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Real Solutions for Real Parents by Autumn Rose Reo

See Austin in 2 Hours with Kids #ReoRoadTrip

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Disclaimer: I was provided the opportunity to drive a 2013 Toyota Highlander for the purposes of a review on this roadtrip. All the comments and photos are my own. 

Last week I shared the beginning of our mini adventure as I introduced my little man to the Texas Hill Country. After our initial stop for the obligatory kolache at the Czech Stop in West in our 2013 Toyota Highlander we were graciously given for our road trip, we moved on down I-35 for a couple of hours in one of my most favorite cities in the world (yes, world) – Austin.

It’s about an hour and half (or two sometimes) from West to Austin, so it’s mandatory road trip music time. Once I had gone through our Road Trip Playlist (hey, it was only 10 songs) it was time to get something playing to keep the fun of this drive moving. Oh, Toyota – I was in for a surprise! I discovered this thing had apps! Actual apps to play in the car just like I do with my iPhone. There sat my Pandora waiting for me to stream it through and play for hours.


Once you’ve downloaded the Entune App to your smartphone and connect your bluetooth (in one step), you have all kinds of cool stuff at your finger tips for your car. I not only could play Pandora, but I could easily locate gas stations with lower fuel costs, book reservations for restaurants along the way, check out traffic, and even look at things to do, all from my Highlander. (What did we do before smart phones and these “smart” cars?) So we created a “Joe Cocker” station and we headed down the road. 


Now that we had our groove, we were on to the home of the “Live Music Capital of the World,” Austin.

There’s no where I’ve ever been to like Austin. And I love it so much when I can’t go visit, I drive 15 miles up the road to the Bishop Arts District in Dallas just to get me a feel of what that special vibe in Austin has (if you’ve never been, I’ll be happy to show you!) Unfortunately, it’s so great that many very educated people from the local University of Texas at Austin choose to stay there and get paid far under their worth in any job to be in the same place that actor/dream boat Matthew McConaughey likes to sit naked and play his bongos (but that’s a whole other story…) Anyhow, it’s hard to move there, so I just try to take as many visits there as I can and I enjoy everyone of them.

This time though I was experiencing Austin through the eyes of a five-year old. And while history is all around us in our state capital, it’s hard to explain history to someone who doesn’t have much of a concept of history except last week we ate macaroni and cheese for dinner and last month was his Mickey Mouse Birthday party. But I was going to try to at least show him some cool stuff and maybe grab a bite to eat. After all, we only have about 5-6 hours to spend in Austin for this trip, so we were going to make the best of it.

Jumping off I-35, I made a quick exit to one of the bestest places in Austin to eat – Moonshine Patio Bar & Grill. While I’m not sure if it’s one of the best, I often have eaten there when I have had work events at the Austin Convention Center over the years. It’s easy to get to right off Caesar Chavez and Red River, there’s seasoned popcorn on the table waiting for me, has amazing shrimp corndogs with blueberry honey mustard and warm brie cheese with cranberry-apple chutney with toast points and you have to wash it down with a hard lemonade. It’s just good food and good service and they don’t have a dress code. We only gobbled down our apps and drink so we could make our reservation for our next adventure – the Duck Tour! (It took us about three minutes to find it, book it and GPS with the help of our Toyota bluetooth and GPS features!)
I didn’t even know they did “Duck Tours” in Austin, but had seen them in other cities, but the idea seemed to be perfect to educate and entertain my son, so off we went for the next one that started in a just 15 minutes. If you’ve never seen a Duck Tour – well it’s a great way to do both land and water with an amphibious tour of downtown Austin and beautiful Lake Austin inside a US coast guard inspected, Hydra Terra vehicle. During the 75-minute tour of sightseeing you see Historic Sixth Street, the State Capitol Building, Bob Bullock State History Museum, the Governor’s Mansion, and Lake Austin. For a little man with a short attention span, it was perfect and we could fit in one of my favorite parts – the lakes – all at one time!
To start off our tour we boarded our land/water vessel on 6th Street at the Austin Visitor Center by the beautiful Driskill Hotel. We found our seats, were given our quackers (not exactly Duck Dynasty worthy, but a call we could use on signal to say “hello” to passerbys as we continued throughout our tour. The tour guide whisked us around some of the highlights of Austin’s landmark buildings like the Capital and the Tower at UT Austin, sharing a little history and humor along the way. Thankfully, Jackson wasn’t bored by the history and together we also pointed at cool things we saw along the way.



Once we approached Hula Hut (another great restaurant that sits on Lake Austin), we quickly rolled into the water and became a boat. Yes, really. It was actually pretty cool and we began our small tour of the lake and scenic home tour complete with some “Island tunes” courtesy of Bob Marley. We even say the lake home that Dennis Quaid was building and his elaborate deck. However it was really the home that had an attached “home” for his boat that I was impressed with. Then we were off back to home base, but not before the kids got another few opportunities to use their calls by making quacking noise to people we passed along the way. 

While the price is a little steep for a large family ($25+tax for adults and $16 for kids over 3), the company does run discount deals like Groupon from time to time. So if you know you are going to head to Austin, it might be a good to sign up for Groupon a few weeks in advance in hopes to score one if you are trying to save money. I’m always a fan of any tour when you have a short time in a city and want to get a good look at the highlights, so this was worth the cost for me. However, the next time I take my kiddo, I’ll pick out some of my favorites and we can do our own tour of the Mount Bonnell and the bats under the bridge since he’s gotten the historical look for now.

Now back on the road with the Toyota Highlander 2013 and Willie to our next stop – the JW Marriott San Antonio.

And if you want to get caught up on our road trip adventure in the Toyota Highlander, check out our first adventure in West! 

Last-Minute Road Trip to Texas Hill Country with #Toyota – First Stop:West, Texas

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Travel Tuesdays:

Disclaimer: I was provided the use of of Toyota Highlander for the purposes of this review and adventure. No other compensation was provided and all comments here are my own. 

This sign we started to take down in my son’s room last week inspired me to take my son on his first road trip after he made a sweet statement about Texas. I felt it was important he not only go on an adventure with me, but he needed to understand what Texas is and Texas was. 




So being that he now was five-years old and I was in need a little mini-vacation, it was time to venture out on the highway and show Jackson what Texas had to offer him. Hence our first road trip – just mama, the boy and my mama. Three generations ready to take on the open road. (Buckle up!)

Since we only had three days, we made a plan to venture south to some of my favorite parts of Texas – Hill Country.

Our route included: 

  • a stop at the other Texas stop sign, Czech Stop in West
  • Lunch and quick look at Austin (one of my favorite cities, ever)
  • two-night stay in San Antonio at the fabulous JW Mariott San Antonio, so we could explore a new adventure together, Schlitterbahn (nope, I have never been) and the historic Riverwalk
  • we’d also do some of those unplanned stops along the Texas loop (I-35 to San Antonio and back up 281 to DFW) like the Hard Eight BBQ.

But before we could get going, it was time to get acquainted with the 2013 Toyota Highlander! I can tell you checking out all the fun features of this seven-passenger vehicle was an adventure in itself and over the next few posts in our #ReoRoadTrip (the official hashtag of our escapade), we will share our favorites.


First of all, it was definitely the space the Toyota Highlander provided. Like any mama, I’m always preparing for the things that are going to happen, so I need lots of space for STUFF like a first-aid kit, napkins, games, shoes, bags, wipes, snacks…well, you get the picture. We want space. I loved that there was tons of room and many adjustable cup holders (that can be changed to fit the size of the cup.) An added bonus is that my son’s feet aren’t able to kick the back of my seat while I’m driving (total plus for me.) You can tell accomodating a family was a #1 priority in the design of this SUV.


Once we were loaded up the car, we were ready to get on the road – the perfect opportunity to see what “Nancy the Navigator” could do (our family name for the Highlander’s GPS and technology control center.) We pushed button on the steering wheel for the first time and by just answering “Nancy’s” questions, we were able to map out our first stop, the Czech Stop, in a matter of seconds. The directions didn’t just include voice instructions, but graphics like the exit sign and an overivew of our route. This is a must-have for me since I’m totally directionally challenged. (Really.)

And we could even turn it down when we had a great song we wanted to hear along our road trip fun. 


If you’ve never been to the Czech Stop in West, Texas, you are in for a real treat (literally.) Starting by my husband’s family, this required stop before reaching Waco is must-do for any trip that gets you anywhere close to I-35. You normally can’t miss the cute bakery/convenient store, but I will share that construction made this stop almost impossible. After traveling about six more miles south, we were able to make a U-turn to get back. In most cases, I would have said it was no big deal, we would hit it up on the way home, but like any good road trip, we wouldn’t be returning this way, so we had to stop NOW. 

While it sounds like a lot of trouble for a bakery, once you open the door, you understand immediately why this place is a must-do! And apparently now, even if you are gluten-free they have you covered, so everyone could enjoy the love of these baked goods, candy and more. 

Unfortunately, the little town was known for its amazing Czech culture and heritage until earlier this Spring when a large fertilizer plant exploded. It was a horrible accident with mass destruction, many people killed and several hundreds more hurt. Since the explosion, the town has been rebuilding itself for months now and thankfully through many donations (including ours that day), the town will continue to rebuild and carry on the traditions they have kept alive for so many years.


We weren’t exactly starving, so we just picked up a few tasty treats including a mandatory strawberry-cream cheese kolache, sausage kolache, honey bear and for this trip, a Texas-shaped sugar cookie, complete with red, white and blue sprinkles. I was able to snag the photo before my son gobbled it up. But that’s about how long Czech Stop will last for you too unless you get the frozen ones for you to take home so you can enjoy them anytime you want. (Be careful, kolaches aren’t low-fat or low-calorie, but high in flavor!) 




Now in the words of Willie Nelson, it was time to get “On the Road Again.”

Follow us on the rest of our #ReoRoadTrip adventure in the Toyota Highlander 2013 over the next few weeks! 





Top 10 Songs for a Road Trip with the #Toyota Highlander

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Wow Mom Wednesdays:

 Disclaimer: I was provided the use of a #Toyota Highlander for the purposes of a review, however, there was no other compensation. All comments and reviews are all my own. 


I‘m so excited that in about minus 8 hours, I embark on a three-day span of firsts: my first road trip with my mom, the first opportunity to show my son a little bit of Texas Hill Country and my first experience driving a Toyota.

As part of our journey, I get to test out a Toyota Highlander and all its amazing features. I’m just now learning everything, but I’ve already figured out the radio system and bluetooth for my phone is A-mazing. I can’t wait to try it out, so of course, like any good road trip should have – I’ve created a song list to kick things off appropriately. 

And when we’ve blown through those only a few hours down I-35, we’ve got Pandora in the car to stream all my favorite channels with the use of the Entune technology in the Highlander. 



I’ll be sharing my trip over the next few days on Instagram and Twitter, so make sure to follow me for all the #ReoRoadTrip fun!


Planning Our First Hill Country Bound Road Trip #ReoRoadTrip

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Mama needs a vacation. Bad.

Thankfully in Texas it’s not too hard to visit some pretty amazing places by just driving a few hours in the car. It’s part of the reason I love Texas. And there’s about 1000 more reasons where that came from. #truetexan.

Found this during my trip planning on TexasHillCountry.com

And now I have the pleasure of passing it on to my son. It seems like some kind of rite of passage; instilling that Texas pride and helping him understand why people from Texas feel compelled to decorate their whole house with Texas stars…(I know we aren’t the only ones.) 

Actually the Texas flag is exactly how I got the idea for our first road trip. 

When I was upgrading his room for Thomas the Tank to Lego the other day, I began to take down some of those nursery remnants on the wall, a wooden Texas flag painted on some old fence posts. 

As I removed it from the wall, my son quickly stopped me. 

“Mama, I love my Texas. Leave it on the wall.” 

With a prideful smile, I happily placed it back on its post.

I loved hearing him say I love Texas, but I felt I needed to show him a little more than what North Texas had to offer. 

So I drafted up a plan of places to take him before school began, work took over and it was next summer that I was trying to take this trip. 

My Hill Country route includes a couple of places I’ve always wanted to go as well as places that I feel are a must-stop in Texas. 

I don’t want to give away all the fun, but I’d love to hear what places between Dallas and San Antonio you think are a must-see, must-do and must-eat! 

Make a Big Splash at San Antonio’s First-Ever Kidcation Week, Aug. 12-18

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This summer San Antonio turns into a citywide playground for kids and families with the city’s first-ever Kidcation Week, August 12-18. Kidcation Week provides families a chance to closeout summer with one last jam-packed adventure. Visitors can look forward to exclusive kids programming and events, free entertainment and fantastic deals at hotels, attractions, shops and restaurants.
 
Photo courtesy of the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau
 
The fun begins with a special Kidcation Week Kickoff Party on Monday, August 12, 9:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., at Hemisfair park. This morning celebration will get the party started with a kid’s band, food, a festive Kidcation Week declaration, meet and greets with numerous characters and mascots including the San Antonio Spurs Coyote, SeaWorld San Antonio’s Shamu and Six Flags Fiesta Texas’ Bugs Bunny, and more.
With more than 60 deals and events offered throughout the week, Kidcation Week helps families create lifelong memories at minimal or no cost. 

Kidcation Week Events:
  • Bat Loco: On August 13, visitors can learn more about San Antonio’s bat community and watch bats emerge under the I-35 bridge on the River Walk for their nightly insect hunt. This event is hosted by the San Antonio River Authority, Paseo del Rio Association and Bat Conservation International
  • Dessert Cooking Demonstration: RK Group’s Chef Dave will do a cooking demonstration of popular elementary school desserts in Hemisfair park
  • Hemisfair Free Movie Nights: Families can enjoy free PG movies in Hemisfair park every weeknight of Kidcation Week
  • Vaquerocation: Cowboy Day: Live just like a cowboy on August 14 with cowboy docents, book readings and activity tables at the Institute of Texan Cultures
  • LET’S READ! Kids Back to School FEST: On August 18, Main Plaza will be full of Make and Take arts and crafts, airbrushing and hair styling, musical performances, storytelling, book giveaways, an instrument petting zoo and much more.
Photo courtesy of the San Antonio Convention and Visitors Bureau
 
Kidcation Week Offers:
  • Alamo Trolley: Free tour for kids 12 and under with the purchase of an adult tour
  • Cheesy Jane’s: Free kids milkshake with any kid’s meal
  • El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel: Milk, cookies, balloons, a coupon for complimentary S’mores and an El Tropicano beach ball upon arrival
  • Hard Rock Café: Free kids meal with the purchase of an adult entrée
  • Kiddie Park and Kiddie Park Pica Pica: Kids get a free cotton candy when they mention Kidcation Week
  • San Antonio’s Incredible Pizza: Free kids buffet or $5 game card
  • San Antonio Museum of Art: Free admission all week for kids 12 and under
  • Witte Museum: Free admission all week for kids 12 and under (entrance to museum’s Dinosaurs Unearthed exhibit will be $5 for adults and $2 for children 12 and under)
  • SpringHill Suites by Marriott San Antonio Downtown Alamo Plaza: Every child under age 12 will receive a balloon upon check-in and be entertained by a balloon artist from 4 – 5 p.m.
  • Omni San Antonio Hotel at the Colonnade: Each child receives an Omnikids backpack at check-in, milk and cookies delivered at turndown on arrival evening and a cookie decorating session with a chef
A complete listing of Kidcation Week events and specials can be found at www.KidcationWeek.com.

 

 


Have a Blast This Independence Day at Horseshoe Bay Resort

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There’s something said for tradition, but there’s also said for doing something different – especially when it comes to seeing and experiencing new places. 
 
While trying to research a few quick, fun, family getaways, I was “lucky” to find Horseshoe Bay Resort in the heart of Texas Hill Country, on the shore of constant-level Lake LBJ.

 
Named a recipient of Trip Advisor’s 2013 Certificate of Excellence, this 7,000 acre resort offers a multitude of amenities including a full-service marina, spa, tennis, golf (like serious golfing here), fun activities such as banana-boat rides on the lake and 8 dining options all in one place. Basically, this place has something for everyone for your family. (Which is great when parents are looking to enjoy their vacation alongside the kids!) 

 
And right now, this one-of-a-kind resort is gearing up for their all-star Fourth of July weekend with their seventh annual Red, White & Blue BBQ, music, lakeside fun, land and boat parades, fire dancers. a concert by Fastlane (an Eagles Tribute Band) and amazing fireworks over the lake.  


And of course, that’s not all, folks! (Cue up the music!) 

Also during the fun-filled weekend, guests will stay busy with family-friendly activities including kids’ banana boat rides, guided fishing tours on Lake LBJ, rubber ducky races, scavenger hunts and more. For a complete list of activities available during the Fourth of July weekend, and throughout the summer, check out the Horseshoe Bay Resort Summer Activity Guide.


Thinking this might be just the plan for you? Here’s a great package that makes a getaway what it’s supposed to be – a way to getaway that’s easy to book and no planning to do! 

Patriotic Fourth of July Family Package
Starting at $429, the Patriotic Fourth of July Family Package includes:
  • Standard accommodations
  • Daily breakfast buffet at Lantana Grill
  • Seventh annual Red, White & Blue BBQ at Yacht Club or Lantana Grill on July 4
  • Fireworks display over Lake LBJ on July 4
  • Pool party on July 5
  • A performance by Fastlane on July 6
  • $100 in resort credit for two nights, $150 in resort credit for three nights
  • One Patriotic Fun Pack for children ages 3-12 ($70 retail value)
  • Complimentary sodas for children ages 3-12

Horseshoe Bay Resort
200 Hi Circle North
Horseshoe Bay, Texas 78557
Website

This post is also shared on Mom2MomDFW, a part of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.com. 


Travel Tuesdays: The Vacation Before the Vacation at The Westin Galleria Dallas

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Travel Tuesdays:

Sponsored: I received a comped a hotel room from The Westin Galleria Dallas for purposes of this review. However, the comments provided here are all my own. 

Yep, just in time for summer, I’ve some tips and recommendations for some great ways to enjoy traveling with and without the family!

 But this time it isn’t a family trip so I’m not talking my favorite the Gaylord Texan or Great Wolf Lodge. For this “trip” I just needed to get away with my honey – a little change of scenery can do a lot to make things feel like a getaway. So right before our BIG family vacation, we opted for an overnight at The Westin Galleria Dallas. 

 I’m already a fan of the Westin brand; being that some of my favorite moments in life: my first skiing adventure in Whistler and my wedding in Puerto Vallarta, were both spent at Westin properties. Now I was going to apply it to my own stomping grounds in Big D. 

 While I could tell you about all the cool things to do around the hotel like shop to you drop at more than 200 retailers in the attached Galleria Dallas (client) or skate on one of the best rinks in the country, but honestly, this was the unplanned trip – and that was the way it was going to stay. We just needed to relax, appreciate the fact that neither of us had to clean the room and wake up without one of our two little visitors asking us to turn on Mickey Mouse or snuggle with us. 

 These parents needed to sleep in peace. 

 When we got to the hotel, we received the full Westin brand experience with the beautiful fragrance of the lobby and the warmth from the staff. We quickly were checked in and went to our Corner Room Suite. And what a room it was. 



 High above the traffic and construction of North Dallas was our view overlooking all of it. It was so beautiful and peaceful. For me it was nice to enjoy it for what it was rather than the work and craziness than it normally presents me. Thankfully, there was a wonderful window seat to do just that. I took a moment to just appreciate the beauty. 

But curiosity had me wondering what other fun was waiting for us. Two bathrooms, two showers and the best bathtub I had seen in a long time. While I am not normally a bath taker, I could definitely be persuaded when the bathroom space looked like this. It was crisp, modern and just comfortable. Yep, this is what zen feels and looks like. 


 Moving on to just the aesthetics of the room, I couldn’t help but also appreciate the lines and patterns in the room. It wasn’t busy, but again, clean, crisp and just right for the OCD-kinda-gal I am. I couldn’t keep myself from even taking photos of the carpet, tile and cabinet space. 

As for the bed, they don’t call it the Heavenly Bed for nuthin’. I could only wish that the bed could squeeze into my bag, along with the shampoo, lotion, etc. that I had already stuffed into my case. But at least I slept like a log and awoke the next morning by my own accord or little nudge from my kids. It was blissful. 

 To finish off our quick stay, we started off our full day with brunch at The Second Floor, the upscale restaurant within the hotel. In ideal brunch form, I celebrated our successful evening stay with a mimosa and lots of coffee paired with a delicious spinach omelet. For the hubs, he chowded down on a little eggs and pork belly (oh, it was good.) While the service was a little slow, I can tell you, that morning everything was in the right tempo, so it worked with the pace – at least for while I was the hotel. 


 As I just perused the lunch/dinner menu, I was sad our stay would come to a close, but knew I’d be back for more. Not necessarily just for some peace and quiet, but perhaps a little pool time, a massage, a cheese plate and maybe a little retail therapy. (Right?)  

 Looking for a little more action? Try out the New Balance work out plan that allows you to “borrow” shoes and workout gear for only $5 so you have more room for new purchases.


 Or maybe just a little more of nothing. Sometimes that’s better than anything. 

 As you can tell I’m a huge fan of the hotel experience and I’ve been fortunate to enjoy a lot of nice hotels. The Westin Galleria Dallas is certainly one of them. 

Travel This Summer with the 10 Best Family Cars For 2013

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Travel Tuesdays:

Just in time for the summer, Parents and Edmunds.comrevealed their list of 2013’s 10 Best Family Cars. For the sixth consecutive year, car experts from both organizations examined hundreds of vehicles to offer a list of best-in-class vehicles. “The Best Family Cars of 2013” appears in the July issue of Parents magazine, on newsstands June 11.

“With summer road trips on the horizon, we are thrilled to present this comprehensive list,” said Parents magazine Editor-in-Chief Dana Points. “Given the amount of time that American families spend in their car, we feel it’s important to highlight the safest, most affordable and family-friendliest that the industry has to offer.”

The panel of judges focused on safety; each car on the list excels in crash tests and comes equipped with at least six airbags, as well as electronic stability control. The judges also considered updated fuel-efficiency technology, in addition to next-generation dashboards that allow consumers to customize infotainment options on the go. In addition, The 10 Best Family Cars for 2013 includes several stylish rides that young parents will be proud to show off. 
The Chevy Traverse makes the list of the Top 10 of the Best Family Cars by Parents.com.
Photo credit: http://www.edmunds.com/chevrolet/traverse/
According to Parents and Edmunds.com, the 10 Best Family Cars of 2013 (including starting prices) are:

HYBRID
1. Toyota Prius C ($19,080)
BUDGET
2. Subaru Impreza ($17,895)
3.  Honda Civic ($18,165)
SEDANS
4.  Ford Fusion ($21,900)
5.  Honda Accord ($21,680)
CROSSOVERS
6. Hyundai Santa Fe Sport ($24,700)
7. Honda CR-V ($22,795)
SUVs
8. Chevrolet Traverse ($30,510)
9.  Nissan Pathfinder ($28,650)
MINIVAN
10. Toyota Sienna ($26,585)

To see more of the breakdown, check out the full story on Parents.com.



See Venice in a Day with the SMU Meadows Museum Family Day, June 8

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Me Mondays:

Last summer my husband checked-off a bucket list must-do with a trip to Italy – from Rome to Venice. It was truly a life-changing experience and almost daily I am reminded of something from that journey. That’s why I was so excited by the Meadow Museum’s special Family Day event this weekend, June 8. What a great way to share just a little bit with my kids and what mom and dad did on their special vacation and to commemorate our special trip.

A little iPhone shot I took this summer on the boat in Venice. (Photo credit: Autumn Reo.)
Families are invited to be immersed in the spirit of Venice at Meadows Museum at a special free family event, from 11 am – 2 pm. You’ll be able to stroll through the galleries featuring vibrant works in their special exhibition Impressions of Europe: Nineteenth-Century Vistas by Martín Rico as well as other activities and performance for visitors of all ages.

Family Day at SMU Meadows Museum
Saturday, June 8, 11 am-2 pm
Free
214-768-4677


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