If you’re looking to plan a getaway in Texas, here are some areas/cities where you can find natural water to cool down. Book early; everyone in Texas will be flocking to the water!

Rental Property Sites

As you’re looking for house rentals, here are some websites to peruse. Fees vary by website, so try shopping around to find the lowest price for a certain property.

• Hill Country Premier Lodging
• Vacasa
• Wimberley Lodging
• LCRA
• Lodgewell
• Vrbo
• Airbnb

Austin

For something more urban, visit Austin. You’ll be able to enjoy the great food scene and the outdoor water options. Find swimming and water sports at these locations:

• Barton Springs Pool
• Deep Eddy Pool
• Sculpture Falls
• McKinney Falls
• Emma Long Park
• Krause Springs
• Lady Bird Lake

Lake Travis Area: This is where most people rent barges, pontoon boats, jet skis, and ski boats to enjoy on the water. It takes about 45 minutes to get out there but a day out on the lake gives you a reprieve. We typically rent from Just For Fun.

Spicewood

A little farther west, the Colorado River continues. You can jump in at Pace Bend Park or kayak at Muleshoe Bend Recreation Area. FireSong Ranch is a nearby place to stay.

Wimberley

Located about an hour south of Austin, Wimberley has been one of our favorite places for a weekend getaway. There are lots of places to stay and several bodies of water. (The bodies of water all flow into each other but have different landscapes.) You could visit all of them in one weekend.

• Blue Hole Regional Park: This natural, spring-fed swimming area is crisp! You’ll need to reserve a timeslot ($6 for kids and $12 for adults) between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
• Jacob’s Well Natural Area: You’ve probably seen photos of this swimming hole. People usually jump in one at a time. Unfortunately, swimming is currently closed (June 2023) because of the drought, but bookmark this for the future. Reservations are usually available in two-hour increments and cost $5 for kids and $9 for adults.
• Blanco River: Wimberley doesn’t have many public access points to enjoy the Blanco River, but you can find many house or hotel rentals with private access. We typically do a house rental, and we’ve also enjoyed Montesino Ranch in the past. Also, check out 7A Ranch.
• Cypress Creek: Connecting Jacob’s Well and Blue Hole is Cypress Creek. You’ll find a few rental properties along the creek. Another option is The Lodge at Cypress Falls. They have their own swimming hole that is open to the public.

Canyon Lake

Twenty minutes southwest of Wimberley is Canyon Lake. You’ll find many rental properties here. Search on your favorite rental website. You can also float the river here. The Horseshoe Loop on the Guadalupe River is about two hours and easy to get in and out. Hideout on the Horseshoe is a good place to stay to do this. You can get out right at the hotel.

New Braunfels

The Guadalupe River is the most popular river to tube, but because of that, it is typically filled with partiers. The Comal River is more family-friendly, and it has several points where you can get out and be shuttled back to the start. I’ve used Rockin R for tubing in the past.

Frio River

Outside San Antonio is the popular Frio River. This is another place for families, especially since the river doesn’t have rapids. Garner State Park is a good option to enjoy the river and stay. The Inn Between is a cute place about 5 minutes away from Garner State Park.

Dripping Springs and Johnson City

In the Dripping Springs and Johnson City area, about an hour outside of Austin, you’ll find two popular places for water – Pedernales Falls and Hamilton Pool. Stay in this area to combine water adventures with visiting a few picturesque breweries and distilleries, like Treaty Oak Distilling.

• Pedernales Falls State Park: This park has more than 5,000 acres and depending on the recent rain, high waters for play in the Pedernales River.
• Hamilton Pool Preserve: This beautiful spot has a 50-foot waterfall and a collapsed grotto. Typically you’ll need a reservation to visit in the summer. Swimming is not allowed right now (2023) because of bacteria but reservations are available for hiking the preserve.

There aren’t places with water access, but here are some places in this area you could stay:

• Wanderin’ Star Farms
• 13 Acres Retreat
• Camp Lucy
• Lucky Arrow Retreat
• Hill Country Casitas

West Hill Country

Go west! About an hour and a half northwest of Austin is an area where you can find water around Lake Buchanan, Inks Lake, and Lake LBJ.

• Inks Lake State Park: In addition to swimming, you can rent paddle boats, canoes, and kayaks from the park office. There are also cabins available for rent.
• Lake Buchanan: Check out Willow Point Resort.
• Lake LBJ: In this area is the upscale Horseshoe Bay Resort where you can find golf and a spa.

Texas Coast

Want more beach than a lake? Drive down to the Texas coast! Last year, we enjoyed a beach rental on the Bolivar Peninsula, and it was a quiet part of the beach. Here are some other areas to check out:

• Galveston
• South Padre
• Port Aransas
• Corpus Christi
• Matagorda Bay Nature Park

DFW Area

In the DFW area, check out:

• Lewisville
• Ft Worth Possum Kingdom Lake

Houston Area

In the Houston area, check out:

• Lake Conroe
• Blue Lagoon, Lake Raven, Huntsville

Wherever you go, stay cool this summer! Don’t forget sunscreen.

Here are more posts to help plan your summer:

• 30 Best Cold Treats – Ice Cream and More
• 4 Ways I’m Getting Ready for Summer
• Best Desserts in Austin
• Best Day Trips and Weekend Getaways from Austin

The post Best Texas Vacation Getaways Near Water appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

Here are four ways I’m getting ready for summer.

1. Plan ways to get in the water

The best thing about summer in Austin is the abundance of swimming holes and water activities. Life is so much cooler when you’re in the water, so I’m hoping to do at least a few of these things.

• Swim at Barton Springs Pool, Deep Eddy, Sculpture and/or Twin Falls in the Barton Creek Greenbelt, Hamilton Pool, Jacob’s Well
• Go tubing in New Braunfels (like this trip last year)
• Host a pool party
• Rent a boat or jet skis on Lake Austin or Travis
• Try out Lake Travis Waterloo Adventures

See more Texas destinations near water in this post.

2. Book a road trip

Summertime automatically makes me think of road trips. As a kid, we did short road trips, like going to Fort Worth to visit the zoo. Going to the Texas coast is the closest remedy for beach time and Padre has its fair share of fun, plus it’s baby turtle season!

I like road trips (did you see this post?) because they’re a cost-effective option for a vacation. Here are some of my favorite summer options and I’m hoping to do at least one of these.

• Luling Watermelon Thump
• Blanco Lavender Festival
• Berry picking at Sweet Berry Farm
• Two-stepping in Gruene
• Wine tasting in Fredericksburg
• Weekend getaway to San Antonio or Houston
• Day trip to Georgetown

3. Stock the fridge

It’s time to fill the fridge with fresh fruit and easy drinks. It’s easily my favorite food season with peaches, watermelon, strawberries, and more! I can’t get enough of fruit, even in my beverages.

Mighty Swell was kind to send me a sample pack of their spiked spritzers to help me get ready for summer. Their flavors include watermelon mint, peach, grapefruit, mango, and their newest flavor, cherry lime. These drinks have 4 grams of sugar from white grapes and no added sugar or artificial sweeteners. I’ll be sipping on these all summer long!

4. Make a summer bucket list

One of the best ways to get ready for summer is to make a list of all the fun things you’ll do! This summer, I’m hoping to relax and check off some things I’ve been wanting to do and see in Austin. I’m looking forward to crossing off these things one by one.

• Go to Icenhauer’s Sunday Brunch
• See a show at the Continental Club
• Take more walks
• Host a dinner party
• Visit the Cathedral of Junk
• Go to a summer festival (Maybe the Ice Cream Fest or Bat Fest?)
• Eat as many cold treats as possible

What are you planning to do this summer?

P.S. Need more summer ideas? Check out this summer fiesta.

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While I would argue that any season is the right time for a party, summer seems the most laid-back season. Pool parties and boat parties at the lake are ideal to survive the heat but be bold and mix it up with some of these summer party ideas.

Themed Party
Break out your leis! Summer brings colorful luaus filled with tiki drinks and all things pineapple. We threw a birthday luau this summer to celebrate Boyfriend’s birthday. We had plenty of luau food: fresh tropical fruit, rum punch, coconut fried shrimp, and chicken kebabs. We loved making everyone come in Hawaiian shirts! Don’t forget the tiny umbrellas for your drinks and flamingo decorations.

Another themed party could involve watermelon – from fresh juice and watermelon-flavored everything to a seed-spitting contest. Last but not least, summer reminds me of the popsicle party I threw a few years ago where the “theme” was to eat popsicles.

Grill and Chill or Cookout
While you’re lounging by the pool, fire up the grill! Burgers and hot dogs are popular entrees for a summer cookout. Add in vegetables or kebabs to mix it up. We have been loving grilling huge portabella mushrooms as an entrée.

Ice Cream Social
Keep cool this summer with an ice cream social! Make an ice cream bar or ice cream sandwich bar with an array of toppings. You could include different kinds of cookies for your ice cream sandwich and different kinds of candy for your sundaes. Another fun idea would be to have all guests bring a different brand of ice cream and taste test them all.

Game Night
A great interactive party is game night! We’re a big fan of KanJam over here as you’ve seen from our seafood–themed parties. This Frisbee lawn game brings out everyone’s competitive side. Enjoyful, a new company in Austin that aims to provide fun and memorable experiences, let us try their Weekend Warrior Package that includes three giant games. Bucketball is similar to Beer Pong but includes large buckets and tennis balls. My favorite game was Connect Four, and you can’t beat the classic giant Jenga. It’s always more thrilling when the Jenga stack gets taller than your head! It was a tad hot to play outside but the games fit well in the living room.

Cocktail Tasting
I love refreshing summer cocktails! Do you have any go-to “fancy” cocktails? Encourage your friends to teach each other how to prepare a cocktail or create your own concoctions. Learning about classic cocktails also gives you a leg up when you’re ordering at a craft cocktail bar or restaurant. Make a cocktail seasonal by trying drinks with mint or peach.


What kind of parties are you throwing this summer?

Disclosure: Enjoyful, a new company in Austin that aims to provide fun and memorable experiences at an affordable price, provided complimentary rental of their Weekend Warrior Package. They have a variety of experiences, including a paddleboard set or margarita maker, available, and they provide free delivery and pick-up with the rental. Thank you, Enjoyful, for letting us try the package!

P.S. Need a good party appetizer? Check out this post for some favorites!
P.S.S. Check out all the parties I’ve thrown this year here.

Keep up with me elsewhere! You can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Bloglovin’. You can also subscribe to the exclusive email list.

The post 5 Summer Party Ideas appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

Goodbye, summer and hello, autumn! Thankfully Texas weather was in the know and it’s already much cooler. I had a fantastic summer and crossed several to-dos off the list. 

Hike Pedernales Falls State Park

Ashley, Linda, Bob the Dog and I enjoyed a morning at Pedernales Falls State Park. It has trails for all levels of hiking and some great views.

Visit Jester King Brewery

I’m slowly crossing off Austin’s breweries off my list and Jester King Brewery’s sour beers were interesting. It’s not something I would drink often but I did enjoy it. The brewery and area around it (including its neighbor Stanley’s Farmhouse Pizza) is a fun place to spend an afternoon.

Try paddle boarding

Finally crossed this off my to-do list! Ashley and I didn’t fall off, and I would definitely do it again though I would prefer a kayak to a paddle board.

Visit the beach

I made it to the Texas coast this summer and wrote about it here. I crossed ‘learn to surf’ off my life list on this trip.

Make a dish with peaches

I love peach season. It’s one of my favorite fruits. I made light shrimp tacos with peach salsa.

Spend time on the lake

My friends hosted a birthday event on a party barge which was lots of fun. Lots of sun and swimming.

Go to a concert

I saw Kitten, The Antlers and OneRepublic in concert. My favorite was the fun OneRepublic show at the Austin360 Amphitheater. The band is incredibly talented and energetic, and they kept us dancing for much of the show.

Take a long trip

I went on this little trip to Greece that I’ve been sharing about on the blog. You can read about my favorite sights on the trip and the delicious things we ate and drank.

Eat at 5 new restaurants

Trying new restaurants is also a fun and easy goal to accomplish. I tried Garbo’s, Cipollina, Justine’s, Blackbird & Henry, Monkey King Noodle Company (chicken noodle soup pictured above), and Kin and Comfort (pork buns pictured above), among a list of other restaurants. (Check out my ‘flavors of the month’ posts!)

Eat a snow cone

How to survive a Texas summer: stay indoors as much as possible, stay in water if you’re outside, and consume frozen treats. I’ve always enjoyed the snow cones at Casey’s New Orleans Snowballs. Be sure to get Tiger’s Blood as a flavor.

 What fun things did you do this summer?

The post Goodbye to Summer 2014 appeared first on Fearless Captivations.

In the sweet summertime, my consumption of popsicles increases by a lot, as it should. It’s probably because of that summer I spent as a nanny, eating a popsicle with the kids every day after the pool. Or because Texas is so darn hot in the summer. Like most things I really like, I try to share it with people, which lead to my popsicle party idea. The idea really took off when I won a party catered by GoodPop, a Texas company that makes all-natural, organic frozen pops.

Even with a slight cold front, the weather was perfect for grilling in the backyard, sweet treats and popsicles!

I don’t usually like lemon bars but the ones I made above from the Smitten Kitchen Cookbook were delicious! The version in the cookbook is best but here is what the recipe started from in the blog.

This is only a small part of the backyard. Not pictured: picnic table, upstairs patio, grill, fire pit, and hot tub room.

The Details
Theme: Popsicle Party
Place: house and backyard
Food: burgers, hot dogs, chili, lemon bars, cheese crisps, popsicles
Special decor/features: extra lights in the backyard, drink buckets, succulents
DIY features: wreath, mason jars

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