I am writing about ways families may celebrate Christmas in a less commercial way. The State Parks (SP) and State Historic Sites (SHS) are made to order for authentic Christmas experiences.

First Stop : Wyler Tramway SP

Wyler Tramway Gondola

Holidays at the Wyler Tramway State Park

1700 McKinley El Paso, Texas 79930
(915) 562-9899
December 16–18, Noon–5 pm

Ride to the top of Ranger Peak  in a gondola, where Santa Claus awaits your visit. After chatting with Santa and having pictures of the children taken with Santa, do not rush off.  Take time to view the Christmas decorations and to enjoy a cup of hot chocolate, apple cider or coffee at the  gift shop. Make sure you look through the gift shop, where you will find  candles, books, apparel, toys and other one-of-a-kind items.

You may notice you are viewing sequential rock layers ranging from ancient volcanic granite to more recently-deposited limestone. The view encompasses 7,000 square miles, 2 countries and 3 states.  If you feel like hiking, follow a two-mile round-trip trail that curls its way around Ranger Peak from the observation deck.  If not, there are accessible ramps and paved grounds leading into an observation deck with an unobstructed view. Try the pay per view high power telescopes.  You are sure to spot birds and wildlife. You are one mile high and the view is fantastic. In the distance, you can see parts of Mexico and New Mexico. The City of El Paso lies at your feet.

Photograph at of El Paso at Dusk by Christopher Rose, The Texas Tribune

Note: You are a mile high, so make sure everyone has jackets and, perhaps, a Santa hat?  Call ahead of time in case of weather or check the NOAA weather site before you set out.

Fees:
$7 for each person 13+ years
$4 for each person 12 years and under

Schedule:
Friday and Saturday: 12-8 pm
Sunday: 10 am-6 pm
Tram closed Monday-Thursday.
Ticket sales end and last gondola starts up one hour before closing.

 Second Stop : Washington-on-the-Brazos SHS

Barrington Living History Farm

Barrington Farm Holidays

(at Washington-on-the-Brazos SHS)

21300 Park Rd. 12
Washington TX 77880
936/878-2214
December 17, 10 am-430 pm

Step back in time and into the lives of the original residents of Barrington Farm. The scene is complete with heritage breeds of livestock.  Interpreters, dressed in period style clothing, help visitors understand what life was like 150 years ago.  Make decorations to decorate your home or toys to give as gifts. Explore and enjoy the simplicity of farm life. Listen to popular music of that time.  Learn  the meaning of “Peace on Earth, Good Will towards all Men.” This is a wonderful trip for youngsters.

Fees:
$5 for adults
$3 for students 7 years and over.

Third Stop : Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery SHS

Kreische House Photo courtesy Barclay Gibson, February 2009

Trail of Lights

414 State Loop 92
La Grange, TX 78945-5733
(979) 968-5658
December 16 and 17,  6–8 pm

I know that Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery State Historic Sites do not sound like somewhere you would celebrate Christmas. Take a chance. I know you will enjoy Christmas in early Texas-German style! Enjoy the genuine hospitality of the Friends of Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery, sponsors of the event.

Stroll along a ¼-mile trail and thrill to the thousands of lights decorating Monument Hill and the H.L. Kreische House, which is decorated in the style of Texas-German 1850s-era Christmas. Bring your children; they will want to meet Mr. and Mrs. Claus! View the town of La Grange from the trail’s hillside overlook. From the hilltop, you have a beautiful view of the Colorado River. Picnic sites, rest rooms, playgrounds, trail exhibits and scenic overlooks are found in this flat, bluff-top area. The trail is handicapped accessible and provides access to the Kreische House, Monument and Tomb.

Angel Statute on Monument photograph by Texas Escapes

The monument holds the remains of the fallen from two incidents in the Texas War for Independence, the Dawson Massacre and the Black Bean Death Lottery. The remains of the house and brewery are monuments to a German immigrant Heinrich Kreische. He purchased 172 acres on a hilltop, including the tomb. Kreische married and had six children. Built in two stages, the three-story Kreische house commemorates both the growth of the Kreische business and his family. The remains of the brewery remain as a monument to what one man can do with nothing but limestone, knowledge and hard work.

Fees:
$4 for adults
$1 for children 3-12 years ol

Fourth Stop :  Lyndon B. Johnson SP and HS

Interpreter at The Sauer-Beckmann Farmstead. Photo by Jessica Schneider

42nd Annual LBJ Tree Lighting

Stonewall, Texas (from Fredericksburg go east on Highway 290 for 16 miles)
(830) 644-2252
December 18, 6–9 pm

Join in this Texas Hill Country tradition started 42 years ago by President and Mrs. Johnson. Enjoy the tree lighting and an evening of family fun. Step back in time at the Sauer-Beckmann Farmstead, where visitors experience a German Texan farm in the early part of the 20th century. Snack on cookies under glowing lanterns and view the traditional candlelit German Christmas tree.  A night to remember for the entire family, sure to put you in the holiday spirit.

This park on the banks of the Pedernales River is directly across from the LBJ Ranch. This site, and the nearby Lyndon B. Johnson National

Fifth Stop : Longhorn Cavern SP

Longhorn Caverns

Caroling in the Cave

6211 Park Road 4 S.
Burnet, TX 78611 (access PR 4 off HWY 281 between Burnet and Marble Falls or off HWY 29 between Llano and Burnet)
830-598-CAVE
December 17, 5–8 pm

You know how good you sound in the shower?  Image your voice, with others, singing Christmas carols that echo in Longhorn Cavern. There are food and games in the administration building. Different musical artist play each week. Reservations highly recommended. Ask about fees.

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Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year

I just wanted to take this opportunity to wish visitors and subscribers to this blog the best in 2012. My health has taken a turn for the worse, so I do not know if I will be able to update this blog as often as I would like. It has been big fun sharing Texas with you and your families. I hope to see you in 2012!

Remember, Jesus is the Reason for the Season.

CyberCelt

I am writing about ways families may celebrate Christmas in a less commercial way. The State Parks and State Historic Sites are made to order for authentic experiences.

Photo Courtesy of Louis Vest, Ship Pilot Houston, Texas

First Stop : Battleship Texas State Historic Site

Yuletide TEXAS “A Sailors Christmas”

Battleship TEXAS State Historic Site
3523 Highway 134
LaPorte TX 77571
281/479-2431

Thursday, December 1, 2011 to Saturday, December 31, 2011
10 am to 5 pm
Price is $10, children under 12 free with adult.

Yuletide activities include sending message to the North Pole, taking picture with Santa, creating Battleship ornament, enjoying performances by area bands and choirs, and filling up on hot chocolate, wassail and cookies. You also exercise by exploring the ship.  From the huge guns on deck to the crew quarters to the engine room. Who could resist?

Map from Latin American Studies.org

San Jacinto Battleground

You may also explore the entire San Jacinto Battleground site (map in PDF), where Texans captured Santa Anna after the Alamo. There are nature trails and the  San Jacinto Monument, picnic areas, wetlands and a reflecting pool. You will see 20 boulders on the battlefield that were laid by the San Jacinto Chapter, Daughters of the Republic of Texas. These boulders give visitors a sense of place in the final battle fought for Texas Independence on April 21, 1836.  Follow the boulders and the action of the battle.

Reflections of San Jacinto Monument

San Jacinto Monument

Take a trip up the San Jacinto Monument in an elevator to the Observation Decek ($4 adults, $3 children). Bring your camera for pictures of Houston, the Ship Channel, Battleship Houston and the San Jacinto Battleground .  If heights do not make you or your family happy, spend $4.50 per adult and $3.50 to see the 35-minute documentary, Texas Forever!! The Battle of San Jacinto, presented on the hour beginning at 10 am, in the Jesse H. Jones Theatre for Texas Studies, also located in the monument.

Note: Have you have heard that everything in Texas is bigger?  It is true. The San Jacinto Monument, honoring all those who fought for Texas’s independence, stands 15 feet taller than the Washington monument.  In addition, the Texas Capitol also rises approximately 15 feet higher than the National Capitol in Washington.

There is so much to do in San Antonio, even when you decide to travel on a budget.  Explore the Alamo, scene of the bloodiest battle in the Texas War for Independence, and then drive to pastoral missions where time appears to have stopped.  You will be amazed.

First Stop : The Mission Trail

The Alamo

300 Alamo Plaza
San Antonio, Texas 78205
Open Monday through Saturday, 9 am-530 pm. On Sunday, the Alamo opens at 10 am.

The Alamo was first named Mission San Antonio de Valero. Construction started on the mission in 1724. In 1793, Spanish officials secularized the five missions in San Antonio. The lands were distributed to the Indian residents. The Alamo is the most famous of the Spanish missions in Texas. Although you will may be disappointed to find the Alamo in a crowded urban setting, there is something about the Alamo, especially at night, that will take your breath away. Admission to the Alamo is free.

Visit the Just for Kids page on TheAlamo.org before you visit to print out activities that you and your children may do together.  The Shrine and the Long Barrack are two original buildings, so ‘you will want to tour both. In the same area is the Clara Driscoll Theater, where you may watch a movie about the Alamo.

How much you want to talk about the death of  the defenders of the  is up to you.  The battle was nothing  like the movie and the survivors were tortured before finally being allowed to die.  There was a woman, a slave and some children that survived.  It is through these accounts that we know anything.

 Historical Map of the Alamo Grounds With an Overlay of Current Downtown San Antonio, Texas
For Accurate Positioning of all Historical Alamo Features

Source: the-alamo-san-antonio.com

Explore the grounds of the Alamo. Find the Alamo Acequia and the Well. The Alamo Cenotaph, across from the Long Barrack, is an empty tomb. The bodies of the defenders of the Alamo were burned by Santa Anna after he took the Alamo. When you are tired of exploring, enjoy history talks on the hour and the half hour except during lunch (12-1 pm) in the Cavalry Courtyard.

San Antonio Missions National Historical Park

The Alamo is just one of many Spanish missions founded in Texas. The San Antonio Missions National Historical Park was established to preserve and interpret the chain of Spanish Missions that were built along the San Antonio River in the 18th century. Here is the Map of the San Antonio Missions NHP. However, after Mission San Jose, it is best to ask park personnel for directions. Road construction is a never ending operation on the mission trail.

Mission San José y San Miguel de Aguayo

Beginning your trip at Mission San José will help orient you to the wonder of the missions and give you time to unwind from the Alamo. View a 23-minute film, take a ranger guided tour, and visit a restored Spanish Colonial flour mill, powered by gravity and water.  You are just a short drive south of downtown, but it is like another place and time.  Step into the church and light a candle.  Close your eyes and you can almost hear the 1000s of prayers echoing down through the years.

Mission Nuestra Señora de la Purisima Concepción de Acuña

This mission, built in East Texas in 1716 and transferred to the San Antonio River area in 1731, is.named in honor of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception and Juan de Acuña, Viceroy of New Spain. Built on bedrock, the structural integrity of the mission protected the interior, where today you may view frescoes  painted over 200 years ago.

Espada Aqueduct is the only functioning aqueduct from the Spanish Colonial Period in the United States. Explore this age old method of irrigation that has survived 300 years.

Mission San Juan Capistrano

In 1716, Mission San José de los Nazonis was established to serve the Nazonis Indians in the woods of East Texas. This mission, like all the missions in East Texas, was not successful. On March 5, 1731, the mission was reestablished on the east bank of the San Antonio River and renamed San Juan Capistrano.  The 1/3 mile Yanaguana Trail at Mission San Juan takes you to a small section of the San Antonio River in its natural state. The trail is is accessible.

Links to Brochures (PDF) For Each Mission

Mission Concepción | Mission San José | Mission San Juan | Mission Espada

Guided Tours

Tours last 45-60 minutes. Meet at the visitor center or information center of the mission you wish to tour.

• 10 am Mission San José or Mission Concepción
• 11 am Mission San José
• 130 pm Mission San Juan (staff permitting)
• 2 pm Mission San José, Mission Concepción or Mission Espada (staff permitting)
• 3 pm Mission San José or Mission San Juan (staff permitting)
• 330 pm Mission Espada (staff permitting)

Tour Rancho de las Cabras, the grazing lands of the missions, on the first Saturday of the month at 10 am, weather permitting. Call 210.932.1001 for more information.

Scheduled Events in December at the Missions

Hubbell Trading Post NHP Navajo Rug & Jewelry Show & Sale
Visitor Center at Mission San José
Saturday & Sunday, December 3 & 4, 2011
9 am-5 pm daily

Annual Los Pastores Play
Mission San José
Sunday, December 17, 2011
7 pm (Gates open at 6 pm)
Venue is outside so bring warm clothing and something to sit upon.

Transportation

The public transportation system in San Antonio is VIA. Bus 42 from downtown will bring you to Mission San José and within two blocks of Mission Concepción. There are no buses to Mission San Juan and Mission Espada.

By automobile, drive south on South St. Mary’s Street. Approximately one mile south of downtown, after passing beneath railroad tracks, South St. Mary’s becomes Roosevelt Ave. Continue on Roosevelt for 4 miles. You will see Mission San José on your left. At the first stop light past the mission turn left onto New Napier Ave. Follow signs to parking for Mission San José.

More Information

Visit the National Park Services website for more information and to help you plan your visit.