Re: Just returned from San Antonio with a 3.5 year old...

[Lynn K.]

January 17, 2002 at 17:36:07

In Reply to: Just returned from San Antonio with a 3.5 year old... posted by Kim on July 06, 1999 at 17:52:43:

Kim

Our family decided to make the rounds through Texas two summers ago by stopping first in Dallas at Six Flags; next, we stopped at San Antonio to see the Alamo and go to Sea World; then we went on down to Galveston to stay on the beach for a while. It was a mistake to go to Texas so late in June-we were all dripping sweat and in foul moods! None of us wanted to walk around the Riverwalk or go to the Alamo(which was what my husband mainly wanted to see in Texas!) So we ended up skipping Riverwalk and the Alamo. The rest of the trip went well.

[FTF]

July 23, 1999 at 07:06:41

In Reply to: Just returned from San Antonio with a 3.5 year old... posted by Kim on July 06, 1999 at 17:52:43:

Kim

Kim- Many thanks for sharing your comments, especially because I also just returned from what I thought would be the perfect trip. (It turned out less-than-perfect.) If you'd had a chance to look at the San Antonio material on the FTF site, you might have realized that it's a wonderfully educational and cultural destination, and that's probably the wrong tack to take with preschoolers. Any urban destination is rough with young kids, unless like Philadelphia and a few other cities, it has many 'museum-style' indoor experiences designed for this restless and easy-to-tire age group. I just returned from hot, crowded, wait-in-enormous-lines Orlando with my 7-year-old, who after 2 days begged me NOT to take him back to a theme park. "Isn't there anything else to do here, Mom? Couldn't we go to a museum?" As pleased as I was that he even mentioned museums, I knew he was really asking for a cool, shaded environment, where he could move at his own pace, explore at will, and interact with his surroundings. That's all important to young ones, too, who really do best with more run-around time and less structured activities. Anyway, if you return to San Antonio in 5 years I think you'll find a really fun and interesting city with a strong Spanish heritage, and a Cowboy vs. Indians history, that will interest your son. Kyle McCarthy

[Kim]

August 04, 1999 at 13:07:45

FTF

Actually it is my daughter :-). We chose San Antonio since it was a pretty short driving distance from our hometown and we just wanted to get out of town for the holiday weekend, swim a little and eat some Mexican food. No big plans to immerse ourselves in local culture with a pre-schooler on board. Usually the hotel pool alone is enough entertainment for our child of almost 4 and we thought some fireworks, etc would wrap up a good weekend away from home. The pool was a big disappointment at the Marriott Rivercenter (very small and shallow), the 30 minute plus waits for an elevator were annoying, and the huge crowds at any dining establishment were more than we had bargained for. I had researched the different hotels and pools around town thoroughly before I booked. Next time I want a quick getaway I will probably stay in Houston and check into the Houstonian or drive 2 more hours and go to South Padre. I just got back from there and a stay at the Padre Grand and it was a perfect trip for all of us.