need rec for one park/playground near ut austin

[eagle]

hi everyone!

going to austin for a very short trip. i have one opening to spend a couple hours at a park/playground with my 2 yo son.

anyone have a nice, safe park to recommend? hmm. what do we like in playgrounds? wide space to maybe walk around in, maybe some equipment, although that isnt an absolute if there are things to look at (trees, pond/lake etc). no need for any bathroom facilities since i usually avoid them.

my schedule on friday will be like this:

drop off hubby by 8:30 at ut

bfast at sazon (1816 s lamar blvd, near heather)

then 2 hours or so at a park.

lunch at a h-e-b (dont know, theres supposedly one with a really good kosher deli, this is at 7025 village center dr)

then go back to our hotel for napping, relaxing until dinner, which is up in the air, maybe ruby's bbq in town.

a little bit of a drive to the park between sazon and the h-e-b is okay, but not too much. i counted something like 9-10 parks in that area. please help me narrow it down to one.

thanks so much!

[lhafer]

When I lived in Austin, Zilker Park was the place to go, but I haven't been there in years.

[Snow mom]

Try the science and nature center which is free and in Zilker Park. There isn't really play equipment but they have a huge sandbox where kids can "excavate" large replica fossils. You have to kind of talk it up with that age ("wow, what did you find! Let's dig some more and see!") but I find it to be one of the more unique things you'll find for kids here. They also have a lot of wild animals that can't live in the wild that my DD loves to go see.

I don't know anything about lunch at HEB (other than that my local HEB creeps me out) but I will say that for BBQ I prefer Green Mesquite over Ruby's. Green Mesquite is just west of the corner of Barton Springs Rd. and Lamar. What part of town are you staying in?

ETA: That HEB is probably pretty nice as it's in a nicer area of town. Make sure when you google map things in Austin you don't forget whether you are looking for S or N (or E or W). S Lamar is going to be south of the river and the HEB is "all the way" up near Far West. You'll be pretty close to Zilker from breakfast.

[fivi2]

I agree with Snowmom that the Natue center is a lot of fun. Zilker also has a regular playscape (can get crowded) and a little train in a location away from the nature center.. And a botanical garden. But I prefer nature center. It can be hard to find, but there sholuld be a map. You have to park under mopac and walk up the hill.

As another option, between breakfast and that far west HEB is Central Market on N. Lamar. It is a grocery store, but ikt has a nice playscape with duck pond. Or closer to far west is Northwest park - nice park with a small pond and play scape.

None of these are right by UT. But your breakfast seems to be away from UT.

So Nature center is my top choice also, but I can give you other ideas if you need them.

I used to live by that far west heb, but I have never eaten at the deli. It is a nice heb.

Have fun.

(Typing on stupid phone)

[eagle]

thanks everyone! zilker it is, then!

we will have 1.5-2 hours and i think we will begin by hunting around for that nature center!

oh, theres a botanical garden too? we LOVE those! sounds like a GREAT all-around park!

thank you!

[fivi2]

thanks everyone! zilker it is, then!

we will have 1.5-2 hours and i think we will begin by hunting around for that nature center!

oh, theres a botanical garden too? we LOVE those! sounds like a GREAT all-around park!

thank you!

I would say the nature center is more fun than the botanical gardens. After the summer we had, I doubt much is growing. The gardens are small. But if you get lost they are easier to find! :)