Kickin' it in SA: San Antonio Botanical Garden

The San Antonio Botanical Garden has been one of our favorite spots that we've frequented since we've lived in San Antonio.  So, this Kickin' it in SA post is a little picture heavy since we've been so many times :)  We love the San Antonio Botanical Garden, especially this time of year, when the weather is perfect for walking around outside.  It's a great place to go if you have a spare afternoon and want to give your little ones a chance to run around, or of course, if you just want to go and enjoy some beautiful flora and fauna :)  In the picture above (taken about a year ago--it's crazy how much Will and Clara both have changed in the last year!!!), Will is posing by the Old Fashioned garden, which I think is the prettiest area of the whole place.

Will and Clara love the gardens because there are plenty of grass fields in which to run around, ducks and turtles to feed, old-fashioned log cabins and homes to explore, and even an awesome antiquated-looking amphitheatre where we like to play hide and seek.  

Look how little and hairless Clara looks!!!

And, in warm months, they oftentimes have rubber duckies floating in the fountain for kids to play with.  What could be more fun than watching rubber duckies float down a fountain that would usually be off-limits to play in???

As you can see, Clara stepped a little too close to the fountain and took an accidental dip in the water :)  She spent the rest of this particular trip to the garden in just her diaper because her clothes were sopping wet!

I've been especially impressed with these gardens because they really strive to offer activities that appeal to both the young and the old.  During spring break, they offer kids activities, including a huge sand pit to dig in, crafts for little ones, and scavenger hunts.  They also offer "dog days" where you can bring your dogs to enjoy the gardens, fun family activities during San Antonio's Fiesta, movies and bands in the park when the sun goes down in the spring and summer, Halloween activities and parades at Halloween time, summer camps for kids, adult education classes, and a children's vegetable garden program where kids are allotted their own garden plot to grow their own vegetables.

We enjoyed the Garden's Fiesta activities last year; here Clara and I are decked out in our Fiesta apparel enjoying the live music and performances at the Gardens.  Will had a blast in the bounce houses, and then we all joined in on a fun Fiesta parade through the garden.

And here's a picture from my Instagram from last May of probably my favorite activity at the Gardens: Starlight Movies in the Garden.  It's so fun and romantic to be out watching old movies as the sun sets . . . We've seen "Roman Holiday" and "Casablanca" and both were amazing!  Both classics, but they were made just a little better because we were scarfing down on Popeye's Fried Chicken as we watched :)  What can we say???  We got hooked when we lived in Mississippi and now it's our go-to picnic food!  So, while everyone around us enjoys their fancy wine, cheese, and Trader Joe's delicacies at a romantic evening in the park, we get our fingers greasy and slurp up cajun mashed potatoes and red beans and rice!  So high class and fancy, I know :)

Getting a season pass to the Botanical Garden last year was definitely an investment worth making--and it was pretty reasonably priced at that.  We've gotten more than our money's worth, and I really like that we've been able to bring our kids to experience the beauty of the Gardens.  It's a different type of cultural experience that I'm glad my kids have been able to enjoy.  Whether you're just visiting for the day or interested in a season pass, I definitely recommend the SA Botanical Garden!