Austin Trail of Lights Will be Lit This Year!

For 3 years, Austin Trail of Lights remained dark due to economic reasons.  This year, be amazed by the lights and sets that have been created on the banks of Lady Bird Lake.  Viewing the lights reflected in the lake is mesmerizing.  The Trail is a great family outing and FREE.  Food and drinks available.  Level ground means this trail is easily navigable.

Trail of Lights, Austin, Texas

Austin Trail of Lights

December 16th – 23rd, 2012
Zilker Park, Austin, Texas

FREE ADMISSION!

Daily Hours: 6:30 -10 pm

Trail Schedule: Sunday 12/16 – Sunday 12/23

Trail of Lights 5K Race: Saturday 12/15

Get details on performances, parking, shuttles, vendors by clicking here.

There will be on-site parking at Zilker Park, and two shuttle routes to the Trail from Barton Creek Mall and Republic Square Park.  Take the shuttle, save gas, time and aggravation.

Please: When you approach the site, stop and make sure everyone agrees on where to meet if the family is separated.  The Zilker Tree was always a good meeting spot for my family,  The kids would spin beneath the tree and make themselves dizzy.

 RV Parks in Austin Area

Austin Lonestar RV Park- 5 miles south of downtown on the East side of I-35.

Austin Oak Forest RV Park – 10 minutes from downtown Austin, the University of Texas and the State Capitol. Located east of IH-35 by Decker Lake.

Emma Long Metropolitan Park – on Lake Austin. Some RV slips available. Camping, swimming. Located off FM 2222.

McKinney Falls State Park – Southeast of Austin on Onion Creek. Water and electric sites available. These are not pull through sites and an RV with 2 slides may not fit. Call park for information.

Plum Creek RV – Large sites. Located on IH-35, 12 miles from Austin and 4 miles from San Marcos.

**Click for hotels**

May and June was our time for beach trips. The last trip was the Matagorda Bay Nature Park. This is a Lower Colorado River Authority (LCRA) park. The park fronts on the Gulf of Mexico and the entire south border is the Colorado River. Full hookups are available or off the Colorado River. The sites had long and wide concrete slabs, picnic tables and a lantern holder. The park was one of the cleanest and best maintained parks at which we have camped.

From the website:

Matagorda Bay Nature Park is a 1,600-acre park and preserve . . . has about two miles of Gulf of Mexico and two miles river frontage and hundreds of acres of coastal marshes and dunes. It is one of the best birding areas in the nation.

The beach is a walk through the dunes to swim. When the tide was coming in the waves were perfect for body surfing. When the tide was out, the beach was perfect for children. However, beware of the rip tide that pulls swimmers toward the fishing pier.  It is stronger when the tide is in.

A word of caution: Even though the map above says “Driving Beach,” the sand is powder.  If we did not have four wheel-drive, we would still be there.  The beach parking on the corner of Colorado River mouth and the Corps of Engineers was better, but you have to drive over a granite levee to get to it.

We really enjoyed our trip and would recommend this park and beach to anyone.

Create a picture slideshow

We just spent a week at Quintana County RV Park and a few days short of a week at LCRA Matagorda Bay Nature Park. Above is a short synopsis of the County Park. Stay tuned for pictures of LCRA park.

San Antonio Sacred Spaces

In San Antonio are many haunted, religious and spiritual places: the Alamo, Menger Hotel, the Mission Trail, Paseo Del Rio, San Fernando Cathedral, the Catholic Universities and the Oblate retreat.

Oblates of Mary Immaculate

The Oblates of Mary Immaculate of the Southern U.S. Province erected the most perfect replica of the Lourdes Grotto in the USA. It is the spiritual center of the Missionary Association of Mary Immaculate and Oblate Missions. Located on park-like grounds of five acres, the Grotto honors Our Blessed Mother as Our Lady of Lourdes in the Old World and as Our Lady of Guadalupe in the New World

The Grotto

The Grotto is concrete shaped to resemble the cave in which the Blessed Mother appeared to St. Bernadette in Lourdes. Within the grotto a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes looks down upon Bernadette who is kneeling in prayer.

The Hill of Tepeyac

Our Lady of Guadalupe appeared to Juan Diego.  First, beautiful music was heard from the hill. Then the music stopped and a gentle woman’s voice said, “”Juanito, Juan Dieguito.” When he reached the summit, he saw a Lady standing there who told him to come near. He marveled greatly at her superhuman grandeur. Her garments were shining like the sun and the cliff where she rested her feet was pierced with glitter.

Climb the walkways on the backside of the grotto and light candles, leave flowers, annoint yourself with Lourdes water or leave little men and women statues and body parts, representing the people for whom you are praying.  You will be amazed at this shrine.

Information

Both the Grotto and the Hill of Tepeyac sites welcome pilgrims from around the world and serve as eternal signs of hope for all who visit.The Lourdes Grotto & Guadalupe Tepeyac open 7 days a week 5am -10pm Admission is free. Prayer requests, Lourdes water and gifts are available

• Map to “Our Lady of Guadalupe & Tepeyac de San Antonio”
• Grotto Events & Mass Calendar