Happy New Year! Living in Texas may be hard in August, but our reward is our usually mild winters! Take advantage of these cool days, many of which still require shorts, and pack your calendar full of places to visit and explore around the Lone Star State!
Texas State Parks First Day Hikes and Bikes
Ring in the New Year with Midnight hikes or one of the many First Day Hikes organized at Texas State Parks! Imagine reaching the summit of Devil’s Backbone at Inks Lake SP right at midnight, or hiking on New Year’s Day to Fehr’s Overlook at Bastrop State Park. What’s more, almost all the hikes are FREE with park admission. The parks also offers races, bike rides and much, much more!
There are lots of New Year’s Day Brunches in Texas, but only one El Buffet que te Vuelve a la Vida! The New Year’s Day Return to Life Brunch at Hugo’s offers plenty of FIRST to start an adventurous new year, such as sweet potato masa pancakes stuffed with beef cheeks in mole de Xico to duck carnitas, grilled octopus and more, plus plenty for the epicuriously timid!
Polar Plunge!
Nothing makes you feel quite as alive as a plunge into cold water, and there are several Polar Plunges in Texas on New Year’s Day and throughout the winter!
Dinosaur Valley State Park in Glen Rose is hilarious, with people in dinosaur costumes, we definitely recommend it for 2024!
Special Olympics host Polar Plunges across the state on varying dates as a fund raiser.
The Corpus Christi Polar Bear Plunge on New Year’s Day is a way to have fun and raise money for a good cause, ALS.
Quadrantids Meteor Shower
Bundle up and enjoy the show on January 3rd from midnight to dawn. Unlike other meteor showers, which may be viewed for a day or two before and after they peak, the Quadrantids has a very short, although productive window. Enjoy the relaxed sleep schedule offered by Winter Break, and take the kids out away from the city lights for an evening of wishing on shooting stars! Click HERE to visit my favorite go-to site for all celestial events, EarthSky.
Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo, Jan. 12 – Feb. 3rd. Enjoy the midway rides, animals and fair food at the annual Fort Worth Stock Show and Rodeo!
Rainbow Trout
If you think your kids would love fishing, but can’t make the Boat Show, you’re in luck. Texas Parks and Wildlife stocks thousands of Rainbow Trout in local fishing ponds all over Texas during the winter, and January is a great time to catch them! These cold-water loving fish won’t last in our hot summer lakes, and the farm-raised fish are the perfect size for dinner! Best of all, Rainbow Trout love corn kernels straight from a can, so no icky worms to touch!
Click HERE to visit the Texas Parks and Wildlife page and find a pond near you.
January is also a great time to learn the sport of Fly-fishing, as many places offer classes this month! Click HERE to visit the Texas Freshwater Fisheries Center in Athens, to see their list of classes.
Kayak The San Antonio Riverwalk
For the first time, kayakers and paddleboarders are allowed to paddle the San Antonio River in the Riverwalk area on select days and times! You can bring your own or rent one.
There is more to the San Antonio River than just the Riverwalk, paddling trails in the city include man-made riffles on paddling chutes, and miles and miles of paddling trails down through Goliad, as well as many parks and special events, such as movies in the park. Click HERE to visit Mission Adventure Tours to learn more!
Snow Geese
These amazing birds migrate from the Canadian tundra to spend the winter in our warmer Texas marshes and waters. Visit Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge in North Central Texas, where you can see thousands of snow geese from your car on their driving tour. It’s also home to migrating white Pelicans in January, as well as nesting bald eagles. Click HERE to visit their website.
Anuhuac National Wildlife Refuge in Southeast Texas is also a winter home to snow geese, as well as a year-round home to alligators. Anahuac is considered to have the largest concentration of alligators in Texas, and even in January it’s not uncommon to see them sunning along the banks during the driving tour. The beach at Anahuac is a favorite for surf fishing. Click HERE to read more.
Six Flags Fiesta Texas Mardi Gras Festival and Parade, San Antonio
Get ready for an amazing time at this annual celebration at Six Flags Fiesta Texas, with nightly Mardi Gras parades, music and food in the park!
Keep Having Fun in the Texas Sun!
Michelle
Having Fun in the TEXAS Sun is on PINTEREST! Use it as a quick resource to find activities in different Texas towns! Click HERE!
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