Today, you can head over to Go Explore Nature and check out my guest post Favorite Places to Explore Nature in San Antonio. Writing this post made me wish it would cool off so that we can visit some of those fun spots without melting!
For those of you who are visiting Wandering Off for the first time, welcome! I write about family travel, Texas, and history, and I often share travel photos that I’ve taken along the way. Click here to read a sampling of Wandering Off posts.
I wanted to let everyone know that I have two guest posts coming up this week at other blogs. Stop by Trekaroo today to read about Five Fantastic San Antonio Area Day Trips. Stay tuned for another guest post this week, and of course I’ll be writing more here at Wandering Off!
For those stopping by for the first time, thank you! I hope you’ll find this blog helpful as you plan your next trip. You might want to check out these posts about Texas, travel tips, and photography.
These blogs are awesome, but have flown under the radar. Enjoy!
1. Ali’s Adventures: Travel to all seven continents!
2. Anna Julia Photography: Travel photography.
3. Caroline in the City: Travel stories and a life list.
4. Explorer Dad: Adventure travel and sports.
5. Hit the Highway Smiling: Canadian travel.
6. Go Big or Go Home: Small town family visits the world’s largest stuff.
7. Inspiring Travellers: Stories from world travellers.
8. Kumuka Blog: International travel and beautiful photos.
9. LandLopers: Travel News, Tips, and Reviews (Ok, Ok. So you’ve probably heard of this one. But Matt responded to my call for “undiscovered” travel blogs on Twitter. What a humble guy! Fabulous blog!)
10. Music Road: The intersection between travel and music.
11. That’s G: Travel, food, and fun.
12. The Travel Connoisseurs: Food, drinks, and accomodations while you travel.
13. Travel Yourself: Host of the currently in-production show “Travel Yourself” writes about solo travel.
14. TripStyler: Trip-planning and advice.
15. Wander and Explore: North American travel.
And don’t forget to follow these travellers on Twitter so that you’ll be the first to know about their soon-to-launch blogs:
Giulia: “Traveling is my oxygen.” Follow her: @giuliaccia
Spencer Spellman: “World traveler, freelance travel writer and contributor to Uptake and Nile Guide.” Follow him: @spencerspellman.
And of course, I have to take a moment to thank you for reading a little ol’ blog called Wandering Off! Hope you’ll stop by again soon.
Prior to this summer, I’d never met any of my blogging friends. The authors of all of those great posts and hilarious tweets seemed a little unreal to me. There are real people behind those words, right? I’m pleased to say that the answer is yes! And they’re just as nice in-person as they are online.
First, I met Jen from Two Kids and a Map. She and her family were visiting San Antonio, so we decided to hang out at the Guenther House. We talked about blogs, kids, and travel. I had a great time chatting with her and hope to see her again soon!
Then I met a flurry of Texas bloggers at SeaWorld’s #wildside event. Not only was this a wonderful way for me to meet other bloggers, E. got to do some pretty cool stuff too. She saw the dolphins up-close and had the opportunity to pet a wallaby. She even danced in a conga line with two of SeaWorld’s mascots, Pete and Penny.
For me, the best part about #wildside was meeting a few of my favorite San Antonio bloggers, Stacy of Kids Stuff World, Colleen of Baby Potential, and Debi from San Antonio Busy Kids. They are so nice. Seriously. And smart. Now, hurry up and visit their blogs!
There are so many bloggers out there who I’d love to meet. You know who you are. If you’re ever in San Antonio, let me know!
Evie meets a wallaby at SeaWorld San Antonio
Disclaimer: SeaWorld invited me to the #wildside event, and I received free admission to SeaWorld and some free food. All opinions are my own, and SeaWorld did not ask me to write this post.
This past January, I wrote a post called 15 Kid-Friendly Activities in San Antonio. Now that summer is here and many parents are looking for ways to keep their kids entertained, I thought I’d remind everyone of some of the family-friendly sights around town. You can take a look at the original post here.
In addition to these 15 activities, I’d like to add a few that we’ve discovered since January.
–Meet friends for a playdate at Heritage Park and Duck Pond, located at 900 Ellison Dr. South.
–If you’re looking for a cool treat, try Orange Cup frozen yogurt at La Cantera. While you’re there, throw a coin into one of La Cantera’s many fountains.
–Water parks can be found at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, Sea World, and Schlitterbahn.
–Take a hike at Government Canyon State Natural Area and bring a picnic lunch.
–Attend storytime at The Twig Book Shop or one of the branches of the San Antonio Public Library.
Have a wonderful summer, and thank you for reading Wandering Off!
So. You may not have heard by now, but I’ve got big news. In Sock Monkey Slippers has awarded me the Versatile Blogger Award. It’s pretty much like the Academy Award of blogs. OK, not exactly. But I’m still appreciative that Meredith at In Sock Monkey Slippers thought of me! She writes a fantastic blog by the way, so you should check it out.
In order to accept this award, there are a few things I must do:
–Thank the person who gave me the award.
–Share seven things about myself with my readers.
–Pass this award on to a few other bloggers that I think are great.
So, let’s move on to the second requirement. Here they are…seven things about me:
1. One of my travel goals is to visit all 50 states. The current count? 25 down, 25 to go! Even though she’s only three years old, E. has an impressive 13 states under her belt.
2. Although I live in Texas and write about it frequently, I’m not a Texan. I was born and raised in the suburbs outside of St. Louis, Missouri. Even though I’ve seen the Arch more times than I can count, it still amazes me.
3. Back in my younger–and leaner–days I was a figure skater. I remember going on road trips with my parents to various places in the Midwest so that I could skate in competitions. I loved those trips. I loved sitting there listening to my walkman and gazing out the window.
4. I’m a total tomboy. I would much rather wear a t-shirt than a dress, and I really don’t care about purses or expensive shoes. I love sports and beer. Most romantic comedies make me nauseated. You get the picture.
5. I have a Master’s degree in Art History, which doesn’t come in handy too often now that I’m a stay-at-home mom. I did get some use out of it when I taught at a community college for a few years.
6. My favorite book is The Gravedigger’s Daughter by Joyce Carol Oates.
7. In June, Nick and I will celebrate our sixth anniversary. For our honeymoon, we went to Aruba where I had a panic attack while attempting to scuba dive. Actually, we weren’t even really scuba diving yet. We were still in the pool taking a lesson!
I’d like to mention five bloggers who I think are deserving of the Versatile Blogger Award.
f lutie mcd
Go Explore Nature
The Flying Pinto
Screwed Up Texan
The Texas Bucket List
Thanks for reading!
One update: I wanted to thank Jen at Two Kids and a Map for including me in her Travel Bloggers Spotlight post. I hope my readers will head over to Two Kids and a Map and read her hilarious post Traveling with Kids: Mishaps and Disasters. (Well, it’s hilarious if it isn’t happening to you, I guess!)
Thanks for reading Wandering Off!
First of all, welcome new readers! Thanks for clicking over to Wandering Off from my guest post San Antonio with Kids at The Q Family Adventures. (And of course, welcome to my regular readers as well. I hope you’ll hop over to The Q Family Adventures, a fun and informative travel blog based in Atlanta.)
One reminder: please don’t forget to follow me on Twitter or become a fan of Wandering Off on Facebook. I love hearing from other travellers, whether it’s through blog comments, tweets, or Facebook messages!
Next up on Wandering Off: I’ll be talking about the stuff I’ve learned since moving to Texas and how military life can be viewed as a form of extended travel. I hope you’ll stay tuned! Thanks for reading Wandering Off.
Recently, I got to thinking and realized that most of the blogs I read aren’t based in Texas. Surely, there had to be some (many?) out there. Now that I’ve started looking, I’ve found several I’d like to share with you. This is by no means an exhaustive list…I’m sure there are other great blogs out there. If you write a Texas-based blog and would like to be added to the list, please let me know by adding a comment.
One blog I’ve been reading for several months is Life in South Texas. Wendy takes some amazing photos. If you’re interested in nature photography, you should stop by her blog.
Another blog that I started reading not long after we moved here is Flyover America, written by Sophia Dembling and Jenna Schnuer. They write about the part of America that’s filled with diners and open highways. (Just for the record, Flyover America is partially based in Dallas, partially in New Jersey.)
A little closer to home, Stacy at Kids Stuff World writes about life with kids and green living.
Another San Antonio blog that parents won’t want to miss is SA Busy Kids, a blog focused on San Antonio summer camps. And don’t forget to follow @momonmars on Twitter!
Two San Antonio gals, Julie and Tatum, explore the state of Texas and write about their adventures at The Texas Bucketlist.
For “humor, recipes, and reviews,” be sure to stop by Screwed Up Texan. I felt an immediate connection to this blog, since the author is as obsessed with Dr. Pepper as I am.
At Free Fun in Austin, you can read about free kid-friendly activities in Austin and other nearby towns.
Based in Round Rock, Texas, Sheila’s Guide to the Good Stuff focuses on travel, tourism, and social media.
Hungry? Then check-out the San Antonio-based Oh My Puddin. You might also want to visit the recipe page at Real Texas Blog: Texas Recipes. For homemade baby food and other culinary delights, visit In Sock Monkey Slippers, based in Waco.
Interested in journalism? Write on Time by Donna J. Tuttle is for you. And check out that beautiful header image of the riverwalk…nice!
If you’re like me and have an…oh, let’s say unusual…sense of humor, then you’ll love Not Going Postal . She writes about everything from Facebook to llamas.
For activities, money-saving tips, and local resources, visit Geekette Bits, which is written by a “semi-permanent resident of San Antonio.”
Sports-nuts need to stop by Derrich.com, which focuses on sports, gadgets, and movies.
For politics, political history, books, and art, visit the Houston-based blog Texas Liberal.
For organic gardening and cooking in the Texas Hill Country, check out Garden Gate Blog.
Those of you interested in social media should add Social Media Mentoring to your reader. You’ll find lots of information on social media events in San Antonio.
Michelle Estrada writes about “life, love, and the world around me” at View from the Bottom.
And last on this list, but certainly not least is The Bloggess. If you don’t laugh when you read her summary of the Zombie Apocalypse, there’s something wrong with you.
For those of you on Twitter, I highly recommend following these Texans: @colleenpence (SA-based social media) @trailgirl (West Texas) @WildTexas (Texas parks).
I know I’ve inadvertently left some deserving people off this list. Want to add someone (or yourself)? Feel free to leave a comment!
As I mentioned in my Photo Friday post, E. turned three years old last week. To celebrate, we planned a big weekend that we hoped E. would enjoy. On Friday night, we went to the San Antonio Spurs game and had a wonderful time (better than I expected, to be honest.) On Saturday, we went to lunch at one of E.’s favorite restaurants, Alamo Cafe.
Sunday held the big finale of E.’s birthday fun–Disney on Ice: Let’s Celebrate! E. was so excited as soon as Mickey and Minnie skated onto the ice. It was wonderful to see her so excited about the characters. Like most kids her age, she thinks those guys are as real as her mom and dad. Everytime Minnie skated by, she’d started waving and shouting, “Hi Minnie!” I’d definitely recommend Disney on Ice to other parents of young children.
To read another parent’s review of the show, check out this post from The Q Family: Experienced Disney on Ice Celebration.
On to the updates!
In case you missed it on Friday, be sure to stop by Travel Mamas to check out my guest post: Five Texas Hill Country Family Activities. Thank you, Colleen, for letting me be a “guest travel mama!”
I’m always flattered to see my posts included in link round-ups. Be sure to check out this post from Travels with Children: Finding More Fun: Family Travel Links, 3/17/10. Thanks, Linda, for including my post on the San Antonio Children’s Museum!
Lastly, I just wanted to take a moment to thank my readers. Whether you read everyday or once a month, THANK YOU! I’ve been writing this blog since August, and it has been so much fun to find other people who are interested in the same odd stuff that I am, like 18th-century churches or weird, tiny Texas snails, or who-knows-what. It’s been a fun adventure so far, and I hope you’ll keep reading.
