Summer Giveaway!
Let's celebrate the official first day of summer with a GIVEAWAY! Win a free copy of Exploring Austin with Kids, 2 passes to the Texas Science & History Museum, 2 kid sunglasses, and a gift card for
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Recent Posts
- Summer Giveaway!
- 2024 Indie Book Award Winner!
- Book Award Finalist!
- Updates to the 4th Edition (2023)
- Summer Getting Stale? Spice Things Up!
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2024 Indie Book Award Winner!
I am so pleased to announce that Exploring Austin with Kids won SILVER for the national Ben Franklin award for best indie travel book! The Independent Book Publishing Association announced the w
Book Award Finalist!
This was the face I made when I found out that Exploring Austin with Kids has been named a FINALIST for the Ben Franklin Independent Book Publishers award for best travel book. I'm so excited! Stay tu
Updates to the 4th Edition (2023)
Austin keeps changing, ya’ll! Here are quick updates to location and name of two entries from the fourth edition, published this past April 2023: * The annual event Touch-A-Truck has moved location
Summer Getting Stale? Spice Things Up!
When my kids were little, we would embrace the beginnings of summer with great enthusiasm. Swimming was new again. Splash pads were exciting. We would move to the summer camp where my husband worked a
NEW Edition!
An updated, fourth edition is now on shelves and ready to be ordered! In revisiting allllll of the places for this final edition, I found myself reflecting back on my family’s adventures over the yea
Good Mornin' Dolly Storytime
I'll be reading two of my favorite picture books at one of my favorite places this weekend! Join me at Good Mornin', Dolly on Sunday, November 13, at Laguna Gloria. The event is a fundraiser by R&B (R
Writing a Guidebook – from a Kid’s Perspective
People often ask if I actually explored EVERY single place in Exploring Austin with Kids. "Yep – and some!" I answer. Always with kids too. Sure, sometimes I would scope out places ahead of time. But
Happy Trails
Happy new year! My family welcomed in 2021 by hitting the trails. Balcones Canyonlands National Wildlife Refuge had been on my bucket list for years. It turned out even prettier and better marked than
Can You Still Explore in a Pandemic?
Yes! Here are some ways: 1) Get outside -- where it’s easy to social distance! Pull out your Exploring Austin with Kids guidebook or open the app. Then check out the Table of Contents "by interest”
Exploring "Home" with Kids - Quarantine Idea a Day!
Wondering what to do when you can't get out and explore? In these uncertain times that call for staying close to home, I’ll be posting an idea a day of things to do to keep kids busy and engaged in th
Annual Children's Book Fair @ the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center Feb. 1st-2nd
The Wildflower Center is doing it again! Check out quality children's books, meet authors, explore the grounds, play in the children's garden, and participate in fun activities. You might meet some in
New resource! Explorer's Guide to the Hill Country Oasis
Lucky me, I got to work with the Save Barton Creek Association on this handy guide to some of my favorite outdoor spots. I learned so much about the layers below where we we play, the creatures we li
Holiday Event
The annual holiday event Luminations is glowing and growing - now spanning two weekends. Visit the Wildflower Center at night where pathways are lined with candlelight, one of the most beautiful holid
Raising Young Environmentalists
I was asked by the Parents’ Climate Community to share ideas for encouraging outdoor play and raising young environmentalists. As I started a list of tips for getting out, I thought, “Wait a minute!
A Kid's Perspective
“How long did it take you to write the book?” I often get asked. “Four years,” I answer. The next question usually follows, “Did you go to every place you wrote about?” “Yep, and always with kids
Holiday Book Special
BUY ONE BOOK, GET ONE FREE! To celebrate the spirit of giving, purchase a copy of Exploring Austin with Kids and you'll receive a free one to give - plus free shipping! Makes a great gift for teacher
Exploring Austin with Kids App
Summer is only halfway over . . . Looking for new ideas for fun with the kids? Try the revised & updated Exploring Austin with Kids app! It contains the same content as the guidebook with listings b
BATS BY BOAT
If it hadn’t been for research for Exploring Austin with Kids, seeing bats by boat would still be on my bucket list. Instead, it turned out to be one of my favorite things to do in Austin. In fact,
Second Edition Is Hitting the Press!
Named the country’s fastest growing city, Austin keeps changing. While a few favorite places have closed their doors since the first edition of Exploring Austin with Kids, a slew of new places have p
Sample entry from 2nd edition: SXSW with Kids
Originally a weekend-long music festival to showcase local talent, South by Southwest quickly attracted national and international attention. Now bands and fans come from all over, and the week-long m
FREE Shipping and Passport with any Book!
Order a copy of Exploring Austin with Kids and get a free passport! FREE shipping too. No special code needed. Cheers - to great adventures in 2017!
My schedule for the Texas Book Festival – so hard to pick!
One thing that’s great about the Texas Book Festival is that you can make it as simple or full as you'd like. Families can be perfectly content hanging out on the Capitol lawn, rolling down hills, rea
Barton Hill Farms
Barton Hill Farms had been on my “to do” list for a couple of years. Recently, the kids and I got to check it out. The day trip was a hit! It reminded us of the surprises that make exploring new plac
Austin City Limits Festival
The Austin City Limits Festival spans two weekends and showcases over one hundred bands, bringing local musicians and big acts from across the globe to play on its eight stages. Fans come to catch the
Mark your calendars for the last week of Twelfth Night!
Don’t leave yourself mourning, “O had I but follow’d the arts!” Go see Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night on the roof of the downtown Whole Foods Market! It’s glorious and devilishly funny. The fairly simp
Day Trip: Longhorn Caverns State Park
A scenic hour and a half drive from Austin, Longhorn Caverns makes a great day trip to one of the most beautiful underground hikes in the Texas hill country. Tour guides spin geology, history and Te
Summer Special!
In celebration of summertime adventures, order your copy of Exploring Austin with Kids and get 20% off and free shipping! * Get new ideas for summer fun, from swimming holes and stargazing to farm
Sample entry: Veloway
Biking on smooth pavement in the Hill Country sans cars makes an outing to the Veloway worth the trip, especially for young bikers. The 3-mile loop (that can be shortened to 1 mile with a shortcut
Tips for Hiking with Kids
Pack snacks and water. My kids actually get excited to carry their own water (and will drink more) when it’s in Camelbak packs on their backs or when they carry their own stash of snacks and a drink
Sample Entry: Camp Mabry
Camp Mabry, an operating military post open to the public, offers a surprising range of activities for young civilians, from tank and aircraft displays to a military museum and even fishing. Extendin
Meet the Toymakers!
Note: Upon the retirement of owners Paul and Georgean Kyle, Rootin' Ridge Toymakers closed its doors in December 2015. It will be missed! If Fred Rogers were still alive, exploring his neighborhood,
Holiday Book Special
BUY ONE BOOK, GET ONE FREE! To celebrate the spirit of giving, purchase a copy of Exploring Austin with Kids and you'll receive a free one to give - plus free shipping! Makes a great gift for teacher
Texas Book Festival signing
Come see me at the Texas Book Festival! I'll be signing copies with the Texas Writers' League from 4:00-5:00 on Sunday. Look for me in Tent 4. Here's a map. If you have a copy already, bring it! My
Camping Checklist
You're used to packing clothes and toiletries for a trip. When camping, don't forget these things too! Home away from home √ Tent √ Tarp for beneath tent and/or for shoes outside tent door √ Slee
New book event added to calendar
Looking for something to do with little ones under 5? Come learn about animals that live at night and find out where you can spot them in Austin, dance to animal-themed music, create a bat craft and g
Meet Casey's New Orleans Snowballs Owner Pattye Henderson
In a small white house with a welcoming front porch where you order at the windows, Casey’s New Orleans Snowballs sits on 51st Street and Airport Boulevard. You’ll spot it from the line of folks that
Meet Station Master Jason Rodriguez, Manager of the Zilker Zephyr
Jason Rodriguez was “born and raised in South Austin,” and he says it with that classic, laid back, South Austin pride. His family has owned and operated the concession stand near the Zephyr for over
Book Signing at the Capitol Visitors Center June 21st from 11 am - 3pm
Have you ever wondered what’s inside the big white building on the corner of the Capitol grounds? It houses the Capitol Visitors Center and it is filled with kid-friendly activities and exhibits! I h
Zilker Park Map for Kids
Contained within the bounds of Zilker Park, there are over a dozen family-friendly things to do! To make it easy to find them all, I created this handy dandy kid-centric map. You can download a copy o
Update: New Luci and Ian Children's Garden at the Wildflower Center
Add this one to your guidebook! This update will appear in the second printing of the book that goes to press this month: "Be sure to check out the Luci and Ian Family Garden, especially with young
Mother's Day App Sale
The app is on sale this week! It's to honor those planner moms who spend hours researching fun things to do as a family and could use a break or a smidgeon of inspiration, the spontaneous moms who whi
Great day for a field trip to St. Edward's University!
Tuesday, April 22nd, is Earth Day! Exploring Austin with Kids will be celebrating with a book signing and children’s activities at the Earth Day Fair at St. Edward's University. Concoct tasty compost
My Editor
My ten-year old daughter thought my author bio a bit too dry (and not funny). So she spruced it up and added a bit of spice. I think she captured the essence of our family pretty well (better than I d
Book Signings and Events Calendar
Looking for fun ways to get your signed copy? Come on out! Sunday, 11/12/23 Author Signing at Texas Book Festival 3:00 pm - 4:00 pm I'll be signing books at the Texas Book Festival this Sunday wit
The App Is Out!
And it's so COOL!!! Not only is it the lightest way to carry the book around with you, but you can call ahead, check hours, or pull up the websites of the places you're headed at the touch of a bu
Book signing at the Bullock Museum!
This Sunday, March 2nd, Annette Lucksinger will be signing copies of Exploring Austin with Kids and giving sneak peeks of the app! Drop by during the Bullock Museum Free First Sundays event 12:00 - 3
Mark Your Calendar for Juggle Fest - Saturday!
One thing about working on a guidebook is that you can’t put off trying things on the “to do” list. You’ve got to do them now, especially annual events since they don't come around often. Juggle Fest
Book Launch Party!
Come on out to Hill's Cafe on Sunday, March 2nd, from 4:00-6:00 for the big book launch! There will be lots of fun kid activities in addition to the book signing! A juggler and balloon twister will be
Annette Lucksinger interviewed by LiveMom
Nicole Basham of the local blog, LiveMom, recently interviewed Annette Lucksinger about the book. Check out the interview!
