Fit in a Fun Friday - State Parks

All state parks have something that makes them special.  Brazos Bend has alligators and the very cool George Observatory.

Brazos Bend consists of 5000 acres of swamp and forest.  Trails take advantage of the many different lakes spread throughout.  This was definitely not my first visit during the day, but I still got excited when I saw an alligator, a rabbit, a few deer, and a billion birds.

I didn't know that I would enjoy star-gazing until last weekend, but my friends took me to the George Observatory and we had a blast!  I actually got to see Saturn, which was very cool.  I also saw the Greater Orion Nebula, cluster M79, and took a closer look at Mars.  I liked seeing Saturn and the gas clouds the best.

I visited with two of my adult friends, but there were a ton of kids having a great time too.  I loved hearing everybody's reaction to the wildlife during the day and the sky at night!

The entrance fee to the park was $5 for an adult and the fee to use the smaller observatories was $2.  The large observatory was sold out but would have only cost $5.  We brought our own snacks, water was free, and we spent about $10 on gas.  I took digital pictures as my souvenir, so that was free as well.

Overall, it was a truly great day for less than $10 a person!

Here's the link to Texas Parks and Wildlife.  You can do a quick search online to find a park near you.

Have you visited any state parks?  If so, what did it have to make it special?  If not, do you think it's something you or your children would enjoy for some frugal fun?