EP 23: A Hill Country Christmas

Our extended family (40+ people) just got back from spending a week in San Antonio, Texas. The Texas hill country is a beautiful place to visit almost any time of year, but it's especially gorgeous when it's all lit up and decorated for Christmas. Today, I'm sharing all the fun and budget-friendly things we did while we were there, and giving tips for finding similar bargains in your neck of the woods.

Show Notes SCRIPTURES CITED:

I didn't quote a single Bible verse in this week's episode, but our family's theme verse certainly fits: "Whether then you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it to the glory of God." (1 Corinthians 10:31)

That goal should hold in public and private, at home and abroad, in our dealings with each other, with hotel clerks and waitresses and park rangers and valet attendants and cashiers and cleaning ladies and museum docents and fellow travelers. We want to treat everyone we come into contact with in a way that honors and glorifies the Lord Jesus Christ -- at Christmas time, especially!

RELATED LINKS:

In the order they were mentioned...

- Collin Street Bakery (in Corsicana, TX) - clean bathrooms, 10-cent coffee, free fruit cake samples

- Pearce Museum (also in Corsicana) - Civil War artifacts, extensive arrowhead collection, Western Art (not free, but well worth the small entry fee)

- Magnolia Market (in Waco, TX) - quaint shops and beautiful outdoor spaces where kids can burn some energy before hitting the road again

- Walkway of Lights (in Marble Falls, TX) - free display opens at 6pm every night in December

- Christmas Travel Bingo - free printables I pass out to the kids and grandkids before going through the walkway of lights; we treat it like a scavenger hunt

- First United Methodist Church (in Johnson City, TX) - has been hosting a live nativity for 50 years, also features free hot cocoa and cookies and an impressive collection of nativity sets

- Pedernales Electric Cooperative (also in Johnson City) - magnificent lighted trees, plus picnic tables where our family usually eats a light dinner of fruit & nuts, hummus & veggies, cheese & crackers, and summer sausage that we've brought from home

- Garden Ridge Farmer's Market (San Antonio, TX) - huge indoor/outdoor market held monthly on the 2nd Saturday at Northeast Bible Church , all year long; don't miss the free children's activities, crafts, and games

- Midday Noels at First Presbyterian Church (San Antonio, TX) - concerts take place every Thursday in December at noon

- San Antonio Riverwalk (San Antonio, TX) ( - so colorful! bedecked with beautiful cyclamens and poinsettias by day and Christmas lights by night

- The Alamo (San Antonio, TX) - it is still free to tour the church and grounds; there is a fee to see the new collection of artifacts

- San Antonio Missions National Park (San Antonio, TX) - no entry fee; start with the largest, San Jose; try to arrive by 10 or 11 AM to take the extremely informative Ranger tour (free) and pick up a free workbook so your kids can earn a junior ranger badge while they are there; if you have time, visit the other missions on the trail; they are all just a few miles apart

- USA Factory Tours - this website is a great resource for finding businesses willing to give tours of their manufacturing plants

- SAS Factory ((San Antonio, TX) - make a reservation to take a free tour of San Antonio Shoes while you're in town (ages 6 and up); and buy some 5-cent popcorn and 10-cent sodas from the general store once you're done

- Witte Museum (San Antonio, TX) - you can get free admission to this amazing natural history museum every Tuesday night from 3-6 PM 

- Japanese Tea Garden (San Antonio, TX) - beautiful sunken garden built in an old stone quary

- McNay Art Museum (San Antonio, TX) - the collections on display are sometimes hit or miss, but the building has some cool architectural features and unique outdoor spaces; they offer free admission the first Sunday (12-5 PM) and second Thursday (4-9PM) of every mont

- THE SAGA at San Fernando Cathedral (San Antonio, TX) - a free slide show that plays on the outside of this historic building several times a week featuring the art, music, and history of Texas

- Historic Pearl (San Antonio, TX) - throughout the month of December, they offer free holiday movies on Mondays from 7-9PM and a fun Christmas Market on Wednesdays from 6-9PM

- Hotel Emma (San Antonio, TX) - this unique hotel shares a parking lot with the Pearl, so walk on over and take a look around while you're there

- Six Flags Fiesta Texas (San Antonio, TX) - we buy our tickets online from the Book of Free; every year they run a special just before Thanksgiving where you can get 8 tickets to Six Flags' Holiday in the Park plus a $25 gift card plus several copies of their namesake saving book for just $99, which works out to less than $10 a ticket; if you go, be sure to watch their amazing stage production, Night of Miracles. I cannot recommend it highly enough!

- Fort Sam Houston (San Antonio, TX) - pet the deer that roam free in the quadrangle, then visit the free museum to see how the army has changed over the years.

San Antonio Aquarium (San Antonio, TX) - check Groupon for discount tickets; that's how we got ours

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