Fun Family Weekend Not Too Far from Dallas

We like to head up to Oklahoma. Only 2 to 3 hours depending where you go in Oklahoma. We usually go to Arbuckle Wilderness, Route 66 for Kids, Tiger Safari, Frontier City Theme Park, Beavers Bend State Park (train rides, hay rides) and sometimes we rent a cabin with Broken Bow Luxury Cabin Rentals depending on how many rooms you want, internet access or hot tub for your family can range from $105 a night to $235 a night. http://www.brokenbowluxurycabinrentals.com/index.html

Here is the link to find some additional family activities in Oklahoma.
http://www.travelok.com/family_activities

There is so much to do in Oklahoma and its a quick drive unlike driving to Austin or San Antonio that is 6 hours for us to drive (we love these places too) as well as driving to padre island but our toddler gets squirmish which causes us to do many stops to stretch legs; our teenager on the other hand doesn't care where we go as long as we have fun and she has her ipod.

I hope your find some place that your entire family will enjoy.

The stockshow is going on right now. My kids went this weekend and had a total blast!

What about Great Wolf Lodge in Grapevine?? That would be perfect for your age children. If you check on dealfind.com/Dallas they usually have coupons. Hope this helps!

San Antonio is fun. They have the Riverwalk, Fiesta Texas and SeaWorld.
Austin has a lot to do. You can visit the capitol, ride the train from Cedar Park to Burnet, go to the zoo, etc. There are a lot of places to go in the hill country: Lake Travis, Inks Lake, Cave Without a Name, Longhorn Caverns, etc. I don't know if you would take your two year old in a cave, though. We have to split up when we visit caves until my youngest two get a little older. Boerne is a neat little town, and we always have fun in Fredericksburg. They have restaurants, a neat garden center, a park downtown and there is a pink granite mountain west of town that people hike around on. Galveston is about four hours, and while it does not have the prettiest beaches, it has a neat shopping area, a ferry to Bolivar Island, and Moody Gardens, which are pretty fun. For warmer weather, Turner Falls, OK, is fun, and you can also visit the Arbuckle Wilderness drive through animal park. Bluebell Ice Cream Factory in Brenham, TX is fun. A friend of mine recently went there with her 2 and 4 year olds and said they had a good time. Glen Rose is close to home, and you can visit the Glen Rose State Park, they have a dinosaur themed place that we have not visited, but plan to the next time we go. They have restaurants downtown and a neat park.

I agree with the others that Great Wolf Lodge would be a lot of fun w/your kids. If you are wanting to get out of town though, San Antonio is a good choice with Sea World and The Riverwalk. If going during warmer weather,we enjoy going to the Hyatt Lost Pines in Bastrop,TX(outside of Austin) . The resort has everything to offer families and is lovely. There isn't much going on outside the resort, but we usually just go for a long weekend and use the resorts awesome amenities. Crazy story, met Jack Black and Shirley McClaine there this fall. Last place on earth I expected to see a celebrity, never mind 2!

Hello,

Dr. Pepper Factory Tour in Dublin. Calling ahead to see if bottling is recommended. Near the factory are museums, antique stores etc.

For warmer weather Barton Springs/Zilker Park in Austin. Of course there is also the Austin Zoo. Can look at bats under bridge (no, seriously this is a popular thing to do).

Oklahoma City. Take water taxi but keep in mind only runs if great weather until mid-April. Of course you can visit the zoo, botanical gardens, museums, park etc.

From a DFW/Cali Mom of 2

Hill Country (San Antonio) has some amazing resorts that your kids will LOVE and so will you :) These 2 both have amazing pool areas with lazy rivers...about a 4.5 hour drive. Do what we do...throw the kids in the car at about 4 or 5 am and they will sleep all the way there. And, you'll be there by 10am so you have the whole day to enjoy!

http://www.jwsanantonio.com

http://www.hyattregencyhillcountry.com/