Drive Austin(TX) to Sante Fe (NM)

Hi

Our family of 5 (2 adult, 3kids 13, 11, 7) are planning to drive between two branches of the family in the above locations in late Mar / early April. We will have about 6 days to do the trip, so can do interesting stuff rather than go in a straight line! Can anyone recommend a good route, and possibly reasonable accomodation. We are interested in most things and are happy in the outdoors (but not to sleep in early Spring!) It will be our first time in the States, so everything will be new to us!!

Thanks very much

JAMAS

Drive Austin(TX) to Sante Fe (NM)

Hello Jamas

What great places for family to live! We have lived in both places-- moved from austin to santa fe-- so beautiful!

Let%26#39;s see from austin if you want to head through the texas panhandle-- somewhere around Amarillo is Palo Duro Canyon State Park. This is quite nice to see on the way-- look out for big racoons-- they go straight for the ice coolers! Oh, and I think I remember a scorpion or two.

Since you have time you may want to go southwest-- Lost Maples State Park--

far west texas-- Marfa. Have you seen the northern lights? what about the Marfa lights?

The marfa lights are an enduring Texas mystery. The Marfa lights are lights which are visible at night from a viewing area about 10 miles east of the town of Marfa, Texas. People who have reported seeing them say they behave in a very strange way. They appear from nothing, bounce around in the sky, vanish and re-appear again, then dim and go off and sometimes they divide into two separate lights. The Marfa lights are the main tourist attraction in the area.To some, the Marfa lights are extraterrestrial activity.

So, if you go to Marfa, you need to go to Big Bend National Park-- so close.

Carlsbad Caverns National Park is a must coming up into New Mexico. You can hike down into the cavern if you have time, but they also have an elelvator going straight down-- it%26#39;s huge--it takes awhile!

Then you have Socorro-- many UFO sightings here!

Socorro also has the Bosque del Apache National Wildlife Refuge. They have a crane festival here each year when the cranes pass through-- i believe that isn%26#39;t until November.

And from Socorro to Santa Fe well, the drive is just gorgeous.--and the food! I remember some Native American markets along the way, but not exactly sure where. But, that place is magic-- I%26#39;m sure you%26#39;ll find exactly where you need to be. You may want to google these places to see what feels right for family. Happy traveling!--tracy g.

Drive Austin(TX) to Sante Fe (NM)

Fredricksburg Texas and nearby Enchanted Rock State Natural Area are Great. There are a large variety of lodging options available to you there. The Tin Star Ranch is a complex of cabins very near the park . I am unsure of thier rates but I know they have built a replica of old time texas there.Austin is great,, it is the live music capital of the world, lots of nightclubs and lots of restarants.If I were traveling to Sante Fe , I would take Interstate 10 west, I would visit The Caverns of Senora, I would turn North at Ft. Stockton on 285 and visit Guadalupe Mountain National Park, I would also suggest a visit to Carlsbad Caverns near White City. I would continue North and visit Roswell N.M. It is the site of %26#39;%26#39; U.F.O. CRASH%26#39;%26#39; . Jimez Hot Springs and Bandoleer National Monument are not far from Sante Fe. They are both wonderfull, Hope this gives you a few ideas. There is not very much to do here in Ingram. you may reply to me on my e-mail skotphrea@hctc.net if you feel so inclined. HAVE A GREAT STAY !!! Skot %26amp; Jamie P.S. Bandera Texas is just down the road and it %26#39;s %26#39;%26#39;The Cowboy Capital of the World ';!!!

Hi Jamas

Well, great suggestions by the others but keep in mind, distances are huge and Big Bend, one of the greatest NP in the USA, has it%26#39;s busiest time of year late march and accomodation is limited. Only one lodge in the park. Keep in mind it%26#39;s an 8 hours drive from Austin. Austin-Carlsbad also is 8 hours. BBNP takes at least one day to visit. Also Carlsbad Caverns needs one day (a short sidetrip to Guadalupe Mountains NP included) and it%26#39;s a good daydrive from Carlsbad to Santa Fe.And there%26#39;s Marfa with its lights, the Fort Davis area, Balmorhea SP and others. Also the drive from Austin to Amarillo takes whole day but we liked the drive. Like Tracstar has said, Palo Duro south of Amarillo is a little, relatively unknown gem. And Skotphrea is also right. Don%26#39;t miss Hill Country. We stayed 4 days in San Antonio and 4 days in Austin and visited Hill country a couple of times. Loved every minute of our stay. So maybe:

1. Visit to Hill Country

2. Drive to Carlsbad (Best Western Stevens is a good hotel with great food)

3. Carlsbad caverns and Guadalupe. (A hiking park, no wheels)

4. From Carlsbad to Artesia and to Cloudcroft . Make a stop past Cloudcroft, Magnificent view. Drive to White Sands NM for a visit. Night in Alamogordo.

5. From Alamogordo to Ruidoso (check weather conditions) to Capitan (Smokey Bear), Lincoln (Billy the Kid center), Roswell (All Ufo here, visit the free Ufo Museum) and to Santa Rosa (Blue Hole).

6. Drive to ABQ, visit its old town, maybe Sandia Tram and drive beautiful nm14, the Turquoise Trail to Madrid and Santa Fe.

Yes, still a lot of driving.

We have been to Texas and NM a couple of times and will come back this year again. Can%26#39;t stay away too long! Have fun

Tet{:o)-

Thank you so much for all the help. we were off line for a while, so sorry for not getting back to thank you sooner.

We will be staying near Ingram for a week or so before we set off on the trip, and then have a week around Sante Fe. Is there any self catering accomodation, cabins to rent etc ??

Thanks again

JAMAS

Hi Jamas.

For accomodation look at www.santafe.org

Heaps of info.

Tet

The Forbidden Gardens

Has anybody been to The Forbidden Gardens in Katy? Is it worth it? How much time should I plan to be there?

Thank you!

The Forbidden Gardens

Yes, I have been there. Depending upon the age of your party, I would say an hour to an hour and a half would suffice. You have to go with tour guide. Check the hours and days of operation, for you can%26#39;t get in during weekdays (typically.) I was impressed because China is our topic of study for academic decathlon, but if you don%26#39;t like museums or aren%26#39;t a history buff, then it still is a nice outing. No sodas, refreshments available. Cool to feed the turtles and koi.

Go to Roadside America and there is a great review of the place.

Favorite Restaurants for dinner/drinks on the river

I will be traveling to San Antonio in late March with 5 ladies aged 37-40. We are staying at the Hyatt which I understand is nice. We are looking for a couple of restaurant with atmosphere, hopefully on the river where we can have a relatively nice dinner (not too pricey). We are not really interested in any wild night life, mostly atmosphere. Any suggestions? How about a nice place to go to in afternoon for just drinks on the river? We love outdoor seating. Suggestions there would be great too. Thanks in advance!

Favorite Restaurants for dinner/drinks on the river

My favorite reasonable restaurant on the river is Pesca. You can dine inside or out if the weather cooperates. It is not inexpensive, but the food is excellent. Boudros has decent food too, though not as good as Pesca. After those two, I%26#39;d leave the river and head to Rosarios on S Alamo, where you%26#39;ll find many of the downtown locals eating.

Unfortunately, I do ';line of sight'; navigation on the river and I%26#39;m not sure of the name of the place that serves our favorite mango margaritas...but leave the Hyatt on the river level, make a left and it%26#39;ll be just about the first place (or 2nd?) with tables outside along the river. Most have menus outside too...look for the mango margarita and you%26#39;ve found it. :%26gt;

Favorite Restaurants for dinner/drinks on the river

I agree OO.....You know how I love Margaritas..I will look for that place..Have you tried Acenar,the sister Rest. of Rosarios?(on the river)...I ate at Rosarios for the first time last Wednesday..I enjoyed their salsa,The Mexican handshake(margarita),and enchilada suizas..Service was attentive...Drinks were very good as well as the salsa..Although I enjoyed my meal,my companion who is originally from Mexico,said that although the food was good,it was not spicy enough(Mole enchiladas)......They need to add an upstairs with a patio view of SA........As for the river,Boudro%26#39;s is king,with few competitors..Try their fresh guacamole,prepared tableside,Margaritas,and blackened prime rib........

Yup, we%26#39;ve eaten at Acenar a couple of times. My food was good, but I prefer Rosarios...I didn%26#39;t know the two were related! The first time we were at Acenar we had really bad service and that may have colored my entire impression of the restaurant from that point on. My husband likes them very much, but given the choice I%26#39;ll go to Rosarios... yum, their Chalupas de Pescado! Yes, I love their salsa too, and I understand you can buy it. Their waitstaff is super. Still, if you are sticking to the river, Acenar is one of the few (reasonable) restaurants I%26#39;d do. Pesca is still my favorite though if we are eating on the river. I could make a meal out of Boudros guacamole and it%26#39;s always fun to sit alongside the river, making it even more appealing. I%26#39;ll have to try the steak there...normally have a shrimp dish and then regretting it when I see everyone else%26#39;s plate.

I do a GoBucs cheer too GoBucksColumbus...my Bucs are different from your Bucks though! :)

Another hotel ? sparked by Hotwire ?

If I check online for prices, can I call the hotel direct and get the same rate? I%26#39;m leaning towards the Comfort Inn Alama/Riverwalk

Another hotel ? sparked by Hotwire ?

Usually with large chains the best rate will be their internet rate. Some hotels (Hyatt and plenty of other majors) will guarantee that as their best non opaque rate.

I%26#39;ve tried calling car rental locations directly to get the same rate as offered online and it was ';no go';. Perhaps you%26#39;d have more luck with hotels, but I suspect not.

Another hotel ? sparked by Hotwire ?

Sorry, I failed to notice that this was referencing Hotwire. That is an opaque site, so unless the hotel is hurting, you won%26#39;t be able to match the rate by calling them and booking directly. Theoretically that%26#39;s what makes Hotwire a bargain, of sorts...you don%26#39;t know for sure what you are getting until you get it.

You could try, but I%26#39;m not sure what advantage you%26#39;d gain. I%26#39;ve never had any problems booking on line and we%26#39;ve had great luck with Hotwire and (to a lesser extent) Priceline. Case in point - we%26#39;re headed to Lafayette, LA for Mardis Gras. In December we snagged a 3-star for $32 per night. Ended up being Holiday Inn with indoor pool - just fine for us and cheap. Every rate I%26#39;ve seen is in the $90-$120 range.

Hotel for family with baby

Hi. My husband is going to San Antonio for a week on business and my 5 month old and I are going too. We have some choices for hotels. I was wondering if someone could advise me on which one to choose. He would like to take the car during the day, so I would like to be within walking distance (walking with a stroller that is) of some attractions (so I am not bored in the hotel all day).

Here are some choices:

Any La Quinta

any Holiday Inn

Homewood Suites

any Comfort Inn

Radison

These are listed as sold out, but we may be able to get these

Hapton Inn

Wyndham

Crowne Plaza

Hotel for family with baby

Downtown (Riverwalk) will give you the most non-driving options.

mask work

Family beach ideas for Feb 17-21

We are trying to plan a beach vacation on these days, but would like to avoid spring break college students. Any ideas for locations?

Family beach ideas for Feb 17-21

These dates are early for Texas Spring Breakers, ours are mid-March. You can%26#39;t beat the waters of South Padre Island!

Family beach ideas for Feb 17-21

I%26#39;m a big fan of South Padre. Even though it still could be quite cool in mid-Februrary (Average high for last Feb was 73) it should be beautiful and not crowded.

Camping Near Dallas

I%26#39;m looking to rent a cabin or pitch a tent somewhere beautiful in Texas. We%26#39;re willing to drive about 3 hours, but not more than that. I really want to bring my dog, so I need a campground that%26#39;s pet friendly. Any ideas?

We love hiking, water sports, mountain biking, etc. Thanks for your help!

Camping Near Dallas

Cedar Hill State Park is good one for mountain biking. We have also enjoyed Mineral Wells SP and Possum Kingdom SP. Please keep in mind that the Texas state park system is in a bit of decline due to budget cuts so you might want to drive out and have a look ahead of time to see if the facilities are up to par.

Camping Near Dallas

My boyfriend and I actually decided to do a camping trip this past October. We camped at Lake Whitney SP and LOVED it.

They have a lot of campsites available and they will recommend ones with great views to you as well.

It%26#39;s a beautiful, peaceful place to pitch a tent.

There are showers available, restrooms within walking distance, great places to walk around, and even about a fifteen minute drive to WalMart if you forget something, like we did. (borrowed a tent from someone that forgot to put the stakes in the bag...and it was a Windy weekend..lol)

I will recommend it to you. It%26#39;s about an hour from Dallas I would guess.

(There is also some outlet shopping to do on your way in or out.)

I believe Lake Whitney also has cabins to rent. You may search google for those. sorry I don%26#39;t have a link for you.

Happy Camping :P

You can check out Texas Parks %26amp; Wildlife%26#39;s website for all the state parks within a 3 hour drive. I enjoy the parks in East Texas because of the pine trees, but there are some beautiful areas in the Hill Country also, such as Pedernales Falls State Park.

Another very scenic area is Beavers Bend State Park just over the Oklahoma border near Broken Bow, OK. It%26#39;s in the Kiamichi Mountains and there are various cabins for rent, either at the state park or from private owners. There are boat rentals available at the park, along with many hiking trails, and also trout fishing. We have enjoyed going here over the years, and always have a good time. The drive is actually less than 3 hours.

A friend last night actually suggested Beaver%26#39;s Bend as well. Thanks for all of the suggestions. I%26#39;ll get to researching now!

We love to camp and take our dogs along all the time. I am not a native Texan and haven%26#39;t camped all over the state but i can tell you that since i have been here, in north Texas, the best camping i have done around here was in Beavers Bend (Broken Bow, OK) and Ouachita National Park (Sulfur Springs, AR). For a short ride, we will also go to Lake Murray State Park, one hour north in Ardmore, OK and you feel like you are ';in the woods';. I have not been to Possum Kingdom or camping further south so i can%26#39;t comment on those areas. We like to camp in more secluded areas with rivers and lakes that are clearer than what we have found at a lot of the lakes around here. If people have suggestions please let me know. Just my opinion.

Did you know about the electronic website the parks department has? Also they identify where you can pick up hard copies of their book.

www.tpwd.state.tx.us/publications/parkguide/