Hi Fodorites,
I am piggybacking on my husband's business trip, and making a family trip out of it. We will fly into Dallas on a Friday night, and then will be touring around on Saturday. We can leave Dallas whenever we like, as long as we are in San Antonio by 9am Monday for a meeting that will last about an hour. We fly home from San Antonio on Tuesday morning.
I know that is not a lot of time, and there is a nice long drive in-between downtown Dallas and downtown San Antonio. Still, despite our short time, I intend to make a big weekend out of it! I'd love your thoughts on what would be fun to do.
My kids are 8 and 11 and are both outdoor-loving boys. I'd love to see a rodeo, and perhaps see a little of the hill country. I was there years ago and the color of the water was just unreal- kind of a milky green. I'd like for them to see that if it isn't too far out of the way. While the SA riverwalk is very cool, shops and bars are not really my kids' thing, so that might be something to do for dinner, but won't be a main destination. I do want them to see the Alamo, and where the Cowboys play in Dallas.
We will have a rental car and gps, and also want to eat good bbq.
Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions!
-Laura

For the Hill Country, after the Cowboys stadium, take I-20 west past Weatherford to US 281. Take 218 south thru Stephenville to Johnson City and then to San Antonio.

This will take you thru most of the Hill Country and avoid the boring I 35 corridor.

If you want to see a rodeo, try Bandera . .

http://www.banderacowboycapital.com/...=events&item=8

Depending on the dates you are there, you might be able to catch a rodeo

The Dallas area is pretty spread out and there is a lot of construction this summer, with some frustrating traffic. It would be good to choose what you will do based on how much driving will be involved.

The Cowboys Stadium in in Arlington. There are tours available for people who want to see inside without attending an event. stadium.dallascowboys.com.

For a rodeo, you would drive east of Dallas to the Mesquite Rodeo. Looks like it happens on Friday and Saturday nights. www.mesquiterodeo.com

Heading San Antonio way, your boys would probably love Schlitterbaun water park in New Braunfels. www.schlitterbahn.com/nb/

You most certainly know this, but be prepared for HOT weather.

Rich's suggestion to take 281 to San Antonio is excellent. You will get a nice taste of hill country scenery, and there's a nice cave you can tour along the way called Longhorn Cavern. It is run by the state park system and doesn't take too long to see. In Marble Falls, there's Blue Bonnet Café, which is famous for its pies.

www.longhorncaverns.com

www.bluebonnetcafe.net


www.bluebonnetcafe.net and have



www.bluebonnetcafe.net

The Cowboys don't play in Dallas - the Commissioners' Court fouled up that plan years ago. They play in Arlington in a stadium that makes most major sporting venues look like sandlots. There's a nice baseball stadium and a non-crappy team next door so you can catch a game if they're home that weekend.

The Mesquite Rodeo is fun.

If you go down I-35, go to Rudy's Country Store and BarBQ off I-35 in Waco. There's one in SA too.

DFW area will be high 90s/low 100s then, Austin-SA corridor will be mid-high 90s. Do NOT underestimate the temps.

I'll throw in another vote for the Schlitterbahn if you make it to the New Braunfels area; your kids would love it or you can go tubing on the river. The barge/boat tours of the Riverwalk in San Antonio are fun too. We rented Segways when we were in San Antonio and loved that. Not sure of the age limits. Natural Bridge Caverns is fun (and cool in the heat!), and there's also a drive through animal safari place that's neat.

The drive through animal park is next to the Natural Bridge Caverns. You can do both the same day, but neither is cheap.

Thank you all! That's great advice, and I've copied it all into my trip folder.

I need a little more help with a route decision: I looked up Natural Bridge Caverns and the animal park, and that sounds just like something my kids would love. If we want to visit Natural Bridge, are we better off taking I-35?

Or, as first-time visitors to the region, should we take 281, visit the Blue Bonnet Café in Marble Falls, and go to the Longhorn Cavern instead of the Natural Bridge Cavern? If we have time, that route may let us drive through the LBJ ranch, too. But it really does look like it would take much longer to get from Dallas to S.A. that way- over an hour difference on google maps. Is the off-interstate route much more scenic?

Thank you for your help with that!

As for the rodeo decision, for the night we have open, I looked at the Mesquite Rodeo and at the Fort Worth Stockyards Rodeo. I'm thinking of doing the Cowboy's stadium tour in Arlington and then heading to the Fort Worth Stockyards to see a "cattle drive", and ending up with their rodeo that evening. Pros/Cons of each rodeo?

And I have a final few questions about San Antonio. Our hotel is on the riverwalk, and we would like to plan at least one, and perhaps two dinners out in SA. We don't want to eat at any chain places- what are good places to go with school age kids?

We will likely be without a car on the day we have in San Antonio. Where should we go, other than the Alamo?

Thank you again!

Off the Interstate is much more scenic . . I-10 is very congested and can be slow . . from 281, you can take 46 to the Natural Bridge Caverns road

There are dozens of nice places to eat on the RiverWalk . .

http://www.thesanantonioriverwalk.com/

You will not need a car if you are on the Riverwalk . . lots of public transportation options, including a neat trolley car, which you can take to el Mercado

http://www.sanantonio.gov/marketsquare/

I was bored out of my mind at the Ft. Worth Rodeo... I was surprised as we were pretty excited!

The Perot Museum is cool and your boys are a good age... remember it is HOT in the summer (I missed when you will be here).

We also enjoy Klyde Warren Park...

http://www.klydewarrenpark.org/

Have fun!

You did say August.. it is often hotter than hell here... I would find things indoors and or in the water...

Ft. Worth was fun (in November!), Dallas is a commercial/retail hub, the boys will prefer Ft. Worth. They also would enjoy the JFK Museum. Yes, San Antonio has dozens of chain restaurants along the Riverwalk, but after the Alamo, the pool at your hotel will be best. Should your trip have you passing through Waxahachie TX, do stop at the Doves Nest Cafe (but believe it's too directly south). Bring lots of thin, cool tshirts in thinnest fabrics you can find in sportshops like REI in CA, the weather is brutal and stays sunny long into the evening.

As always, you have much more to choose from than you can ever do! Better than not being able to find enough, right?

I cannot comment on the rodeos because they are not my thing, but I can understand you wanting to do something "Texas-ish." The cattle drive might be enough for you, especially in typical August heat.

If the stadium is a must see, you can plan your day around that. Pick Dallas or Fort Worth, but don't try to do both.

For a visitor with kids who wants to see some Hill Country, I would choose 281 as your route to San Antonio, although you will be sidestepping Austin. The LBJ ranch is a great idea, too.
As others have said, I-35 is kind of boring although faster. However, if you decide to take I-35 there is another cave you can visit called Inner Space Cavern that is just north of Austin. The one time we visited Natural Bridge (during the summer) it was very, very crowded and hard to get in on a tour. I guess it depends on your dates-- if it is late August and school has already started here you might luck out on crowds.

it is going to be hot in dallas, so plan a few daytime activities if the weather gets the best of you. The Perot science museum is close to the 6th floor exhibit, and is a great museum for kids, and you too. maybe buy tix on line and early. great eating across the street at several good mexican restaurants.

ive never been to a rodeo here, so no comment, but definitely more to do in ft. w. than mesquite!!

The scenic drive is much better....scenic. I35 is horrible, and I drive it alot. Not that much farther to do the scenic ride, maybe an hour, but neater stops on the way. and the caves on I35 are great, but the others might be too.

SA for dinner, a MUST is MI TIERA. walkable from riverwalk area, great atmosphere. i never miss it. maybe there is even better food somewhere else, but no place has the atmosphere as MT, and the food has always been great. an interesting mexican market/store nearby...across the patio area.

I think you could see some dallas one day (perot, mex food, 6th floor) and ft w the next day (rodeo, cattle drive, etc...maybe get the bbq there, angelo's is good)

drive scenic route to sa, spend nite at hotel and go to mi tiera's for dinner, all in the alamo area.

very doable.

my thoughts...the caverns are skippable, neat, but i'd skip if it too out of the way. if you have time, take the kids to Schlitterbaum in New Braunfels one day while in SA area.

have fun!!!