Favorite Stay-cation Activity in Texas

Destination: Texas Rivers & Lakes
Date: Every Summer

A quote by Sam Houston found at the Capital building in Austin Texas

I hope y'all have been enjoying my blog.  I feel like I can say "y'all" after being in Texas for nearly 20 years.  This past year tipped scale for my time here in Texas and I think I can finally call myself a Texan.  After growing up in California for the first 19 years of my life I have always considered myself a Californian living in Texas, but now the scale has shifted and my time in Texas has been longer than my nineteen years in CA.

Colton 16 & Bailey 14 my biggest critics
Summer 2012

Recently my teenagers found my blog posted on my Facebook page.  I really hadn't mentioned it to them, and I'm sure they saw the little enticers that show up every time I create a new post, but they finally took time to read a little.  I wasn't too worried about their privacy because I don't feel like I've said too much to embarrass them, since this blog isn't about my kids lives.  As I've said before the purpose of this blog is merely to inform you about some of the amazing places in the world that I think are worthwhile, and for me it acts as a great way to document our adventures.  Win, win for everyone right?

All six on a stay-cation in 2007, at the Marriott in Horseshoe bay on Lake LBJ
Bella 6 mos, Colton 11, Clay 5, Bailey 9, and twinners Lexi & Leah 2 1/2

Well I guess that isn't exactly how my teens saw it.  Both of them loved reading about our trips and it even triggered some great dialogue of memories and fun times we've spent as a family.  However their greatest concern, which I feel is valid so I'm writing about it now, is that those who read this blog may feel that I am bragging about the opportunities we've had to travel the world.  So I'm addressing that now.  I hope no one out there feels like I am being a braggart in my posts.  My purpose truly is to inform and encourage you to see the world and to take your kids along for the ride.  I have nothing to gain nor do I wish to upset anyone out there reading this silly little blog.  (Maybe that's what I should have called this blog in the first place.)  Anyway enough said.

Colton and his catch on Cedar Creek Reservoir outside of Gun Barrel City, Texas
June 2008

Trent teaching Clay to drive the boat
Summer 2008

Moving on, this idea inspired me to share some of our fun stay-cations right here in Texas.  So here I am living in the Lone Star State (should that be capitalized?, I just figured anything to do with Texas should be).  I hope to share some of the fun things we like to do here before we had any extra time or extra funds to explore the world.  Here goes....

Leah,4, & Clay,6, taking a plunge into Lake LBJ
Summer 2008

I once heard Jerry Seinfeld say that "there is no such thing as fun for the whole family".  This does make me snicker when I take my kids to visit the Louvre in Paris, they hate it, or when we take a family vacation to Disneyland, Trent and I abhor it.  However, we have found a place that is fun for the whole family...ready for this?!?!....Texas lakes and rivers!

Colton,8, wakeboarding on Lake McQueeney
Summer 2004

The summer Bailey,7, decided to wear goggles everyday, all day
This is her getting ready to ride the cable lake up at Texas Ski Ranch near San Marcos Texas
Summer 2006

Our family loves to go water sporting at any lake we can find in Texas and we've been to quite a few.  Between Canyon Lake, Medina Lake, Lake McQueeney, Lake LBJ, Lake Travis, Lake Austin, Cedar Creek Reservoir, Lake Placid I could go on and on with our tales of lake preferences.  Our kids love to waterski, wakeboard, tube and more recently have taken up wake surfing.  Trent and I hardly participate in any of those activities anymore but just being on the boat, driving the boat, and swimming during ski breaks is fun for us.  So I can easily proclaim we truly have found the "fun for the whole family" activity.

Clay,9, wake boarding Lake LBJ
Summer 2011

Leah,6, wake boarding Lake LBJ
Summer 2011

I know that not everyone has a boat or access to one so I will suggest another almost as equally fun activity my family likes to do together, and that is tube down one of the local rivers.  Our preference in the San Antonio area is to tube down the Comal.  Around San Antonio there are two rivers that are easily accessible up in Canyon Lake or the New Braunfels areas, the Comal or the Guadelupe.  The Guadelupe is a great river but it is a tad bit freezing since the water comes from the bottom of the dam out of Canyon Lake.  The Comal water has a better temperature and is still a great river to lazily ride.  When I say fun for the whole family I mean just that.  As soon as our kids can properly fit into a lifejacket they can easily float the river, and this is wear our fun begins.

Getting ready to float the river with some Kimball cousins
Summer 2006

Our favorite spot to get in is up at Rocking R tubes in New Braunfels.  Here you have to pay the $15 per person fee to get in the river.  This gives you a tube and a shuttle ride back to your car at the end.  The end of the river is marked with signs that tell you to get out now, and has stairs that lead down to the rivers edge so you can walk back up to the street.

Tubing at the lake
Summer 2005

These twinners mean serious business when it comes to tubing
June 2009

Floating the river doesn't have to cost any money.  If you already have a tube, either an old truck tire tube or a store bought one you can enter the river at different public entrances along the river, however the biggest challenge is parking your car at the beginning of the river only to get out four or five miles down stream.  The walk back is impossible, so there has to be some forethought... two cars one parked at the end, one at the beginning, and shuttling people back and forth.  It can be done but a little complicated.  The easiest spot to do this is up by Canyon Lake off of FM 306 where there is a horeshoe in the river so basically you get in at one bridge and it takes you in a big horseshoe shape of the river and you get out pretty close to where you parked.  Am I making sense?  I hope so!

Lexi,6,  wake boarding July 2011

Bella, 4, wake boarding for the first time
July 2011

For all you newbies try a river rental like Rocking R, so you can gain a little experience.  More info can be found at http://texastubes.com  My kids love to float the river.  To prepare I make sure we come with our own lifejackets.  This assures that everyone has a good fitting, comfortable jacket, and no complaining for the rest of the day. Tip#1 All kids under 12-years-old must wear a life jacket in the state of Texas while participating in this kind of water sport activity.  I bring some sort of netted bag to put all the kids shoes into and tie to the side of my tube during the float.  Getting into the water and out of it usually consists of standing on hot Texas concrete so shoes are usually a must, whether they be water shoes, or flip flops it doesn't matter.

Colton, 15, wake surfing behind the boat
Summer 2011

Don't bring any cameras or phones onto the river.  You will eventually fall off your tube, or at least jump in to cool off, and who wants to worry about electronics?!?!  I like to bring water and suckers.  I don't usually bring food at all.  I don't like to take the chance of food getting wet and inedible and suckers usually can hold the kids off during the two hour float.  Of course the most important thing to bring is sunblock!  Sitting in a tube with your thighs, calves, and shoulders in one place for two hours straight can lead to some harsh burns, so lather everyone up before you jump in.  For my littlest ones I make sure they wear a hat, as do I, to protect our fair skin. (wink wink ;) Sunglasses are a must but don't bring your Ray-Bans pick up a cheappy pair for these kinds of summer events.  The last thing I bring with me is a small rope for tying tubes together during the float.  This isn't an absolute must, but as a momma hen with her chicks, I like to keep my kiddos close.

Bailey, 13, trying to do a belly start to her wake surfing behind the boat
I only included because I can't stop laughing at the face she was making
Summer 2011

The Comal River is great because it has a tube chute in the middle of it by Landa Park http://www.nbtexas.org .  During the summer and holidays there are lifeguards there to assure a safe decent from an upper part of the river to a lower part.  Its kind of like a big water-slide for tubers but it does have a little bit of a whirlpool effect at the bottom so accidents do happen.  This is the only part of the river that I usually get out and walk around with my small kids that are four and under.  Since there is a nice paved walkway here, you can easily get out and walk down the stairs and have someone in your party meet you down at the lower part of the river with your tube ready for your re-entry.  Most of the rest of the two hour float is nice and relaxing filled with lots of fun people watching.

Bella, 4, Summer 2011
Serious water sports enthusiast

I could write post after post on some of our funny rides down the rivers here in Texas.  We have laughed our way down many rides with unexpected happenings, and because of these fun experiences, I can't help but smile while writing this entry today.  So if your in this part of the country take time to float a river.  I think it is the best way to have a truly authentic Texan experience.  

Our water loving family Summer 2009
Canyon Lake

Be Safe & happy travels!!

Where in the World Is Kuala Lumpur? World Part 4

Destination: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Date: March 2012

Bailey & Clay on the streets of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
March 2012

As many of you have been reading about our most recent cruise adventure around the world here is the next installment.... Where in the World is Kuala Lumpur??

Kuala Lumpur was hard to get excited about since I knew so little.  Someone in our group said it had been mentioned in the movie “Entrapment” with Catherine Zeta Jones but that’s all this city really was to me... a name.   We had heard it was about an hour bus ride to get to the city from the port and none of us wanted to get on any tour buses after the previous day in Singapore.  So we knew we needed to find an alternative mode of transportation.

Trent negotiating with our taxi drivers
 Kuala Lumpur March 2012

Once we got off the ship we were able to take a shuttle bus over to a nearby mall and figure out a plan on how to get to Kuala Lumpur.  Trent is our best taxi negotiator and so he was able to find three drivers that would take our group of sixteen to the city, drive us around, and bring us back at the end of the day for only $16 per person.  That was a smoking deal and so we all jumped in the cabs and headed out.  

A sign on the side of the taxi that we had just "haggled" a price with the taxi driver
Tip#1 Just because it says no haggling that is 99% untrue
March 2012

So far our taxi experiences had been great and always in very good cabs that were clean and smelled good.  We were lucky again only this time our driver also had on American top forty music playing and so it felt like we could have been in any US city cab.  

Our first stop in KL was at the Petronus Twin Towers the tallest twin buildings in the world
March 2012

Driving to the city it looked a lot like the states.  The infrastructure of the roads were good and there were even plants along the medians in the highways.  Some of the buildings next to the freeway were very dirty and from the open windows we saw clothes flowing from the window sills.  It was evident that there was no AC’s, or clothes dryers, but in all it looked like we could have been in any big city in the USA.  

The Petronus Twin Towers that stand 88 stories high
March 2012

Our first stop was the Petronus Twin Towers in downtown Kuala Lumpur, a big financial hub for the people.  We wanted to go up to the connecting walkway between the towers and have a better view of the city.  However, when we got to the Petronus buildings we were told all 800 tickets that they sell everyday had been sold and we would be unable to go up.  This was disappointing because we saw online that ticket sales only go on sale everyday for that day, in the morning at 8:00am, and can’t be purchased online.  However, we were told many cruise ships purchase big lots of these tickets for their cruisers that go on their excursions and so we were out of luck to go to the top of the Twin Towers.  No matter how much negotiating with the guards they were unable to help us with our plight. 

The New Kings Palace, KL Malaysia
March 2012

Once we got off of the freeway we went over to the new Kings Palace.  It was beautiful and not much to see since we could only go as far as the gates, much like visiting the White House in the US.  But since we were there we started taking pictures.  In a short time a few of the Indonesian women that were taking pictures in front of the palace, asked if Bailey could be in one of their pictures.  

Bailey posing with some of the Indonesian tourists who wanted to capture a picture of her "yellow" hair
March 2012

Of course we agreed and soon a tour bus of Indonesians were asking to get their photos taken with her and with all of us.  Clay didn’t like them pulling and tugging on him to get him in to the photos exactly like they wanted and so soon he realized that being “famous” was not for him.  We posed for about 25 pictures and finally were released laughing from our little experience with fame.

We couldn't stop laughing when we realized the Indonesians really wanted pics with the kids
KL Malaysia, March 2012

Our taxi driver was waiting for us, as promised, and took us to the central market to do some shopping.  The market place was air conditioned and had great bathrooms that were clean and tidy but cost .40 rinngit about 10 cents in US dollars.  The man collecting the money for the use of the bathroom then gave me two tissues to use as toilet paper while in the stalls.  It was interesting to say the least.  There were three types of toilets to use.  Two were holes in the floor, 2 were just the porcelain pots that you could hover over and there was one American looking toilet.  I was glad the locals would pass this one over and go to the others so I was able to walk right in.

Our kids loved finding missionaries every time we got off the boat
Posing with the "R's" and missionaries from Utah near Chinatown in KL
March 2012

Again we ran into the LDS missionaries and we were excited that one of them knew one of the members of our group "D.M" (though "D.M." wasn’t with us at the time.)  One missionary was from Lindon, Utah and the other was from Farmington, Utah.  What a small world!  Across the street from the Malaysian Market was Chinatown and again we had a great time going through the deals to be had.  

Looking at Chinatown in KL
March 2012

Good friend whom I will call Mary Poppins (since everything you could ever want or need on a trip, is found in that purse of hers) and Bailey, sporting her Singapore pants, just outside the Malaysian market
This smile is what makes me love traveling with Mary Poppins  so much
March 2012

This was a much more fun experience since all the products they sell can be displayed and back rooms are not needed (like in NYC).  We were able to see all the purses, jewlery, sunglasses we could want.  We only had about 30 minutes here and I’d wished we hadn’t spent time at the more expensive Malaysian market but we still bought Oakley sunglasses, more iPhone cases, purses, roller bags, a back pack,  & umbrellas.  In all I think we spent $150 US dollars but we had so much fun doing it.  It was seriously one of my favorite places to shop during the entire trip.  I thought India would be better so I was a little reserved with my spending but when the entire trip was over it probably had the best selections combined with the best prices.  If only I'd known!!!

So happy to get cleaned up after a long day site-seeing and shopping
Aboard P&O Cruise ship Aurora
March 2012

Our time was running out though and our faithful cabby was waiting so we loaded up our booty and started our one-hour trip back to the boat.  We ended up paying our driver a hefty tip for his well planned out day.  We rolled back onto the boat to get some laundry done, and shower before our dinner, and get started planning the next days adventure in Pengang.

Don't be afraid to send me your travel questions.  I would love to hear about trips you have planned, or ask me of any places I may have been.  That way I can get a post up if I've been there!  I appreciate all of your kind words and happy and safe travels!!

Potato Farms & Sand Dunes in Idaho

Destination: Island Park, Idaho
Date: October 2012

Getting ready to go four-wheeling with these cuties
Island Park, Idaho
October 2012

Idaho doesn’t sound like a vacation destination but I was pleasantly surprised at what a great time I had communing with nature.  When we were invited by my sister and her husband to stay at a cabin they had access to, I was excited to hear the details.  Located in Island Park Idaho (west Yellowstone area) I knew it would be a beautiful location but what exactly would we do?  Since this trip was also scheduled during the school year we had to do a process of elimination to see which of our children could miss a week of school.  After it was all said and done our two oldest would have to stay behind and we grabbed our four elementary school aged kids, Clay,10, Lexi,7, Leah,7, and Bella,5, and headed for the mountains.  

The beautiful trees not far to the east of Island Park
October 2012

Idaho in early October is a beautiful place to visit.  The turning of the leaves, wildlife roaming the open land with a perfect climate of brisk mornings bundled in sweatshirts and Uggs, to warm afternoons shedding to flip flops and shorts.  I can’t describe how beautiful this area really is, because I don’t really consider myself a very adept writer. I'm not sure I have the ability to give an accurate description of the picturesque landscapes, bordered with rolling hills, and majestic mountains, all within driving distance of this beautiful location.  

Lexi, Bella & Leah are ready to get this party started
October 2012

Though most people would be happy laying around in a cabin with a good book, fishing off the nearby boat dock, or hikes, as any parent knows there has to be some sort of activity planned to keep the littles busy.  The day trip my sister planned with ATVs, Razor vehicles, and sand dunes was one of the most exciting day trips my kids have ever encountered.  We started the day off with ATV rides on nearby ATV tracks around the location of the cabin.  It was a great way to give us all a “skills” test to see if we were ready for the main event...the sand dunes.  

Our little group that got to vacation together in the cabin
West Yellowstone, October 2012

The kids loved taking rides with Trent and I and their other aunts and uncles that were on the trip.  Once we got warmed up we loaded up the ATV’s and headed south to Rexburg Idaho to meet up with some friends that had Razor Vehicles, (little six passenger Gator type vehicles) which we could go out with onto the sand dunes.  The best part about this adventure is that all the ATV vehicles didn't cost us anything so it was a free day of fun.

Trent and Clay pose by our six-seater Razor vehicle
October 2012

Since one of our friends had been raised on an actual Idaho potato farm she was gracious enough to first take us by her parents farm “Crapo Farms” to see the operation of a real working potato harvest.  Yes, we were lucky to be there for the fall harvest when even the local schools let out to give children the opportunity to help.  The house was a beautiful home straight out of a book.  When my friend “M” took us in to meet her mother, she and "M's" sister were making maple squares for the harvesters as a little treat at the end of the day.  Once we had a sample of this deliciousness the tour of the farm began. 

The potato pit where all the harvested potatoes are stored for the winter
October 2012

We headed out to the potato pit where four or five trucks were parked out front to unload their bounty into the potato pit.  When the truck backs up into the pit it unloads the potato’s on a long conveyor belt in which the children and hands pull out the bad potatoes and weeds as they shuffle past on the belt.  

Leah posing with a potato in the potato pit
October 2012

Then up, up, up, they ride on the conveyor that stacks the potatoes in the pit for their two weeks of “sweating” with fans blowing and getting the potatoes ready to be stored for the winter, and then ready to sell at the right time when the market prices are right.  Since this was the last step to the potato harvest we then loaded up onto our ATVs to head out the fields so we could show the kids close up how the process begins.

Trent and the kids working the conveyor belt looking for rotten potatoes
October 2012

One of the harvesters in action
October 2012

Trent with the kids exploring the inside of the tractor
October 2012

Out in the field the huge tractors that pull the harvesting equipment was running on a GPS system to go straight down the rows to pick up the potatoes.  On the combine equipment the potatoes go on to a series of chains that let the dirt fall out to the bottom, the potato vines shoot out the back, and the potatoes climb up a conveyor belt and get spit onto the waiting truck that will then take then back to the pit.  

Lexi was so proud for finding such a big tatter
Crapo Farms, October 2012

My kids were amazed to watch this whole process, not on a DVD shown in school, but up close in real life with the dust and dirt blowing in their faces.  I had no regret for taking my kids out of school for the week.  We were officially on an educational field trip that I think every mother would agree is better than anything they could learn in school. 

My niece, Summer, and me getting up and close and personal with the tractor
October 2012

 It was a fascinating experience to see first hand how a potato is harvested.  Even more rewarding for my kids was to learn that Crapo Farms sells a majority of their potatoes, on their 55,000 acre farm, to Five Guys Hamburgers.  Since FIve Guys is a family favorite, it was great for the kids to realize where their french fries were coming from.

Clay showing us some farm fresh potatoes
October 2012

After this educational experience we headed out to the dunes for the thriller side of our “day of fun.”  We loaded up into three Razor ATV’s, 2 four-wheelers, and two dirt bikes and road to the middle of the sand.  Located just about a mile or two from Crapo Farms we didn’t have far to go.  When we arrived to the middle of a sand dune we set up some chairs and took turns riding the ATV’s around a circuit that the experienced drivers had showed us.  The kids loved riding up and down the dunes, sliding and drifting on the sand and even when it wasn’t their turn they enjoyed rolling down the dunes close to where we set up camp.  When the sun started to set we built a small fire to roast hot dogs and marshmallows, and enjoyed the last few rides before the sun went down.  

Our little makeshift campsite in the middle of the sand dunes
October 2012

Of course what is an ATV adventure without a little bit of a mishap? So before I write about this, rest assured all those involved are fine and it really was just a little mishap.  I was driving one last time with Leah and Clay around the small track up and down the dunes that the “dune masters” had shown me.  Trent decided not to go one last time with me and that is why it was just two of the kids and myself.  We went around seventy-five percent of the track with no problem but then with the end in sight, the Razor I was driving began to drift out to the side sliding across the sand.  We were all hoopin' and hollarin', and without any error that I could see, our Razor tipped over on its side and began to slide across the sand.  As a mom my first concern were the kids.  Luckily we had taken precautionary measures and had them in seat belts with helmets on.  

The sand dunes just outside Rexburg Idaho
October 2012

After what felt like five minutes of sliding on our side the Razor finally stopped and I began checking with the kids if they were alright.  Fortunately they were in seat belts their legs were dangling down by my face, since I was the closest to the ground.  I tried to get up to help them but my foot was lodged between the Razor and the sand.  Then it was that crazy moment when I asked myself “Is your foot crushed?” “Can you feel your toes?”  It was surreal but what brought me back to the situation was that Leah began to take control.  It was interesting to see her be so calm and access the situation.  She kept saying “Mom get up, that would really help if you got out of the way and unbuckle our seat belts.”  I tried again to move my foot but was unable, so I started to feel with my hand to try and get the seat belts unbuckled.  

Bella and I earlier in the day sporting our helmets
October 2012

My level-headed Leah smiling before our tumble "accident"
October 2012

Because I was wearing a helmet as well it was hard to move my head to see the seat belts.  Once Leah was unbuckled she moved out of the cart and I reached for Clay who was dangling even higher since he was in the far passenger seat.  I kept reaching for him but it was a stretch.  I knew our rescue team would be arriving any second, if they had in fact noticed we had tipped over.  Once Clay was out of his belt, he moved out of the Razor, and our rescue team arrived.  They quickly picked up the Razor off of my foot and I was free.  

My sandy face after the accident  I was all smiles but inside my heart was racing
October 2012

When I finally crawled out of the wreckage I noticed how all of the Razors contents were strewn all over the sand around us, bottles of water, chains for towing, some rope, a child’s jacket,  but all that mattered is that we were all safe and didn’t sustain any real harm.  Beside a massive jolt of adrenaline, we were okay.  Trent soon took my picture as I pulled off my helmet and sunglasses to see that it looked like I had taken a face plant in the sand.  It wasn’t my prettiest moment but I was grateful no real damage to person or property had been done.  We were defiantly blessed with a day of fun and safety as we survived another “day of fun” on this wild Kimball adventure.

Bella, enjoying the wheel of the tractor
at the potato harvest
October 2012

Stay safe and happy travels!!