Planning a Road Trip This Summer?
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Planning a Road Trip This Summer? |
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Believe it or not, some people will leave their backyards this summer and actually visit other places. Knowing that it's too hot to travel across Texas with- out taking a swim along the way, we have some suggestions on great places to stop and enjoy a dip in the drink. Tubing: A favorite Texas pastime, tubing can be done as a day trip to Glen Rose or a full weekend in the New Braunfels/Gruene area. Since the rivers can be unpredictable, make sure that EVERYONE, especially children and non-swimmers, wears life jackets. Snorkling and diving:
From Balmorhea State Park in West Texas to Flower Garden Banks Marine
Sanctuary on the Gulf coast, Texans can swim with the turtles or sharks,
according to experience and inclination. Most places offer night dives
as well as daytime excursions and classes.
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Swimming holes: The Hill Country is chock-full of great places like Blue Hole Recreation in Wimberly, Blanco River State Park, Krause Springs in Spicewood, and Medina Kayaks and River Ranch. Depending on how rustic you want to go, you can get anything from waterfalls to low-water crossings for wading and sunning. Remember: most "holes" don't have lifeguards, so take your Water Watcher tag with you.
Lakes: Several
great swimming lakes are close enough to make delightful day trips. Benbrook
Lake features sandy beaches and slides for the kids; Cedar Lake in Cleburne
has paddleboat and canoe rentals; and Lake Ray Roberts is well-known for
good fishing. |
Public pools:
Even though these can't compare with your own backyard oasis, Texas has
some public pools that provide cool water, shade, and accessories like
slides and trapeze lines that change the whole swimming experience. Barton
Springs in Austin is a spring-fed pool that stays a cool 68 degrees throughout
the hot summer months. Tietze Pool in Dallas takes up an entire block
and has a retro feel enhanced by three 1947 red stone buildings. And don't
forget Burger's Lake in Fort Worth, with five diving boards, a floating
platform, and more. For more information on places to swim in Texas, check out the June issue of Texas Monthly. No matter where you choose to swim this summer, please remember to be safe: put lifejackets on children and ALWAYS have adult supervision. If you need Water Watcher tags, please call Kristin at 817-346-4778. |
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| Here's
a great game for parties with a wide variety of ages and skill levels, since
it has nothing to do with speed: Divide the guests into two teams at one
end of the pool. At the other end of the pool, set up two identical buckets
(one for each team). Each team gets a large (car-washing) sponge. The first
swimmer from each team swims down to the bucket, saturating the sponge as
much as possible. When they reach the other side, they squeeze the sponge
into the bucket. Then they swim back and pass the sponge |
to the next person,
who repeats the process. After everyone has had a turn, measure the amount
of water in the buckets by standing a ruler inside. The team with the
most water wins.
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