My brother in law (BIL) will be visiting us in Texas from Chicago for the summer starting in June…read more I was supposed to return to work after vacation on Tuesday, but I am too jetlagged for intensive work. Thus, I will not be starting back to work until next Monday. I have some time this week to recover and do a little scouting for things to do for my BIL. We have taken my BIL to most popular spots in Austin, however, we were looking for some new things to do. Thus, I headed to the Austin Visitors Center located on 5th Street near Congress. Let me be the first to say that the Austin Visitor Center has completed changed since I was there last. The last time I visited they were giving out maps, bluebonnet seeds and other trinkets. It is a full-on operation now...y'all! The Austin Visitor center has transformed into a one-stop shop for travel info, local recommendations, and shopping (yes...shopping!). Shopping includes clothing, hats, magnets, stuffed animals, to name just a few. Wow...I was not ready for this paparazzi of items. Other services include free maps and guides, tour booking services, free Wi Fi, restrooms, charging stations and luggage storage for a small fee. In addition, their coffee shop, 5th and Brew, is a nice respite for tourists. The space is large and spacious. The ladies in the Austin Visitor Center were super sweet and helpful! Such a pleasant experience.... Great space...excellent services.

When friends and family come to visit, I send them here (or I sometimes accompany them)…read more You can get anything here, from gifts and souvenirs to maps and coffee (they have a cafe). Tours are booked in and out of the center as well. A good idea if you only have limited time in Austin and want to see as much as possible. It's truly a welcoming place and a great representation of our city. I also like that there is a large room with comfy seating to rest your weary feet after a day of sightseeing, or to prep for your day of exploration. I can't say enough nice things about this place. It's clean and modern. The staff are so incredibly knowledgeable about everything related to Austin. Super friendly too.

There are definitely reasons why this park is so popular and why the website recommends purchasing…read moreday passes in advance. McKinney Falls is gorgeous! We went for a hike there right after a big storm and the grounds were so green and vibrant. We mostly stuck to the Onion Creek Trail as it is paved; however, the storm brought in mud to a few places on the trail, so be prepared to maneuver or wear proper footwear if you go during rainy season. Many families line up to take pictures in front of the upper falls (outside the Smith visitor center), so go early if you'd like a picture free of other guests. We then went to the lower falls area where there is an expanse of limestone (I believe) to get to the falls. There's a very small beach and swimming hole area that many families were enjoying. It's important to note that dogs can't enter any of the water at this park. The park also had multiple designated fishing areas as well. We drove around the campgrounds and they have well-maintained water + electric sites at every site. We would highly recommend a visit if you're in the Austin area.

Austin, Tx. Actually the park is pretty nice, except…read moreconditions on a hot summer day were not ideal. The lower falls had little water and there was a huge slew of trash and litter in it and it looked disgusting. The upper falls were better but very little water flowing. We were leaving soon but my wire told me to pull over so she could photograph some wildflowers. I did because there was nobody there that day, but a Ranger had to come scold me anyway. Well I did leave behind my $12. I hope it goes for trash removal.

I came to Georgetown last week. Just wanted to spend the day there, sop, walk, and get some Texas…read morefresh air. I stopped at the visitors center to see if I could get more information on Georgetown, which I did. They had several pamphlets about Georgetown, other towns, just interesting things happening around. I did grab a pamphlet on the inner Space Caverns, which I remember someone tell me about that, but I haven't been. Well, I decided I would go when I was done with Georgetown and heading back home. Anyway. The visitors center was nice. It's small, but they had some Georgetown shirts, hats, mugs and post cards. I ended up getting 4 postcards. I believe the post cards were $1.00 each. After taking with the lady there she suggested Marble Falls in the spring as you can see the bluebonnets. And I love that suggestion.

The 'G-town' Georgetown Visitor Center is well-designed, stocked with lots of brochures, flyers of…read moreupcoming events, postcards & other items for sale, plus public bathrooms. Adare & Kendall are informative, friendly & engaging, making this VC a memorable 'stop off' when visiting Georgetown, during your first few visits, bc there's so much to see. Even the Georgetown Public Library, two blocks off 'The Square', has fun arts & crafts exhibits, plus a great little cafe that serves yummy bakery items &/or coffee bevs to fuel your walking or biking adventures. There's no local bus service, but street parking & parking lots nearby, help make 'The Square' easily accessible and walkable! Arrive before 10a & you'll be 'window shopping' because it seems many of G-town's businesses open 10a... that gives you time to enjoy breakfast at one of the many good restaurants.

We have lived in the area for a while now and we just love everything about McKinney Roughs!…read more First and foremost their hiking trails: they have a variety of trails for different levels and the views are spectacular. It's never super crowded, sometimes you may run into for horses if you're on horse-friendly trails and you can hike down to the Colorado River as well. The trails are pretty well maintained and marked. Summer camps: my son (7) has been attending their day summer camps for three years now and absolutely loves them! They are from 9-4 so very friendly for those parents working. There is also a bus that brings kids in from Austin as well. The price can't be beat as well. Each day he comes home telling me about what he learned and got to experience (most times I am jealous- like you got to go kayaking? Make and drink yaupon tea? What- how cool!) The camp counselors are extremely friendly and knowledgeable and treat the kids with kindness and respect. They also have a beautiful facility, overall. The grounds are clean and well-kept. McKinney Roughs is simply the best!

Love this place. I've been here for some events but also just to hike. I love that their trails can…read morehelp you practice some different skills. For instance, I was told by one of their staff that there is significant grading to help with elevation hikes. They are very helpful with any questions you have. Inside the main building where the small gift store is, there's a small nature area with some fish, snakes, fossils, and more. My kiddo loves looking at this section. Their Halloween event, Tricks, Treats, and Trails is also always a big hit with my family. They have a rock wall, paintball, archery, and other things to do. This was our second year and it was great!

We decided that the best way to kick off our walking tour of downtown Brenham was to hit the…read moreVisitor Center... ...we were not disappointed! We caught the gentleman in the midst of opening up for the day. He was very kind and so sincere in his interest to help us maximize our enjoyment while here. He was a pleasure to visit with, and through that conversation he learned what our interests were, what we liked to do, and why we were there. Based on this, he connected us with all of the information we needed to find the shopping points of interest, great BBQ choices for lunch, as well as the bluebonnet driving tour! None of his recommendations disappointed! Great job, sir! We will be back on our next visit to town.

Friendly service and very knowledgable Did the geocaching…read moretrail and enjoyed it!.... A must to do for any Geocacher

I recommend the Toyota tour. They are friendly, efficient, and give a lot of great information…read more There is an area in the visitor center with information and displays that you can browse before and after your tour. This is not a walkijg tour, but some walking is involved to get on the tram and to ride to/from the factory site. We did this tour as a homeschool field trip and our kids also enjoyed it.

This is a fascinating tour. The check in process was easy. There is a place to look around, take…read morephotos, and read about Toyota, prior to the tour. An introduction is given, then you load into a little bus and head over to the plant. Each area was described, stopping multiple times to view the work put in to making the Tundra and Sequoia vehicles. There were automated, driverless delivery vehicles, taking parts to different areas. It was truly amazing to see the large robotic equipment and people working together. One improvement, and a huge missed opportunity, was the lack of a company store. We would have loved to buy a sticker, or shirt, or something, to take home.

I wish I had planned my day better. You could spend the whole day here. We would have packed a…read morepicnic lunch. There is so much to see. Plan on your walking shoes too! It was amazing to explore the townsite and explore the building where the declaration of independence from Mexico was signed. Just walking on the grounds where these visionaries walked was melancholy. The visitor center has a bunch of information. This historical site houses the Star of the Republic Museum, a park, and the Barrington living history farm. We didn't get to see the farm or visit the park. We ran out of time

Really friendly and helpful staff. Well kept modern installations.fun historic "mercantile" store…read more Love they even the women's restroom symbol has a long dress. Learned so much.

Going to see my son on base and had to stop in for a visitors pass. There was social distancing…read morewith seating mask were mandatory. The staff inside where fast professionalism very helpful.

Personnel was polite and professional. Facility was clean. Easy process. Be ready to provide your…read moreID and car registration to obtain a visitor pass.