With the price of gas continuing to rise this year, many families are (again) looking for fun and inexpensive things to do closer to home instead of spending an arm and a leg on gas.
If you have a limited vacation budget this year, don’t fret! Myself and over 85 other bloggers are posting fun STAYCATION IDEAS in our areas today!
The whole point of a family vacation is to have fun together, right? You can still have fun together and not spend over half of your vacation budget on gas!!
If you are planning a Staycation in the Dallas area, there is a TON to do. A. TON.
I personally love getting away from the hustle-bustle of Dallas city-life and East Dallas is the perfect place to go to “get away from it all” and still be close to the city.
Here are several Staycation ideas for the EAST DALLAS area (as far East as Canton, as far North as Garland, and as far South as Athens):
WATERPARKS |
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Splash Kingdom in Canton – A family-friendly waterpark whose mission is to “Glorify God while providing a safe and fun recreation experience for families”
Wet Zone in Rowlett – {$10.50 for adults}
Surf & Swim in Garland – {Adults $6, children $5}
Hawaiian Falls in Garland – {$23.99 for adults, $16.99 for guest under 48″)
City Splash Parks – Harry Myers Park in Rockwall, The Harbor in Rockwall, and Forney Community Park all have Splash Parks! {FREE!}
OUTDOOR FUN |
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Blueberry Hill Farm in Edom – Pick your own blueberries and pay only for what you pick! They also have a great store with Preserves, Blueberries’n Cream Pies, Blueberry muffins, Blueberry Frozen yogurt, and Blueberry Lemonade!
Ham Peach Orchard east of Terrell – Enjoy fresh picked peaches and blackberries and amazing peach ice cream. You can pick your own blackberries, but the peaches are already picked.
WIRED Zip Line and Challenge Course in Canton – WIRED is a unique zip line challenge course combining thrills, safety, easy access, and the beauty of rural Texas terrain. Our course is located on twenty acres of rolling meadow along a meandering creek.
Lake Ray Hubbard – Lots of info here for rentals & lodging
Lake Tawakoni – Lake Tawakoni is still a virtually undiscovered lake in Texas. It is clean and un-crowded, its size making it ideal for recreational water sports & fishing.
SHOPPING |
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First Monday Trade Days in Canton – Held the weekend BEFORE the first Monday of the month, thousands of vendors from across the country turn this friendly East Texas community into a shopper’s paradise where you can find rare antiques and collectibles, furniture, fine home decor, arts and crafts, clothing, jewelry, tools, produce, and much more.
The Harbor in Rockwall – The Harbor is one of our favorite places to go in the Dallas area! They have great restaurants right on the lake, a splash park, and live music on most weekends.
Tanger Factory Outlet Center
Firewheel Shopping Center in Firewheel (close to Garland)
Antique Stores in Forney
ANIMALS |
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Fish Hatchery in Athens – {$5.50 for adults, $3.50 for children ages 4-12}
East Texas Gators and Wildlife Park – Live Alligators from hatchlings to over 13 feet . The alligator enclosures have been designed to be as close to their natural habitat as possible. They have rocked walkways, an air-conditioned Welcome Center, Bounce House, Concession/Grill, Mister fans, covered Pavilions with picnic tables and shade.
MUSEUMS |
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Terrell Heritage Museum
British Flying Training School Museum in Terrell
Blackwell House Museum in Canton
Heritage Park Museum in Edgewood
FAMILY-FRIENDLY ENTERTAINMENT |
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Shenaniganz in Rockwall – Bowling, Go-Kartz, Lazer Tag, Arcade, Rock Climbing, Billiards & Shuffleboard {Pay per activity, or $99 for an unlimited ALL-summer pass}
Rockwall Concert By The Lake – Thursday night concert series during the summer at The Harbor in Rockwall, TX {FREE}
Geocaching – Geocaching is a real-world, outdoor treasure hunting game using GPS-enabled devices. Participants navigate to a specific set of GPS coordinates and then attempt to find the geocache (container) hidden at that location. {FREE}
Clear Springs Scuba Park -
Official Paintball Games of Texas, Inc. in Forney – See page for pricing options.
This is by no means a comprehensive list, so if you know of any other great things to do in the East Dallas area (East of Mesquite and West of Tyler) please leave a comment below and I’ll add it to the list!
Plus, be sure to check out all of the Staycation ideas for cities around the country!! (Or, check for great vacation ideas if you are traveling to any of the cities listed!)
Another thing I didn’t see was glen rose w Dino world and real Dino tracks:-) my kids love it there:-)
Another neat activity is a sailboat cruise on a 40 ft catamaran on Lake Ray Hubbard. It costs $25 per person, but it is a really neat thing to do. Check out http://www.sailwithscott.com for more details.
Great ideas! I didn’t know about the alligator place. We will definitely be making a trip over there! Thanks!