creatures. The zoo had a monorail you were able to ride for $3 each to observe the animals and get information from a tour guide. My youngest son, Collin loved riding the monorail because he thought of it as a train ride. I still have a lot of information to share about our spring break, but for now I will end this post.

Fossil Rim

Children's Zoo at Dallas Zoo

Six Flags Season Pass

Dianna — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 04:24:54 +0000

Well, we finally decided what we are doing for spring break. We are heading to Dallas, Texas. On our way we will visit Fossil Rim and Dinosaur Valley in Glen Rose, Texas. We have been to Fossil Rim before and we were fascinated by it. The boys were a little young when we went, so I’m hoping this time they will really enjoy it. Dinosaur Valley will be new territory for us. We will then stay in Dallas for two nights and visit Six Flags Over Texas and the Dallas Zoo. For the rest of the week we will take it easy and we might go to the rodeo. Well, I really wanted to inform everyone about the Six Flags season pass we purchased. Usually we purchase it from H-E-B, but when I called guest relations at Six Flags they informed me of an “outer market season pass.” It’s a discounted season pass for people who have to travel more than 100 miles to visit their location. Since we do live more than 100 miles, we got our season pass for $49.99 instead of the rate of $59.99. So, if there is anyone who is looking to purchase a season pass at Six Flags I would first try online at sixflags.com to see if you get a discount. When you choose the option to purchase season passes it will ask for your zip code. If your zip code qualifies for the discount the “outer market season pass” will show up as an option to buy. If it doesn’t show up, you do not qualify. I really thought this was some useful information for anyone wanting to visit Six Flags. For the past two years, we weren’t aware of this discounted season pass and paid normal prices. I’m just glad we know now.

Creative Playscape in Georgetown, Texas

Dianna — Tue, 02 Mar 2010 03:42:57 +0000

Way cool! Those are the words that come to my mind when I start to explain where we went on Sunday. My friend and I brought our kids to San Gabriel Park in Georgetown and planned on staying, but she remembered years ago there was a play area she brought her family to. She couldn’t quite remember where it was so she called someone for directions. It actually was only five minutes from where we were. It was called Creative Playscape. It is a huge wooden playscape with swings, slides, a sand area, and so much more. In our group there were eight kids. They had the best time playing hide and seek. There were so many places you could hide throughout the playscape. We didn’t have time to explore the other areas around the playcape, but there were soccer fields, hike and bike trails, and a skate park. This playscape is number 1 on my list to take the boys to. It’s a drive, but totally worth it. I forgot to mention it’s on the same street as our favorite bowling alley, Mel’s Lone Star Lanes. I’m looking forward to planning a day of bowling and taking the boys back to the playscape. I know this sounds cheesy, but I get joy out of seeing my boys happy and I try my best to do so. I’m sure that’s not always the case, but I’m trying.

Pump It Up

Dianna — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 03:30:14 +0000

This morning I had the opportunity to take my youngest son Collin to Pump It Up in Round Rock, Texas. It’s a place that has inflatables. I always thought this was a place that only parties were held, but I was wrong. They have a time frame that has open play time. The time frame was 9:30 to 11:00. The cost is $6.38. That includes the tax. I think it was worth it. During the open play time they have one room that is open to use and consists of four inflatables. That doesn’t sound like a lot, but for the amount of time you are there it’s plenty. I was impressed on how clean everything was and how I was able to keep a good eye on Collin. Since this was our first time there, I’m not sure on how busy it gets, but this morning there were only four of us parents there. It was nice to not have a crowd and have the kids fighting their way through. We will definitely like to go again.

Jungle Java

Dianna — Sun, 17 Jan 2010 02:58:17 +0000

Today both my boys were invited to a party at Jungle Java in Round Rock, Texas. I need to start off with saying that my sons had a great time. However, if we weren’t invited to the party, there would be no way I would take my kids there on a Saturday. It was pure craziness. I’m the kind of parent that likes to be able to see my kids while they are playing. There were certain points I couldn’t even tell who my kid was. Overcrowded would be the best word to describe the place. In my opinion, Jungle Java is a huge playscape with different obstacles to overcome. They have several slides, a zip line, a small basketball area, and different levels to go up and explore. Jungle Java also has a menu with a variety of items. It’s not your typical chips and a coke. They have items from a muffin to coffee. We have been there before this party and had a much better experience. We went when it wasn’t crowded. I would recommend going there at least once to get your feel for it. I would just try to go during the week on an unbusy day.

San Gabriel Park

Dianna — Sat, 02 Jan 2010 02:24:00 +0000

We had the opportunity to enjoy San Gabriel Park twice this week. We went once and enjoyed it so much that we went again. San Gabriel Park is located in Georgetown. I believe the best part of the park was the exploring my boys got to do. There was a huge trail with natural springs, playscapes, a place to feed the ducks, restrooms, and even vending machines. For a park I didn’t think the restrooms were in bad condition. It was clean and actually stocked with toilet paper. On a more pleasant note; the boys loved picking up acorns, going around formations of rock, and throwing rocks and sticks in the river. Time passed so quickly that we didn’t realize we stayed two hours. Our appetites made us leave. We will definitely make the trip again.

Mel’s Lone Star Lanes

Dianna — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 04:12:10 +0000

We wanted to try something different today so we went to Mel’s Lone Star Lanes in Georgetown. From friends, I heard it was a nice family bowling alley. They were right. Usually my boys have to wear socks in order to bowl, but Mel’s had shoes for them. Also, the bumpers can be put up for each bowler. Every lane was full, but fortunately we got there at the right time and a lane opened up. They had a package that was called “mom and tot” or “dad and tot” that cost $13 which included one game for two to bowl, shoe rental for two and 10 tokens to play in their arcade. Mel’s let us buy this package for both boys to bowl. I thought the price was right. The whole time I was worried my youngest wouldn’t bowl, but he did great. Both boys did. They bowled the whole game and loved it. Afterwards, the 10 tokens we received were perfect to end the outing. They played 5 games each and got some prizes to take home. Fortunately, they actually had 1 game token machines. That’s pretty rare. The only place I know that has 1 game token machines is Chuck-e-Cheese. Mel’s had food to purchase, but we ate lunch before we got there. The menu looked inviting. We will definitely drive the miles again to enjoy Mel’s. Our family had a great time.

Champion Park in Cedar Park, Texas

Dianna — Wed, 18 Nov 2009 02:50:47 +0000

We have been to Champion Park several times, but I have finally decided to share it with everyone. This is one of my favorite parks. The key area for my boys is the huge sand pit. Toys are left for others to play with and it’s shaded. In the summer time there is a small area where water spouts will spray. This area is shaped as a whale. Huge boulders are available to climb on with a set of swings near by. Trails go through the park to walk, jog, or run on. The park also includes two grills to barbecue on. Fortunately, restrooms are near. For the majority of the time my boys stay in the sand pit, but when we visited over the weekend they utilized all the amenities. If you’re in the Cedar Park area, I would definitely recommend Champion Park!

Fiesta Texas Fright Fest

Dianna — Sat, 31 Oct 2009 14:14:21 +0000

Our family went to the fright fest at Fiesta Texas in San Antonio on Friday, October 30th. Since our boys were only 3 and 5 the rides they had for them weren’t too long of a wait. Throughout the summer we went to Fiesta Texas several times and that seems to be the case each time. For kids under six, the lines aren’t bad. We have season passes so we go each chance we get. I really wouldn’t recommend the fright fest for our ages of boys. It was too scary for them. Luckily, they didn’t have any nightmares or screams through the night, but some of the props and costumes were a little much for them. If you have kids that aren’t too spooked from these kind of things, then it’s a place I would recommend to check out. The rides kept us busy for almost four hours. For the most part, we focused on riding the rides and avoiding the spooky stuff.

We really enjoyed a room set up for cookie decorating and pumpkin painting. You had the option to buy, keep, and paint a pumpkin or buy a large round cookie to decorate and eat. The price was five dollars to do both. We ended up buying both. I thought that was reasonable. The boys really enjoyed it and in the end that’s all that matters.

Also, they had Scooby and Shaggy passing out treat bags. We waited in line to go on a large stage to meet them, take pictures, and receive a treat bag. It was the perfect experience for the whole “trick or treating” concept. My youngest son was a little freaked out being near them so I held him the whole time. We saved this experience to the end so it would be a final ending to our day. It worked out perfect.

The theme park had a haunted house for an additional five dollars a person that looked pretty scary. I didn’t go in, but there was a huge line for it. For older children and adults who enjoy the whole Halloween experience and in the middle of it getting to ride roller coasters, I would recommend the fright fest for them. For our family and the ages of our boys, I would not. We had fun, but next time we will wait until our boys are a little older.

Fall Events in Round Rock on October 24th

Dianna — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 22:08:04 +0000

There are two Halloween events in Round Rock on October 24th that we might go to. They are both free which is a big plus. One event is being held at Skyridge Plaza from 10 to 6. The address is 2000 S. IH 35, exit 251 in case anyone wants to check it out. Also, there is an event at Round Rock Gardens located on Sam Bass Road from 4 to 7. Both events look inviting. If anyone has been to either one I would love some feedback. If not, I will let everyone know which one we went to and if we enjoyed it. Considering the times, we might check them both out. As a mom, I love the opportunity to have my boys outdooors and try to let them experience as much as time and energy will allow.