Texas RV Travel blog

Hill Country Christmas

November 28, 2008-January 4, 2009
Tickets available at schlitterbahnchristmas.com

Schlitterbahn, the hugely popular waterpark in New Braunfels becomes a winter wonderland during the holidays.  Bring the family to ice skate under the stars or sled down a snow-covered run. Visit Santa, see the holiday performances and finish Christmas shopping.  Warm up in the giant Wassail Hot Tub while sipping a holiday libation.

The Hill Country Christmas event is open on weekends (Friday-Sunday), beginning Friday, November 28.  The event is open daily December 19, 2008 through January 4, 2009 (except Christmas Eve and Christmas Day). The park opens at 5pm, closing times vary.

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There are many Market Days and Farmers’ Markets in Central Texas.

Usually Farmers’ Markets are for best for local grown fruits, vegetables, and homemade jams, jellies and salsas. During Market Days, anything goes! You will find antiques, furniture, collectibles, jewelry, crafts, candles, music CDs, Mexican imports, bird houses, hats, clothing, leather goods, books, plants, wind chimes, sculpture, glass catchers, gazing balls, framed art, drawings, photography, nuts, baked goods, honey butter, homemade preserves and canned fruits. You will also meet the people who grew, made or crafted the items you are buying.

Bastrop Farmers’ Market is open year-round on Fridays from 1 to 5 PM and Saturdays from 10 AM to 2 PM. Bastrop’s Farmer’s Market is part of the River Valley Farmers Market Association, so everything offered for sale is grown and produced by the merchant. Bring your egg cartons, planting pots, canning jars or bags (paper or plastic) to the market for recycling. WIC coupons accepted. After shopping, take a tour of historic Bastrop or relax at one of the many parks in Bastrop.

Blanco Market Day
Historic Courthouse Square
Blanco, Texas

Blanco Market Day is held every third Saturday of the month March through November on the front lawn of the courthouse. Setup time for vendors is 730 AM and Market Day ends around 4 PM. Dogs are welcome! After you shop, grab a periwinkle blue bike (Blanco Blue Bike) for FREE use at one of several locations around Blanco. Grab a bike an pedal out to swim or fish at Blanco State Park.

Boerne Market Dat
Main Square Gazebo
Boerne, Texas

Boerne Market Days are held the second weekend of each month. Items for sale include antiques, arts and crafts, clothing, pottery, jewelry, Texas souvenirs and gourmet food products. Eat lunch on Main Street or enjoy a picnic on the banks of the Cibola Creek. Plan to visit the Cibolo Nature Center.

Elgin Farmers Market
410 North Main (next to Elgin Library)
Elgin, Texas

Elgin Farmer’s Market is part of the River Valley Farmers Market Association. Everything offered for sale is grown and produced by the merchants. Open seasonally on Tuesdays from 1 PM to sellout. Bring your egg cartons, planting pots, canning jars or bags (paper or plastic) to the market for recycling. WIC coupons accepted. While you are in Elgin, stop at Southside Market or Meyer’s Elgin Sausage for some famous Elgin Hot Sausage.

Gruene Market Days
1641 Hunter Road
New Braunfels, Texas

Market Days in Gruene are held on the third full weekend of the month, from February through November, and on the first weekend of December. Market day opens at 10 AM and closes at 5 PM. Gruene Market Days are special in that all products are made by the vendors themselves. Admission is free. While you are there, eat at the Grist Mill on the Guadalupe River, take a tubing trip, or stick around to hear live music at the oldest dance hall in Texas, Gruene Hall.

Kyle Market Day and Farmers Market
Front Street (between Kyle City Hall and the Historic Train Depot) under the Water Tower

Kyle Market Day is held the first Saturday of the month, April through November, 9 AM to 2 PM. Enjoy live music by popular local musicians. Stroll along the downtown streets and view the local attractions. Take a swim in the Municipal Swimming Pool, located in Gregg-Clark Park.

San Marcos Farmers Market
204 S. Edward Gary
San Marcos, Texas

This market is a member of the San Marcos/New Braunfels Farmers Market Association, a non-profit organization formed to provide a place where Central Texas farmers may market their fresh, homegrown and homemade products to the local consumer. San Marcos Farmers Market is open every Tuesday, year round, from 3 to 6 PM. This market offers homegrown fruits and vegetables, homemade breads and pastries, fresh eggs, homemade salsa, jams and jellies, flowers and plants. Find lavender in all forms and other natural products. Bring your swimsuits and swim or tube down the crystal clear San Marcos River across the street from the market place. Grab a trolley and go shopping at the Outlet Mall,

Sunset Valley Farmers Market
3200 Jones Road
Sunset Valley, Texas

Open every Saturday morning from 9 AM to 1 PM. The emphasis is on organic, sustainable production of food. This farmers’ market has won awards for being one of the best in the area, state and nation. Enjoy live music and bring your dogs!

Wimberley Farmers’ Market
Lions Field on FM 2325
Wimberley, Texas

The Wimberley Farmers Market is open every Wednesday from 3 to 6 PM. Park directly across the street.

Wimberley Market Days
Lions Field on FM 2325
Wimberley, Texas

Wimberley Market Days are held on the first Saturday of each month from March or April through December, from 7 AM to 3 PM. With approximately 450 vendors, this is the second largest flea market in Texas. No dogs allowed, but there are kennels where you may board Fluffy. The event is free, but you must pay for parking.

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Did you know that the United Kingdom is the largest overseas market for travel to Texas and the US? Even with restrictions on and the expense of air travel, people from the UK are still jumping on Flights to USA.

The main purpose for visits from the United Kingdom to Texas are categorized as leisure & visiting friends and relatives, with popular destinations being (1) Houston, (2) Dallas/Fort Worth, (3) San Antonio and (4) Austin. Visitors from UK love shopping, dining, visiting historical sites and small towns, touring the countryside and sightseeing in cities. (Texas Travel Research 2006).

What is the one thing I would do if I flew in from the UK to Texas? I would visit the musical capital of the world, Austin, Texas. While Houston, San Antonio and the D/FW metroplex offer many worthy attractions, there is no place like Austin.

During the day, there is the natural beauty of the Wildflower Center, the Lady Bird Lake Hike and Bike Trail and the spring-fed waters of Barton Springs to enjoy.

For shoppers, the West End offers an eclectic collection of art, antiques, and collectible shops in cottages and storefronts built in the 1930s and 1940s. There are restaurants, bakeries and coffee houses in the area.

Sixth Street, a seven-block stretch of Victorian-era buildings once known as Pecan Street is lined with cafes, nightclubs, pubs, dance clubs, live music venues, restaurants, galleries and shops. On the weekend, the street is closed as the district explodes with music.

Welcome to Texas!

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One of my favorite places to visit is San Francisco, especially in the spring. It has been a long time since I have been there, but I remember it like it was yesterday.

We flew into SFO and rented a car. We checked into our hotel and then headed to Pier 39, which is an entertainment complex located on San Francisco Bay. What I loved most was the view from the pier; we could see the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, Alcatraz Island and Fisherman’s Wharf.

We ate at one of the many restaurants on the bay and then walked around, window shopping. We walked over to K Dock and watched the sea lions. We discussed taking a cruise around San Francisco Bay, but decided to catch a ferry to Sausalito, across the bay from San Francisco. We visited several art galleries and unique shops in Sausalito, ate an early dinner at a delightful restaurant and then caught a return ferry back to Pier 39. As we crossed the bay, the fog was rolling in, blanketing the City by the Bay in a misty blanket.

Trusted Tours & Attractions is a purveyor of sightseeing tours and tickets in advance, like San Diego zoo tickets. Visit their website and discover all the things to do in San Francisco. Sign up for the Trusted Travels eNewsletter and you might win a hand held GPS! You may need it if the fog rolls in when you are in San Francisco!

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. . . it is sunny, but there is a gentle breeze blowing off the water. You are lying in a hammock under a palm shade shelter sipping an ice cold drink. The turquoise waters of the Caribbean Sea gently break on a white sand beach, just footsteps away. . . Where in the world are you? You are in Cancun, a great vacation spot on the tip of the Yucatan Pennisula in Mexico.

Beginning May 1, you may fly directly from Austin, Texas to Cancun, Mexico for as little as $9.99 on vivaAerobus. Now, I must tell you that after they add departure and airport fees to your fare, you are looking at over $140 one way, which is still a good fare.

The Cancun that you will visit has two zones. There is the city where the natives live and then there is the hotel zone, a 14-mile long island where some world-class hotels stand over the most pristine beaches in the world, overlooking the Caribbean. The lagoon, between mainland and the island is perfect setting for jet skiing or other water sports. Spend your days on the beach or take a ferry to Isla Mujeres (Island of Women) to spend the day looking at ruins.

If you are thinking of sun and fun this winter, visit HotelsByCity.net, where you may find cheap hotels and guides to each destination. For instance, I found hotels for $54 USD per night, all-inclusive hotels for just over $300 per night, with $100 resort credits per day. There are adult-only and family-oriented hotels, so you will be sure to find exactly what you need.

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