The Mommy Park Review: Joanne Land Playing, Round Rock

 Little hidden gem in Round Rock. I know. I feel like I say that a lot...but really this one was just so much fun! I think it's great when parks are unique and fun! 

Our toddler (3.5 yo) loved to do the zip-lining the most! 

It was a hot summer day, so me and my hubby were not as eager to go "again, again", but we did stay there quite a bit. I liked it a lot because it just goes down with gravity!

The other parts of the park were very unique and resembled an American ninja warrior arena.

The little one (9 mo) did not do as much. Just the swings and a log that moved back and forward. He was hot.

Another cool thing (not pictured) is that there is a big lake near this park, so if it is something you are looking to do, it's definitely there.

Map: 2003 Harrell Pkwy, Round Rock, TX 78665

Overall: 4.75/5

Factor	Description	Rating (Out of 5)
Uniqueness	Did it have that keep Austin Weird unique vibe? Was it new and interesting or same old neighborhood park? (Nothing wrong with your neighborhood park...but if we took the effort to travel...we want something different and unique!) A value of 1 means it was not very unique, a value of 5 means it was crazy unique and different.	5
Variety	Refers to the different areas or different activities that were available. A value of 1, means there was not much variety. A value of 5 means it had a lot of different things for the kids!	5
Safety	How safe was my toddler without me having to intervene much? Did he fall multiple times? Did he hurt himself? A value of 1 is not very safe and probably would not bring the kid back. A value of 5 means safety was in the mind of the designer and pretty much kid proof.	4
Kid Friendly	Was it Intentionally design for kids? Or mostly for adults? A value of 1 would mean that it was fun enough for kids, but not really designed for kids. A value of 5 would be it is designed for kids.	5
Overall	Average of all factors listed below for final overall score	4.75

Cost: Free as of 8/20/2021

Stroller friendly? Yes, very friendly! Loads of open space :-)

Restroom? Yes. Near the parking area. However they had spider webs in various areas. Which I get a bit scared of being near those.

 

The Mommy Park Review: San Antonio Zoo

 Map:  Brackenridge Park (San Antonio Zoo)

Overall: 4.75/5

Factor	Description	Rating (Out of 5)
Uniqueness	Did it have that keep Austin Weird unique vibe? Was it new and interesting or same old neighborhood park? (Nothing wrong with your neighborhood park...but if we took the effort to travel...we want something different and unique!) A value of 1 means it was not very unique, a value of 5 means it was crazy unique and different.	5
Variety	Refers to the different areas or different activities that were available. A value of 1, means there was not much variety. A value of 5 means it had a lot of different things for the kids!	5
Safety	How safe was my toddler without me having to intervene much? Did he fall multiple times? Did he hurt himself? A value of 1 is not very safe and probably would not bring the kid back. A value of 5 means safety was in the mind of the designer and pretty much kid proof.	4
Kid Friendly	Was it Intentionally design for kids? Or mostly for adults? A value of 1 would mean that it was fun enough for kids, but not really designed for kids. A value of 5 would be it is designed for kids.	5
Overall	Average of all factors listed below for final overall score	5

Cost: (As of 8/31/21) Cost varies depending on packet and ages. As of 8/31, kids under 3 were free. I did two kids and the butterfly experience and the train.

https://sazoo.ticketapp.org/portal/pages/tickets

Stroller friendly? Uhm...mostly yes...but there are a few buildings that are not stroller friendly. For example the reptile area just have a bunch of stairs and I had to lift the stroller to get it in. If you have a big stroller it will be hard. I have a small graco one so it wasn't too bad for the most part...but some areas are more tricky than others. However since I did this solo trip. It was worth it toke it.

Restroom? Multiple restrooms, check out the signs!

AGH! I know this is technically not a park, but it kind of is? It is a gem! I love this zoo and its the best zoo nearest to Austin that I have found!! It was extra amazing because it also had a dinosaur exhibition. My son loves dinosaurs so he was over the moon!

We did the combo with the butterfly's, train and carousel. My advice if you do this is to do the train last when everyone is tired and do the zoo area first. Even if you decide to do the train first, if you've purchased the tickets as a combo you have to go into the zoo to get them, not at the little train station...so it makes sense to just do it on your way out!

We went to the butterfly exhibit first and it was fun. Honestly my toddler wasn't as much into it as I thought he would be, but it was entertaining enough for me. They take great care of all the caterpillars and butterflies.

Then we went to the reptile building. He loved finding all the reptiles in various areas. We also saw the flamingos, bats and crocodiles. After lunch we went to the carousel. My son loved it! It was worth it to pay the extra bucks to ride on it IMO :-)

We had come to the park one time prior, but my son fell asleep prior to seeing the giraffes...which was a bummer...so I made it a point to follow the arrows towards Africa to make it there in time before he fell asleep. We paid extra 5$ to feed the giraffes. He was so happy!

At the end we rode the train. TBH I wouldn't do it again bc it is kind of a hassle and the train does not go through the zoo...it goes towards a museum and to the Botanial gardens (not through), so it was more of a hassle...but if your kids are into trains then it might be kind of cool. It is just a long wait to finally get there.

What was the rarest animal we saw? The Okapi! It looks like the most weird mix of animals. Zebra print on the bottom and maybe like a Kangaro face. 

Anyways. Overall we enjoyed our experience and my son keeps asking when we will be going back! Fully recommend visiting the San Antonio Zoo.

The Mommy Park Review: Arkansas Bend Park, Lago Vista, Texas

Location: Arkansas Bend Park

Overall: 4/5

Factor	Description	Rating (Out of 5)
Uniqueness	Did it have that keep Austin Weird unique vibe? Was it new and interesting or same old neighborhood park? (Nothing wrong with your neighborhood park...but if we took the effort to travel...we want something different and unique!) A value of 1 means it was not very unique, a value of 5 means it was crazy unique and different.	5
Variety	Refers to the different areas or different activities that were available. A value of 1, means there was not much variety. A value of 5 means it had a lot of different things for the kids!	4
Safety	How safe was my toddler without me having to intervene much? Did he fall multiple times? Did he hurt himself? A value of 1 is not very safe and probably would not bring the kid back. A value of 5 means safety was in the mind of the designer and pretty much kid proof.	3
Kid Friendly	Was it Intentionally design for kids? Or mostly for adults? A value of 1 would mean that it was fun enough for kids, but not really designed for kids. A value of 5 would be it is designed for kids.	4
Overall	Average of all factors listed below for final overall score	4

Cost: Varies. See below chart for cost as of 3/18/2021. For updates click here

Type	Cost
Day Use	$5 per Person
Day Use for Seniors (62 years and older)	$3 per Person
Day Use for Children (12 years and younger)	No Charge
Trailer Parking Fee (No Charge to Seniors or Disabled Veterans)	$7 per Trailer per Day
Day Use for Disabled Veteran (50%+ disabled)	No Charge

Stroller friendly? This park was stroller friendly. Lots of wide space to take your stroller and park while you view the lake!

Restroom? Yes! Before you get to the playground there is an area for restrooms! They were super clean too! 

We always love to come to this park for the view! It is amazing to kind of be at the top of the hill and to get to feel the wind! It's also very convenient to be able to go to the lake if the boys decide they want to throw rocks! However on this day we did not do that as there was cyanotoxins in algae alert which can be harmful for humans and animals if ingested.

My son did enjoy the playground and mostly just climbing and going down the slide. I did lower the score a bit on safety because this parks requires lots of supervision for kids under five. For example going to the big slide was not such an easy task for my almost 3 year old and getting down from the maze also required a bit more guidance and awareness from our part!

We did have lots of fun and would come again. The price is the only thing that deters us from visiting so often, but at the same time, with COVID-19 still a prevalent virus, it is nice to go to an area that we know will be kind of isolated!

I loved the shots of this day as my son wore his astronaut suit!

The Mommy Park Review: Champion Park, Cedar Park, Texas

Location: Champion Park

Overall: 4.2/5

Factor	Description	Rating (Out of 5)
Uniqueness	Did it have that keep Austin Weird unique vibe? Was it new and interesting or same old neighborhood park? (Nothing wrong with your neighborhood park...but if we took the effort to travel...we want something different and unique!) A value of 1 means it was not very unique, a value of 5 means it was crazy unique and different.	4
Variety	Refers to the different areas or different activities that were available. A value of 1, means there was not much variety. A value of 5 means it had a lot of different things for the kids!	4
Safety	How safe was my toddler without me having to intervene much? Did he fall multiple times? Did he hurt himself? A value of 1 is not very safe and probably would not bring the kid back. A value of 5 means safety was in the mind of the designer and pretty much kid proof.	4
Kid Friendly	Was it Intentionally design for kids? Or mostly for adults? A value of 1 would mean that it was fun enough for kids, but not really designed for kids. A value of 5 would be it is designed for kids.	5
Overall	Average of all factors listed below for final overall score	4.25

Cost: Free

Stroller friendly? Very stroller friendly! There is a cement path that is very wide for stroller and not a dirt path or no path at all! We love this park.

Restroom? Yes! At the very entrance. The toilets are metal so a bit cold for my son as he is potty training and got a bit nervous from how cold these were. But something better than nothing! 

We had a great time at champion park. Probably his favorite part was the section with the dinosaur eggs and bones. There is also a section for climbing and a section with sand and dinosaur bones. It's a fun activity. I love that the community leaves buckets and spoons for all the kids to use. My son had a grand time! 

This park is better for walking and going in his scooter than playing, but there are still things to keep the boy entretained!

Below a few pictures from my son as a toddler and from last year when he was a bit smaller! :-) 

2021 Snow Wonderland in Lago Vista, Texas!

 The unexpected snow blast of 2021.

My toddy had a lot of fun making snow angels, snow pizzas, snow donuts and such! It was great to see our house in the snow and to enjoy the view! So magical. I won't say much more except...he wants to go in the snow again!

The Mommy Park Review: Enchanted Rock

 

Map: Enchanted Rock

Overall: 3.5/5

Factor	Description	Rating (Out of 5)
Uniqueness	Did it have that keep Austin Weird unique vibe? Was it new and interesting or same old neighborhood park? (Nothing wrong with your neighborhood park...but if we took the effort to travel...we want something different and unique!) A value of 1 means it was not very unique, a value of 5 means it was crazy unique and different.	5
Variety	Refers to the different areas or different activities that were available. A value of 1, means there was not much variety. A value of 5 means it had a lot of different things for the kids!	3
Safety	How safe was my toddler without me having to intervene much? Did he fall multiple times? Did he hurt himself? A value of 1 is not very safe and probably would not bring the kid back. A value of 5 means safety was in the mind of the designer and pretty much kid proof.	4
Kid Friendly	Was it Intentionally design for kids? Or mostly for adults? A value of 1 would mean that it was fun enough for kids, but not really designed for kids. A value of 5 would be it is designed for kids.	2
Overall	Average of all factors listed below for final overall score	3.5

Cost: 7$/person (As of 1/7/21)

Stroller friendly? Not if going up the mountain, stroller okay if going around the mountain. We climb up top with the toddlers this time.

Restroom? Due to covid restrooms were closed but they had porter potty stations.

We had a blast at Enchanted Rock! Don't let the lower score detter you from coming. I rated it not as kid friendly because it is more for a family hike than an actual park...but my toddler had a lot of fun climbing! He wanted to pretend he was a gorilla climbing up hill! He can be very independent and also wanted to walk down but that was a bit unsafe for him as the incline can be quite steep...so my husband carried both boys going upwards and we both held the toddlers hand going down. 

It was so fun to just rest and take the view at the top! We always carry some snacks and had some trail mix and juice at the tippy top to celebrate their first hike at Enchanted Rock!

It was truly magical even though we climb a bit slower with our toddler than it would usually take us. Overall, we stayed at the park for 3 hrs!