Things to Do over Thanksgiving Break in Texas

Updated on October 10, 2012
M.G. asks from Flower Mound, TX
3 answers

Hi moms,

We live in the Dallas area, and we are planning a trip the week of Thanksgiving. We are going to drive somewhere that week, but we have no idea where! We will leave first thing in the morning the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and come home on that Sunday.

First we thought about San Antonio Sea World, but we have done that a million times, and pushing our little ones in a stroller around a crowded theme park is not fun or relaxing! We are looking for a much more relaxing kind of trip.

Then we considered the Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine, TX, but I'd rather not. We've been there before and it is nice, but doing the indoor water park with my little ones (and in my opinion, the water should be warmer) is stll not the most relaxing.

Then we decided on going to the Johnson Space Center in Houston, but I just called and they said that Thanksgiving and the whole Thanksgiving weekend is one of the most crowded times to go, so we ruled that out.

Actually, our very first idea was a nice cabin in the woods (which was my previous post). However, we decided to rule that out, b/c 4 nights is too long to stay at a cabin. As wonderful and relaxing as a cabin is, our kids would go nuts with boredom being there for 4 nights. 2 nights is perfect to stay in a cabin.

Then we thought about splitting our nights - 2 nights somewhere (but the question is where), and then 2 nights in a cabin.

I'm really not picky (even though I fear this post makes me seem picky), but I'm just trying to figure out the perfect, relaxing 4 night getaway (or splitting it 2/2) from my busy life as a "single mom." (I am married, but my husband travels Mon-Fri., so I am a single mom during the week).

I am looking for different ideas that my husband and I haven't thought of, and I would love to hear some suggestions! Thanks.

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K.A.

answers from Dallas on

Galveston is great for short trips. Too cold to swim, but you still get the waves and the seagulls. They are just finished rebuilding their boardwalk with rides and games and concessions. What's not to love about a ferris wheel ride over the ocean? They also have Dickens on the Strand, where people dress up in period clothing and go caroling. Moody Gardens has a really nice walkthrough display of Christmas lights that is a great way to kick off the holiday season.

We went to Port Aransas last summer, and the kids had a blast. Playground at Robert's cutoff park, beaches, birding area and shops. The weather was pretty warm. They have a tram that goes all over town that is free. Corpus Christi has a really neat aquarium.

Fredericksburg is one of our favorite places to visit, too. Really nice to just walk around town. There is the Pink Granite state recreational area 16 miles out of town and Luekenbach is nearby as well. You can stop by the Dublin Bottling Co. and try some of their new recipes since Dr. Pepper ceased producing the Dublin Dr. Pepper brand.

Texas Ren Fest is in Houston for their last weekend. They decorate for Christmas on Thanksgiving weekend. Generally very crowded. Kemah Boardwalk between Houston and Galveston is a lot of fun, too.

4 moms found this helpful
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A.G.

answers from Houston on

Try Lost Pines by Hyatt in Bastrop about 45 mins from Austin or Wild Oak Ranch across the highway from Sea World in San Antonio. Resort type atmosphere, beautiful gardens to relax or play board games, indoor/outdoor pool, arcade, work out facility, hiking, large family style TV room to watch cartoons, dining rooms, andfnamily events each night (movie night, songs and smores around the campfire), and they have kids camp! Most of the suites are spacious, have their own patios and kitchenettes if you want to eat in.

Jellystone Park is awesome. You can either rent a cabin (1-2 bedrooms, loft for the kids to sleep in, full kitchens and bathrooms and every cabin has a huge screened in porch), bring an RV or camper, or tent sites. The one near Hempsted has 3 pools (1 adults only, 1 only a foot deep with a waterpark playland in the middle) and a 5 story waterslide, mini golf, huge arcade, preschool room for little ones, petting zoo, basketball courts, hiking trails, dining room for bfast, fishing pond and different events going throughout the day (craft time, outdoor movie theater, karaoke, wagon rides, pumpkin "planting" and picking). They have nice trails you can ride your bike or I highly recommend renting one of their all terrain golf carts. Yogi Bear comes out every morning to lead the Pledge of Allegiance and meet all the kids for some pictures. Very very relaxing, very outdoorsy and very very family friendly.

Don't rule Houston out. There's Galveston right down the road...rent a oceanview hotel room for a night or two, play on the beach and chow down on some seafood, then head north. You shouldn't have a problem finding a nice hotel for really really cheap if you stay downtown HOWEVER our Thanksgiving Parade will be happening on Thanksgiving so if you don't want crowds that day, this may not be an option. But there are plenty of nice hotels around the area, esp in the medical center, if you don't want to stay downtown. You can also get a Houston CityPass. For $40/adult $30/kid that gets you into the Children's Museum (awesome awesome museum voted best in the country), Downtown Aquarium, Museum of Natural Science, the Health museum and the Houston Zoo with newly added South African region. The Houston Renaissance Festival is still going on Thanksgiving weekend, and that weekend's theme is Celtic Christmas, so it should be a nice festive way to spend the day. And you won't have trouble finding good places to eat.

Good luck and have fun whatever you decide!

4 moms found this helpful

M.L.

answers from Houston on

Have you thought about Granbury? You can do the Fossil Rim wildlife park drive through for the kids. Granbury has a little opera house, stage theater, riverboat, horse drawn carriage, mini golf range, antiquing, lots of bed and breakfasts, great food. It's a small historic town square. There is a drive in movie theatre (Brazos Drive In). October is usually the best time to go though b/c of the Harvest Moon Festival.
http://www.granburytx.com/calendar.aspx?CID=14

drive in:
http://www.thebrazos.com/home.htm

There is a big holiday parade the 4th weekend of November, that is Thanksgiving, right?
http://granburysquare.com

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