Texas Tuesday- 3 of my favorite spots

How on earth do I narrow down my favorite places in Texas to 3?  It was not easy as one might think.  So don't be surprised if in another year (or month), I come up with another list of favorite spots.  What if I venture to somewhere else this fall or next summer that becomes blog-worthy??  So for today's blog, here are 3 of my favorite places as of today.  These are in no particular order.

1.  AUSTIN:  How can you not put our beautiful capital in this list?!  How un-Texan of me if I had left it off!  The capital is a gorgeous structure that just makes your drop jaw when you think about the history and beauty of the building.  

But a couple of my favorite places in Austin that are family friendly were the reasons for choosing Austin.  First of all, the University of Texas campus!!!  How could you not take a walk around and wait for the bells to ring (they ring a lot)?!  Music from the top of the tower fills the air on Mondays, Wendesdays and Fridays at 12:50.  The large bell rings every hour while you can also hear he pealing of bells every 15 minutes.  Maybe because I am a longhorn fan is the reason I find it amazing.  We like to take our kids to different college campus grounds just to look around.  The UT campus has been my favorite so far!  Pictured below is the tower that stands over the campus.  If you stand at the tower and look down the street, you can see the capital.

Another fun family activity is to watch the bats fly out from under the Congress Avenue bridge.  It is an amazing sight!!  The Ann W. RIchards Congress Avenue bridge is home to at least 750,000 Mexican Free-tailed bats every spring to summer!!  During peak bat watching season, there could be 1.5 million bats!!!  The bats stay from approximately March to October.  Who can say they have witnessed North America's largest urban bat colony?!  This girl can! The beauty of this activity is it is FREE!  Take a camera with good resolution!  Ours did not take a good picture...you couldn't even tell there were bats!  I promise there were bats in this picture!!!

2.  SHINER:  No, not the beer!    But the town is absolutely adorable!  Don't drive in to town expecting a huge metropolitan city.  This is a tiny town full of local businesses and, of course, the Shiner Brewery.  It is a sweet little town with buildings that have history.  We stopped in at a small bar/gift shop called Antiques, Art and Beer.  It is totally unsuspecting from outside.  But once you step in and hear the original wood floor squeak under your feet, you know you've found a cool place. I walked around the gift shop probably 50 times...each time, I saw something I did not see the first time around.  The sweet lady who owns the place is a pleasure to be around.  We went several years ago but I still remember her sweet hospitality.  She popped popcorn for the kids and served me Root Beer since I don't drink beer.  Don't worry, the hubs drank my part (haha). So make sure to pull up a bar stool and take it all in.  Be sure to drink a Shiner (you can get a "diploma-like" document certifying that you drank a Shiner in Shiner!)

3.  Savannah's Meadow:  Now, I haven't stayed in many treehouses or been to many lavendar farms...but hands down, this one is the best!!!  It is perfect for a family or just a getaway for the mom and dad.  We've done both!  The first time we stayed it was just the hubby and I for our anniversary.  We immediately booked two more nights-one for the summer and one night in the fall.  We took the kids both of those times.  What is Savannah's Meadow?  It is a lavendar farm located outside of Greenville, Texas.  This is not just any lavendar farm.  You can stay in a beautiful, fully furnished treehouse!!  When I say fully furnished, I mean there is a fridge, oven and all the other comforts of home...EXCEPT A TV!!  Staying there separates you from the world!!  Trust me, it is a wonderful feeling!!  You can walk the farm and observe nature.  Enjoy the peace that nature brings.  One of the best things is waking up and being able to catch the sweet smell of lavendar growing in the fields. (www.savannahsmeadowllc.com) Pictured below is the walk up to the treehouse.  Pictures just do not do this place justice!

The master bedroom "wing" is unlike any other!!  The walls actually roll up letting a cool breeze blow through!

The kids love to sleep in the loft at the top of the living room.  The view is amazing!!

I like to include family friendly places.  We rarely go anywhere without our kids.  If a place is not kid-friendly, then it is usually not a place we want to be.  With everyone having their own schedules and busy all the time, it is nice to go somewhere, be together and share memories.  The kids won't be kids forever!

 

Hugs y'all!

LSG