Lake Travis Zip Line

Best. Mother's. Day. Ever!!!

Believe it or not, I have been collecting and writing my Top 50 Things to Do in Austin list for over six years!  And ziplining has been on that list for every one of those six years.  However, my youngest son just turned 10 in August, and reached 70 pounds shortly thereafter (both requirements for ziplining).

So, for Mother's Day, Dave and the boys treated me to the Lake Travis Zipline tour.  And it was AWESOME!!

Lake Travis ZipLine Adventures is located in Volente Texas, by the lake.  It is an extremely well-run and safe operation and I would highly recommend it. They have only been in operation since July 2011, but they have clearly worked out all of the kinks as our tour was extremely smooth!

You start off on the main base, which has a nice little beach area.  It will be even nicer when the water levels come up a little :o)

 We arrived early, so we headed down to the water to wait.  The boys spent the time doing one of their favorite activities... throwing rocks in the water!

Then, we all got in a van, and they trucked us over to the marina. Apparently Lake Travis Zipline neighbors would prefer that the operation not launch the boat every half hour from the on-site dock, so right now they are launching out of a nearby marina.

The boat ride to the main zipline area was short, but enjoyable.  

Once there, we were assigned two guides: JD and Yeti.  In addition to getting us harnassed and keeping us safe and secure the entire four hours, they also kept us laughing and entertained.  

Not that any additional entertainment was really necessary!  The rides were exhilarating!

The course has 5 ziplines.  The first two are "babies", to work out kinks, and get everyone ready for the three big ones.

The last one is a half mile long... 45 seconds of 40 mph fun!  And to make it even more fantastic, it is a dual line, allowing races! (I lost...)



Tips and Thoughts

* I think the stated length of the tour is three hours.  We went on their busiest weekend - so all the tours were full -- which makes everything go a bit slower.  Our tour started at 4:30pm, and we returned to the main camp around 8:10pm.  So, on some days it can take a little longer.  

*  The course requires about a mile of hiking, most of it uphill.  My ten year managed it just fine, but the last hike is equivalent to 12 flights of stairs. Just be prepared.

* They allow you to bring coolers and enjoy the lake either before or after your tour.  

* They also offer night-time tours, for a different perspective.  I think they might be more exciting, but less scenic.  And they mentioned on Halloween they do a 'special' tour which also sounds like a lot of fun!

* The turn off from 2769 onto Pocohontas does not have any Lake Travis Zipline signage.  We were enjoying the scenery and car ride, and managed to zip ("Ha - get it?") right past it the first time, then had to loop around and come back.  

* Bring cash as the guides accept tips.  And they work pretty hard!

The Song of Spring

He's back!!  

Those are the words that herald in spring, and give us hope for summer.  It is the magical song of the chuck will's widow.  Just after the sun sets, before the first star appears; while there is still enough light to see; when the world is at its most peaceful, softest time...  From the trees comes the loud clear tone of "whip-werl.. whip-wherl".   

I remember the first time Dave and I heard him.  His song sounds so much like "whip-poor-will", that we were sure that was what he was.  But after some internet searches, we learned that the whip-poor-will has an entirely different call.  Our friend was the Chuck Will's Widow.  

And now, every year, right around that time of year when the end of school is in sight, and it is almost the deep breath of summer, he returns.  Sigh.

Tonight, D and I stood outside and listened to him for a half of an hour.  He'd come closer, then move further away. At one point, I was sure there were two of them.  There may be.  I know in the past I've heard two songs - one from the front woods, and the other the back.  Tonight, if there were two, they were close together.  One or two, I don't know, but it was a night of magic. :o)

One day, I'd love to catch a glimpse of him.  But until then, I will enjoy his song of promise!

As if dusk weren't already the perfect time of day...

Welcome to my new location!!

I have just moved my site to a new domain!  

Since this is a summer blog, I tend to keep it pretty dormant during the winter months.  The kids are in school, time is short, and we don't get out much!

In January, I randomly checked in on my blog and realized that my Top 50 things to do in Austin had gotten over 20,000 page views, with over 1,300 pinterest links.  Wow! Who knew!?!

But given the high level of traffic, I decided to move my site from a domain that contained my personal name (well, my husband's) to a domain that did not contain our name.

So, thank you for checking in on austintop50.com!  Please bookmark this domain to use instead of the previous domain!

Enjoy!

Veloway

The Veloway, located in South Austin, is a 3.1 mile paved pathway that is only available to bikers and roller bladers.  The path is 23 feet wide - about the width of a two lane road.  This makes it absolutely perfect for children who have just learned to ride a bike.  It is also perfect for adults who have just gotten clips for the first time!

My son, who has been riding his bike for awhile, recently was in a nasty bike accident.  He pulled out onto a street without looking and only then noticed a truck barreling down toward him.  I believe it was the grace of God that threw him off his bike.  The bike was run over and destroyed, but he walked away with minor scraps and bruises. 

However, since then he has been very afraid to get back on a bike again. 

The Veloway was the perfect answer.  He could ride the wide trail without any fear of traffic - get his bike legs back, so to speak.  We could go as slow as he wanted.

The morning we went riding, he was full of tears and fears, but was willing to give it a try.  We put him on his new bike, safely strapped his helmet to his head and got him back on the saddle.  I sent my older son ahead, so I could concentrate on working with K.  No more than 50 feet into the Veloway, K looks back at me and says, "Mom, can't we go any faster???"  and pulled away.  That is the beauty of the veloway :o)

Tips and Thoughts
* Walkers are not allowed on the Veloway.  So if this is your child's very first time riding a bike, you should probably start elsewhere.  Many people will recommend an empty parking lot, like a school during off hours.  My sister, mother of seven and an amazing font of wisdom, recommended starting on a slight grassy hill.  The hill helps them move forward and the grass breaks the fall.  It worked for both of my boys!  Once your child is able to bike around a parking lot, the Veloway is perfect.

* The Veloway is also used by serious bikers training for races.  Most of the bikers understand that we all started out slow on the bike.  Some, well... you know.  Stick to the right (inside of the track) and you should be okay!

* The path is a 3 mile loop.  Around mile two there is a difficult hill for beginning bikers.  However, there are two turnoffs earlier on the loop that shorten the path to 1 and 2 miles. The one mile loop is perfect for beginners.  There is one slight hill, but it is right when you return to the parking lot.

* Bring lots of water.  There is a water fountain on the premises that usually works.  You can buy a bike water carrier for just a few bucks, and it is a worthwhile investment for anyone thinking about biking in Texas!

Austin Zoo

Maybe we are a family that likes small or simple things, but we have always loved the Austin Zoo.  While it is more Animal Sanctuary than zoo, it is still a fun place for a couple of hours of entertainment for any age.

I loved it when my boys were younger, as it was the perfect size to run them around and then head home for a nap.  And I was pleased to see that they enjoyed as well, now that they are older!  Just no nap afterwards ;o)

The zoo has a petting area with goats, llamas and deer.  In the past, there was an area where you could walk amongst the animals.  I'm not sure if that is a permanent change or temprorary, but we couldn't get into the petting corral today.  But the animals are more than happy to crowd the fence to visit! 

When you purchase your tickets, make sure you buy a bag of food for each child, as feeding the animals is always a lot of fun!

There is a small snake and reptile area and in the main zoo area there are a dozen or so lions and tigers and bears (oh my!), some birds, monkeys, tortoises, and variety of other animals.  There was a new (to us) large play area for the wolves.  And walking around the whole park are a bunch of peacocks, showing off their feathers!

The zoo also has a small train that loops along the length of the zoo.  While we've rideen the train many times in the past, the boys felt they were too old for it this year :o)



A mama peacock with her chicks!

Tips and Thoughts
* You can frequently find coupons for half off of zoo admission if you look around.  We found some on Groupon and ad pages from earlier in the year (though none available now)

* There is a small food truck that sells snow cones and hot dogs, but if yuo are coming during the lunch hour, you might want to bring a cooler as the food seelction is very limited

* The zoo has a variety of special event days.  We have attended the Boo at the Zoo, which is the usual animal entertainments, plus a "haunted" train ride that is a lot of fun.  This is a great time to visit the zoo, as the weather is typically cooler!

Wild Basin Wilderness Preserve

Wild Basin Preserve, located off of 360, was founded in 1974 by seven women interested in saving the area as a natural preserve and a nature laboratory.  Its 227 acres wind through typical Texas Hill Country with trails that cross over Bee Creek.

There are 2.5 miles worth of trail in the preserve that are open from sunrise to sunset.  Bikes and pets are not allowed.

The Easy Access trail has 20 natural highlights to check out.  A trail guide identifies typical Texas foliage and rock formations.  Past the Easy Access Trail is the Waterfall trail.  Less than a mile from the parking lot, the trail leads to a secluded pond with a 15 foot waterfall.
Also along the trails are two scenic overlooks that give a great view of the wooded valley with a glimpse of downtown in the background.

One word of note:  This is not a creek crawl hike.  My boys were disappointed, as they had suited up in bathing suits and had all of their frog catching apparatus... only to find very little actual access to the creek.  Much of the natural area was roped off, and the little that was available was pretty minimal. 

However, as a hike, the views are amazing and the small waterfall charming.  I would highly recommend this hike for a cool fall day, or early spring.  Though in the middle of summer, it was pretty hot!

Tips and Thoughts

* Bring lots of water as there is no water available on site

* The preserve has many organized activities including full moon hikes, astronomy nights and guided tour hikes.  Check out their calendar for more details

* There are notes in the parking area recommending you not leave any valuables.  We have visited this place multiple times and never had any problem, but you might want to clear your car of any valuables before you head here for the day

* While the preserve is free, donations are suggested in the amount of $3 per person

Volunteer - at the Capital Area Food Bank

Summer is more than half way over, you've hit all of the regular places, and the kids are so bored they fight with each other just to make some entertainment. 

It's one hundred degrees outside and even the swimming pools seem too hot.

Now is the perfect time to teach your family the value of volunteering!  Let's face it, we all want to teach our kids the value of helping others. But during the year, this can be difficult, as schedules are so much tighter.  Summer is the perfect time to take advantage of excess time!  So make some time during this summer to help out with a local volunteer organization. 

We have helped out numerous times at the Capital Are Food Bank.  With a group of friends it can be a surprising amount of fun!  Slots are available in three hour increments. You can drop in on one of their open volunteer days or schedule ahead if you have a group.  Their calendar has a list of available times.  In the past, we have sorted bread and bakery product, canned goods and a variety of other tasks that help the Food Bank to collect and distribute food. 

At the end of our session, we told the boys that many other kids were home playing video games.  We were then going to explain that while sorting cans may not be as fun as video games, it helped a lot of people in need.  Instead, the boys all said that Yep, this was more fun than video games... Oh well, there goes that speech ;o)  Not only did they learn the value of volunteering, they learned that it can also be a lot of fun!

Tips and Thoughts
* All volunteers must be 8 years or older

* Volunteers must wear closed toe shoes