Our daughter and grandson came and spent some time with us last week, while her hubby was away at his big annual hackers' convention in Vegas. While here, we decided that perhaps Calvin was finally old enough to go on some real adventures with Mimi and Papa. First up? Aquarena Springs! Well, what used to be Aquarena Springs. Back in the day there were glass bottom boat rides where you would see mermaids and swimming pigs, but by the time Lex arrived at college there in San Marcos, it had fallen onto hard times and was in serious disrepair. Luckily, Texas State University saved the day by purchasing it and turning it into an educational facility -- renamed The Meadows Center -- where the public can still take boat rides and visit their little aquarium. Alas, the mermaids and swimming pigs are a thing of the past, but there is still plenty of fun to be had!
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| "A tree tunnel!", Calvin yelled. |
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| The former hotel, in the background, now houses offices, classrooms, and the aquarium. |
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| Abandoned Bits Being Reclaimed By Vegetation |
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| A Most Unusual Fish That Swam Beneath Us |
It was so fascinating to me, to actually see the water boiling up out of the ground, here at the beginning, the actual source filling all the aquifers for miles around. The basic 25-minute tour was just about perfect for our toddler, though there is a longer one for those who want to learn more.
We followed this up with lunch at Ivar's River Pub, which also fell on hard times and was closed for a long time, but finally reopened this summer.
Then there was this...
followed by this.
All in all, I'd say it was a mighty fine adventure!
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