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Aerial View of Bartholomew Pool (Credit: City of Austin PARD, Aquatics Office)
Guest article by Dana Minney
Austin and the surrounding area are so full of splash opportunities, it can be hard to decide where to go for your swimming adventures. Here’s a list of local swimming spots, ranging from your friendly neighborhood splash pads to Central Texas’ biggest water parks…and everything in between.
Swimming cove at Jones Brother’s Park on Lake Travis
Anyone who has lived, worked, or played in Austin in the summer can agree on one thing: it’s hot! This summer is no exception, with scorching temperatures currently over 100 degrees. To beat the heat, you’ll find many locals and visitors splashing around in the swimming holes and lakes that surround our beautiful city. [Read more…]
Looking toward the Austin skyline from Barton Springs Pool
Austinites have socialized, fished, waded and swum in the clear blue waters of Barton Springs since the 1800s. The water’s temperature stays at a steady 68-70 degrees while the setting around it changes drastically throughout the year.
I wanted to compile a short guide on what makes Barton Springs Pool quintessentially Austin. In order to scratch the surface of this historical gem, I met with Wayne Simmons, Aquatic Program Manager for the City of Austin, and Clark Hancock, Exhibit Coordinator at the Nature & Science Center. [Read more…]
At Deep Eddy, one pool serves both recreational and lap swimmers (Credit: City of Austin PARD, Aquatics Office)
Visiting Austin and need a watery workout? Love to swim laps but hate paying for a club or committing to group lessons? Austin has several great pools for those who like to drop in and bliss out to the lane’s black stripe.
Here are nine Austin area pools that have drop-in lap swimming. Check individual websites for fees, which vary according to age, residency and pass discounts. [Read more…]
After living here for a decade, I know a few things about Austinites. We love the summer (everything except the heat and mosquitoes), we love to stay busy and we love it when things are FREE.
Fortunately for us, there are plenty of things to do around the city that won’t cost us a penny and will keep us entertained during the year’s warmest season. Below are some of my favorite picks for summer 2015.
Zilker Park is a beautiful place to enjoy summer in Austin (Credit: JTPics.com)
Every time I go to Zilker Park, I think about how I should visit more often and not take it for granted. The open green spaces combine with a beautiful backdrop of [Read more…]
Barton Creek Greenbelt (Credit: Shawn Thomas via Flickr CC)
There are multiple greenbelts in Austin, but the Barton Creek Greenbelt is so beloved that locals commonly refer to it as “the Greenbelt,” as if it were the only one. Located in south-central Austin, the Barton Creek Greenbelt contains 12.68 miles of gorgeous trails, with the main trail spanning about 7 miles. This particular greenbelt is considered one of the top hiking trails in Texas. [Read more…]
Photo credit: Kim Anh via Flickr CC
I can’t get enough of Texas state parks, especially during the heat of summer. Inks Lake State Park was one of my exciting 2012 discoveries, and I’m sorry I’ve taken so long to share it with you!
Located outside of Burnet, just over an hour from downtown Austin, this park spans more than 1,200 acres.
The lake stays at a constant level, so activities like swimming and boating are unaffected by drought conditions. [Read more…]
Entrance to Krause Springs
We can’t get enough of Texas swimming holes in the summertime.
This year, we celebrated the beginning of our swimming hole explorations with a trip to Krause Springs in Spicewood, TX.
Located at 404 Krause Spring Rd., Krause Springs is about an hour from Austin, depending on 71-West congestion. This private property offers tent and RV camping, a serene garden, and two different swimming areas. [Read more…]
This guest post is by Allen Schowengerdt.
4:30 a.m. Kids wake up.
5:00 a.m. Kids back to bed after a struggle and a small bribe.
6:00 a.m. Kids awake again. It’s clear they’re not going back to bed.
6:30 a.m. We manage to make our way from under the covers, due largely to the automatic coffee pot we set the previous night.
Christmas morning, you ask? Nah. Only the biggest day of our summer vacation and our trek an hour south of Austin to New Braunfels and the greatest water park in the world: Schlitterbahn. [Read more…]
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Credit: Jim Nix, Nomadic Pursuits
We’ve been on a state park kick lately. And for good reason. Texas state parks are beautiful and no two are alike. They also provide something Austinites crave in the middle of summer: water.
This past week, we finally made our first trip out to McKinney Falls State Park. I don’t know why it took us so long to go, considering that it was all of 25 minutes from where we live in North-Central Austin. [Read more…]