Let’s face it: We don’t all have the time, energy, or money to make a four hour trip to Galveston or five and half to South Padre. Spending that amount of time in a car with kids in tow, high gas prices, and the need for food and a place to stay (unless you want to spend your whole day driving) sounds a little like torture to me.
This summer, I was pleasantly surprised to discover Pflugerville Lake, or the Pflake, as it is lovingly called.
My girls and I packed a simple lunch, grabbed a couple of towels and our suits and headed to the Pflake for a day on the “beach.” We met some friends there who brought a small tent and a some camping chairs. It made for a relaxing and enjoyable afternoon. The water was shallow enough for our three to five year olds to play safely on their own (with floaties, of course). As a safety precaution, the swimming section is also roped-off.
The littles got a kick out of the ducks wandering close by in search of some bread crumbs after we ate our sandwiches. The ducks were so unintimidated by us that they even swam nearby while the kids splashed in the water.
The sand provided some amusement, as well. The kids enjoyed building sand castles and burying their legs in the sand.
When it was time to go, they discovered the playscape and climbing ball.
If you don’t have preschoolers to entertain, the lake is also open for fishing, swimming, jogging, canoes, kayaks and wind surfing, or you may want to check out the 3-mile walking/jogging trail.
I’m really looking forward to going back this fall while the weather is nice.
Dawn M. Ambuehl-Sadek is a work-at-home mom of two girls: Maya, age 5 and Lila, 7 months. She has been writing in various mediums since she was in elementary school, including poetry, short stories, newsletter articles, and business writing. She currently serves as a teaching artist with Badgerdog and authors a blog focused on parenting and poetry.
