Spring break ideas for slackers
“What are y’all doing for spring break?” can be either a welcome or deeply dreaded question.
Some parents plan their trips months, or even a year in advance. Others procrastinate so long that as the school dismissal date nears — 2018 spring break kicks off Friday for the vast majority of Houston schools — lack of availability and/or sky-high prices at popular, kid-friendly destinations can mean that they simply resign to stay put.
But all is not lost if you are a spring break slacker. Want to get out of town, even if just for a few days? Here are a few ideas.
COASTAL GETAWAY Port Aransas
Officials say Port Aransas, which was decimated by Hurricane Harvey, is ready for tourists. Indeed, more than half of Port A’s vacation homes and condos are available for rent, with more being added every day. Check vacation-rental website HomeAway.com for the latest availability. A handful of restaurants and shops have reopened, including Coffee Waves (mmmm, gelato), Irie’s Island Food and Port A Pizzeria. Other to-do’s beyond the beach: fishing charters, boat tours from Dolphin Adventures and Red Dragon Pirate Cruises, which offers daily trips on Aransas Bay with a pirate crew and activities such as sword fighting, music and dancing. The Port Aransas Museum is open, too.
CITY BREAK Waco
Waco has plenty to keep kids busy. Hotels are reasonably priced — we recently stayed at the Hilton downtown (from $129), which has a pool and is across the street from shops and a Ninfa’s franchise. It’s within walking distance of the Dr Pepper Museum and “Fixer Upper” stars Chip and Joanna Gaines’ Magnolia Silos compound. The latter, with its large, game-filled lawn, bakery and perennially packed store, is hosting Spring at the Silos March 15-17, a free event with more than 60 artisan vendors, food trucks and more. Elsewhere, kids can explore artifacts at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame and Museum, the Texas Sports Hall of Fame and tour the fossil-filled Waco Mammoth National Monument. Further afield, try what could possibly be the best grits on the planet in the cafe at Homestead Heritage, then stroll the craft village and watch residents at work.
THE GREAT OUTDOORS Camping
The Texas Parks and Wildlife Department’s reservation website shows popular sites like Enchanted Rock State Natural Area and Balmorhea State Park are completely booked between March 9-18, but openings remain (at press time) for camping spots closer to home. Martin Dies State Park, about two hours northeast of Houston in the piney woods of Jasper, still has a few sites — most midweek availability, some with water and electric hookups. Goose Island State Park, near Harvey-ravaged Rockport, reopened its wooded camping area Thursday; the fishing pier remains closed, but campers can fish from the shoreline. Hit Tackle Town if you need a license or gear; find a full list of open businesses in Rockport at cityofrockport.com. Call 512-389-8900 to reserve a spot at either site, or visit texas.reserveworld.com.
HILL COUNTRY CHARM Bandera
If you can’t get enough rodeo in Houston, a rural getaway to the “Cowboy Capital of the World” should fit the bill. Accommodations range from private rentals via VRBO.com (or similar websites) to dude ranches/resorts like Flying L Hill Country Resort (from $120), which has a 3-acre water park, golf course and on-site restaurants. Several outfitters and facilities offer horseback riding tours and trail rides. On Main Street, the tin-tiled Bandera General Store doubles as an ice cream parlor/soda shop. Sans kids? There’s a realdeal honky-tonk in the basement. A few blocks away, the Frontier Times Museum hosts daily spring break activities such as pony rides and pottery making, while the Bandera Natural History Museum features more than 100 full-body animal mounts and educational play stations.
OUTSIDE THE CITY LIMITS Georgetown
As tech, film and music luminaries descend upon Austin for South By Southwest, Georgetown remains a quaint respite just half an hour to the north. Book an old-school B&B like the six-room San Gabriel House, a 1914 mansion downtown, and proceed to wander the trails along the San Gabriel River where you can have a waterside picnic and take a dip in the famous limestone-edged Blue Hole lagoon. Inner Space Cavern, a privately owned cave discovered by a Texas Highway Department core drilling team in 1963, offers tours that range from an hourlong, welllit starter option to the four-hour Wild Cave Tour (ages 13 and older), which goes off trail into dark, undeveloped areas. For parents who want a little alone time, Sweet Eats Fruit Farm has a threeday camp from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. starting March 13, or regular admission on weekends to take in the petting zoo, obstacle course and more.