Lincoln, NE to San Antonio, TX - Family trip in June by van

We are traveling from Lincoln, NE to San Antonio, TX in June 2008. Any ideas on places to stop or stay along the way. We plan to go to Sea World but beyond that we are open to any family activity. Kids are 7, 11, and 13.

Lincoln, NE to San Antonio, TX - Family trip in June by van

Assuming that you are driving I-135 to Wichita, then picking up I-35:

The Paul Boyer Museum Of Animated Carvings in Belleville is a hoot. Paul builds fascinating mechanical creations with mechanisms to animate them. The mechanisms are as beautiful as the sculptures and many of the sculptures are funny.

Rock City about 5 miles west of I-135 near Minneapolis is a small park which contains about 200 huge natural rock spheres up to 27 feet in diameter and you are encouraged to climb on them.

The Kansas Cosmosphere and Space Center in Hutchinson is about 35 miles out of your way, but if anyone on your family is a space and aviation fan, they will be blown away. If they enjoy the SAC Museum, they will LOVE the Cosmosphere. You could easily spend a day there.

Wichita offers many inexpensive motels, interesting local restaurants and a variety of attractions. It may be a good place for an overnight stay.

Lincoln, NE to San Antonio, TX - Family trip in June by van

I%26#39;d do like everyone else, and put the hammer down right on through Kansas and Oklahoma. If not, then you could stop at the Sedgwick County Zoo in Wichita to stretch out ... but it%26#39;s clear on the other side of town from I-35. Farther south, around Davis, Oklahoma, is Turner Falls Park, which has caves, waterfalls, hiking, swimming beach, picnic area, etc. It%26#39;s a pretty area, if there%26#39;s not a drought, and is a good place to get out and stretch ... or, they have cabins if you want to stay overnight (or there are motels back at the interstate).

Before you get to San Anton%26#39;, you may want to check out Austin. They have a bridge on South Congress Street that has bezillions of bats that fly out at sunset every night in the summer, and Barton Springs in Zilker Park is a great place ... also has a little train they can ride, if they%26#39;re not too old for that. Between Austin and San Anton%26#39; is New Braunfels, home of Schlitterbahn -- the greatest water park on the planet! Wonderful family place that lets you bring your own picnic cooler with you, and has rides and slides for all ages. The kids will love it, and you can even get a condo right at the park. San Antonio has a lot of good places for kids, many of them quite touristy. The Market Square (I think it%26#39;s called) is right off I-35 west of the Riverwalk area ... you can park in a lot just off the ramp, and walk about 1/2 block into the market .. interesting for kids and their parents, and breakfast/lunch/dinner is good on the outside patio at Mi Tierra restaurant, where strolling musicians will sing and play you a song (please, please don%26#39;t requets La Bamba), and the kids can feed tidbits to the pigeons who stop by to check out the place. There are tons of other things in SA, including Dave %26amp; Busters on the northwest sides, which is chock-full of cool video games, bowling, etc., but go early because kids can%26#39;t be there late in the evening.

One last tip, for the trip back ... I-35 from D/FW to SA can be brutal. You can avoid all the trucks and the traffic of Austin by taking US Hwy 281 north from SA to Johnson City, Marble Falls, Lampasas, then cut back to I-35 if and when you get the urge ... you may want to take the kids into Fort Worth to the Old Stockyards area if you haven%26#39;t gotten enough cowboy treatment yet. Otherwise, work your way around the metroplex, then rejoin the trucks. US 281 is a really good road, well-maintained and lightly travelled. The first part of the trip north from SA goes through some beautiful Hill Country territory around LBJ%26#39;s ranch. And if you%26#39;ve had your fill of TexMex and BBQ, there is a small local chain called ';Storms Great Hamburgers'; that really does have great hamburgers and shakes and such, and they have family-friendly restaurants in Lampasas, Burnet and Marble Falls, and our favorite in Hamilton, where you can sit outside on a lattice-shaded patio if the weather cooperates.

Have a great trip!