Wow what a magical place!…read more We live in Hill Country about 30min fm Austin and this little gem is about 27min away from us in the cute little hill country town of Wimberly. Its summer in TX. Its HOT. It's sticky. What's better than doom scrolling in your house when its 97 degrees out and 70%+ humidity in July.... This place! Plan ahead.. you can only get tickets online. Its VERY reasonable. They have timed entrance for am or afternoon. 9am or 2pm. We've been both times and both haven't been over crowded. Great for ALL ages. Toddlers with swim vests and an adult to folks like my mom who's almost 80. Cost for 1/2 swim: 12.00 adults (13yrs +) 8.00 over 60yrs 8.00 12yrs and under 8.00 military 20.00 to rent a picnic table 20.00 for 1 umbrella in the grassy area. Bring chairs Pack a sandwich Bring a blanket so you can put it down on the dirt/grass area. Being a cooler with softdrinks Bring a volleyball. Pool noodles are also great Just make sure to throw your trash away!! Mother nature thanks you. Enjoy the beautiful nature Snap a couple of IG photos (the water color early in the morning and later in the afternoon make you look like a professional photographer. You can bring small floaties so you can hang under the shade while you're swimming around. The entire swim area is covered in shade. The park area has shade on the perimeter of the park and sunny in the middle. It's a paved walk way from the parking lot to the water hole. The parking lot is compressed gravel so sedans can easily access the parking area from the road. There's no current. No need for water shoes.. the bottom in the shallow area has small pebble like bottom. The water temp was refreshing. Perfect temp for July. Water quality is so clear! Theres 4 different areas to go into the water.. Low entry where once you are in you can stand.. Mid entry where you're about waste deep when you walk in. 2 deeper areas with a ladder, and cool chain swings. This will definitely be on our rotation for the summer. The vibe was peaceful, chill and everyone there were very respectful of others

Blue Hole Park is a great place to go for a walk with your dogs. Nice to get out and get some fresh…read moreair. The are is amazing. Nice trails and scenery. Close to downtown Wimberly. Near the Wimberly Players Theater. Worth check out for a nice walk.

Such a great place for kids of all ages starting at 5 years old to learn the basics of golf!! Also…read moreanother way to just get some fresh air and make some friends as well!! The instructors are knowledgeable and very patient with these kids which is an added plus. We signed our son for their 6 week course and I feel like it's the perfect amount for kids to keep them interested and not "over it" vibes. Parking: can be easy and a little hard depending on timing, the whole area is near downtown/zoo/Park area!

Hear ye golfers! Looking for a favorable place to practice your skills? Then pack your sticks and…read morehead for the First Tee golfing facility on Mulberry, found on the edge of Brackenridge Park. First Tee is a non profit, committed to the development of golfing skills for youth, with the intention of fostering sportsmanship and integrity through its programs. Necessarily, the non profit owns and maintains driving ranges across the country, these facilities also available for the use of the golfing public. This facility boasts a contemporary design pro shop, fronting a driving range that accommodates some 30 golfers, hitting on mats, rotating on grass depending on the condition of the turf. Right of the pro ship is a separate area always open to golfers that choose to practice on natural turf; the day of my visit the turf in this area was quite thin, some areas of hard pan. The target area fronting the pro shop is wide open and spacious. Striped, colored poles mark yardage, however the perennial grass area right of the pro shop does NOT have yardage markers, so if distance practice is the desire, an optical range finder may be helpful in this regard. Of interest is that the range balls are not practice balls usually found on most ranges, but rather name brand balls that one might golf with...some are rather quality balls...Pro V, Callaway, Bridgestone, Slazenger etc. I am unsure how the range came to provide these balls, though I surmise they may have been donated to the non profit. I find this a definite positive, as my experience is that "practice" balls just don't react like balls that I use on the course...just my humble opinion. One feature that I found very desirable is the short game practice area. The putting area is expansive, with multiple holes, undulations throughout, and of moderate speed. There is a separate chipping area, again generous in size, allowing facile chipping to near and farther flags. Fronting the chipping area is found a sand trap, but one issue I found is that the sand was somewhat packed, not deep sand, definitely not "sugary" as is found on some courses. The pro shop proper is smallish in size, offering beverages in a single cooler. There is no grill/sandwich area, no indoor seating. One does find tables facing the driving range, canopied with patio umbrellas. The location of the facility may be a bit distant for the golfer living on the fringes of our city, but if golfing at Brackenridge, the range is a very convenient drive away. In truth, I am fond of the facility, given the excellent putting and chipping areas. So, for me, the drive is about 20 minutes from my home, and well worth the drive. I now plan to visit at least once a week. So would I recommend the range to the golfing Yelpers? Definitely. So give the range a visit. Your golfing skills will benefit, and our golfing youth will definitely benefit from the efforts of the First Tee Non Profit! Hit 'em straight!!

THANK GOODNESS FOR INIC! I'm so so glad we didn't settle…read more Like many new parents, we were realy struggling to get daycare. We got on daycare waiting lists while we were still pregnant. Some were for when she was older (and didn't take under 12 months, 18 months, things like that). We had one that we thought was perfect - they estimated a spot when she was 6-8 months old. A few months later, they call and say it'll be closer to 18 months. Um.... what? So frustrating. So, we were off to find daycare for our little one. If you're reading this, you probably know that looking for daycare once you need is a fool's errand. All the places that we found that had spots available immediatley or in a few months were, to put it nicely, not good. It seemed clear why those spots were open, if that makes sense. So, when I heard INIC up in Round Rock had spots, I was skeptical. Then, I discovered that they were a new school with a lot of capacity which explained the openings. As soon as we walked in, it felt like a good fit. Now that we've been there for a month, I can happily recommend INIC! In fact, that one that esimated 18 months called us with an open spot (much closer to us than INIC) and we happily declined. STAFF It's only been a month but staff has been consistent. Even though it's a big school, the staff know us when we arrive. Everytime I check-in on our little on on the cameras, I see the teachers either working hard getting stuff ready, dancing/singing as they do their work, or playing with the littles. Folks always seem to be smiling and I've never seen anyone ignoring kiddos or hanging on their phones. They genuinely seem to like my little one. They get excited when I tell them about a new milestone/skill we've seen. Everyone is super communicative and I get tons of updates throughout the day. CLASS SIZE Right now, since they're filling up classes, my little one is usally with just two other kiddos with one or two teachers. I don't expect that to stay that way as the school grows but it's been nice to have the individual attention. CURRICULUM My little one is only 10 months old so, yeah, there's a 'curriculum' but I'm not particulary concerned with it. I just like that she's getting exposure to Spanish, is around people who seem to care about her, and gets to learn from other kiddos. One thing to know is that the whole classroom naps at the same time (times based on age). So, for example, my 10-month old is in an infant room where naps are 10-11:30 and 2-3:30. I was concerned that'd be too much sleep for her but she never sleeps the full time. How much she sleeps and when exactly she sleeps varies quite a bit but I guess kids will be kids. One of daughter's favorite activities is going on the daily walks when weather permits. LOCATION For us, the location is not convenient b/c we live in East Austin and have to drive about 30 minutes BUT, if you're closer, I think the area around makes it a nice location. There are lots of grocery stores, fitness classes, cafes and such that might pair well with your daily drop-off or pick-up routine. The parking lot and drop-off/pick-up area is simple (unlike some other places I toured). SCHEDULE / PRICE While the rate for care is around the same as lots of other places I toured BUT they're closed less often on just random days (for example, one daycare was closed 3.5 weeks in Dec/Jan, another 2 random weeks in the middle of the summer, and a bunch of 'teacher learning days' spread throughout the year). They basically follow the Round Rock ISD calendar but are open through the summer as well. FACILITITES I don't have any great photos because I obviously don't want to post pictures of children but I can say the building feels fresh, spacious, clean, organized, and has tons of cool features like a little gym, a little reading room, and more.

The infant room was very well staffed and had a calm, nurturing environment. The teachers there…read morewere kind, attentive, and consistent about updating daily events and activities, which we truly appreciated. Unfortunately, our experience in the toddler room was very different. The front entrance door that uses a key code did not always close and lock properly, and the toddler gate leading to the right hallway did not lock securely, which raised safety concerns. A lot of times at pick up that hallway also smelled like a trash bag of poop was stored somewhere. Many toys were kept on high shelves and out of reach, leading children to climb on the shelf in order to access them. During transitions and diaper changes, children were often left without activities, resulting in restlessness and pacing. Cleanup also fell almost entirely on the teachers, as children were not taught or encouraged to help put toys away, which appeared to limit the teachers' ability to support children who were struggling emotionally. Communication was also difficult. At pickup, teachers were understandably busy managing multiple children, but there was little insight into how my daughter's day had gone. Messages sent through the app often had delayed responses. There was also a required supply list that included items such as a water paint kit, colored pencils, a paint apron, and crayons, but these supplies were never used in the classroom. My 2.5-year-old thrives in a structured environment. In this classroom, much of the day was unstructured free play, and she struggled significantly. During her final full week, she spent most of each day sitting and crying. She appeared overwhelmed, isolated, and unable to engage. On three consecutive days, photos shared as "gym activities" showed children sitting against a wall watching the teacher, whereas earlier in her enrollment gym time involved active movement and play. That earlier structure had been far more appropriate for her needs. While the staff were kind, the lack of structure and engagement negatively affected my child's well-being and ultimately led us to seek a different environment. Although another classroom was offered, seeing her cry consistently on the camera and struggle at drop-off made it difficult to continue.

I love this school and my son has literally blossomed in the 2 months he has been here! Such an…read moreamazing staff, so helpful and informative for parents like us who are so new to early learning centers/daycares. My son has been at home with dad for 3 years so all of this was very new for my family. When I first called to get information about the school it was just a wonderful conversation! Desiree was so patient with all the questions and concerns I had, such a different experience from any other place I reached out to who just seemed to be annoyed with all my questions I had. Needless to say the entire staff helped make this new transition for us all so easy and helped us every step of the way and we couldn't be happier with our decision!

My 4 year old started stepping stone in March of 2024 when I decided to return to work. It was the…read moreonly daycare with availability I felt comfortable sending him to in the area. When I came to make the initial payment and the director asked if I wanted to meet his teacher I of course said yes. We went outside where the kids played and I was excited to see who he'd be with all day. Mind you, this was to be his first time ever being away from me. His teacher was young, and looked super uninterested in talking. She said hi with what I couldn't even consider a smile, and didn't say much to my son. At drop off his first day the morning teacher didn't say much either. She didn't really offer any assistance when I was trying to leave and my son was visibly scared and upset. This went on for the weeks he was there. I did not like the staff member who hung out with the kids until his teacher showed up. She said good morning and that's about it. Towards the end I think she could tell I was irritated and offered my son things to keep him occupied while I left. My overall feel was these "teachers" don't like being there. I did not like this environment. When The lighthouse opened we made the switch and it was night and day! My son was SO EXCITED for daycare because the staff is AMAZING! I got constant updates, I don't have to ask for his meals to be updated through the day, he was engaged, the teachers are engaged and happier. I would never suggest Stepping stone to anyone.

Our experience with Good Earth Farm School has been outstanding. The staff genuinely care about the…read morekids, and it shows in how attentive, organized, and consistent they are every single day. The attention to detail--from communication with parents to the learning environment--is far better than what we've seen elsewhere. On top of that, their rates are competitive without cutting corners on quality. It's rare to find a preschool that balances great people, strong structure, and fair pricing this well.

Five stars!!! The best school I have ever encountered. I…read morecan't wait to watch my daughter learn here..

Beautiful facility! We went for toddler open gym. My kids had a ball!! I love how spacious the gym…read moreis. The staff made sure our kids played safely. There were lots of activities for the kids to choose from. Every area was open to play on. We will be back! Especially on super hot days.

I really only have a problem with my daughters specific class. I ended up having to enroll my 5…read moreyear old in another program at another gym. I couldn't get her in with a coach that actually would teach her. She was just running basically an obstacle course by herself with no instruction. After 5 months in class, she hadn't learned anything new, so I taught her how to do a cartwheel in our living room in 15 mins. That's when I knew I had to do better by my daughter. The younger program is GREAT if you just want to wear your child down, but my girl was very disappointed she wasn't learning anything. We love the kids night outs and camps, but as far as actual gymnastics for 4-5 yr olds, meh.

The best place to take your kids! My kids could spend hours…read moreon end here! There is so much to do and see. It's so nice to have an indoor hands on interactive learning place for the young ones! It's fun and pretty clean. We were so generously gifted a family membership for Christmas by our family friends and it was perfect! The STEAM hands on learning and activities really engages children of all ages. My 7 year old and 4 year old enjoy it here. My 6 month old will get into it soon enough. No food or drinks inside the museum. The water zone is nice that it has smocks and crocs for kids to wear and change into to avoid getting wet and slipping. There is also an outdoor playscape and water tables to get into. I am so grateful they have a comfort nursing room for moms to have a private blocked off area to feed babies! It's much appreciated

I just became an ASTC member, and the Thinkery is reciprocal. It's cheaper to buy your membership…read morethrough the Texas Science and Natural History Museum. They charge $120/year for 5 passes each visit. The Thinkery charges $160/year for 3 passes each visit. My toddler loves the bloom section. The bloom section is always clean and sanitized. None of the vending machines were working in the dining area. I could have sworn they used to have people selling food a decade ago. The Thinkery is great for Austin, but pales in comparison to the Children's Museum of Indianapolis which is five stories and 7.5 acres.