Our South Texas Frio River vacation road trip was a huge success …and more!
When your Uncle Roger asks you to go to the Frio River with his family year after year, you better take him up on it before he stops asking! This year, I finally said yes to his invitation. Floating the Frio was so much fun, and we made memories. After three days of Frio fun, my son and I continued our road trip to San Antonio. Here’s our South Texas Frio River vacation road trip through the Hill Country.
We left early on June 18th for our road trip to South Texas. The first stop is Concan, TX. Siri said it would take us 5-1/2 hours. Brody had his movie picked out, and I waited until I could set my car on cruise control. I was so excited to finally go to the Frio River as I’ve seen many photos of my Uncle’s family having a great time floating the river. Brody and I play family road trip games whenever we road trip, making the drive faster and smoother.
I decided that since we were going that far south, we might go to San Antonio, too. The route through Bandera was a sight to be seen. It’s gorgeous driving on that winding road over to San Antonio from Concan, TX. More on this is below.
Related: South Texas Road Trip to San Antonio
Family And The Frio River Go Together
The house my Uncle and his family rented slept eighteen, had three bathrooms, and the best outdoor pool for all the kids and adults to have fun in – especially chicken fight games! After the kids kept falling off, we read the box, and it said, “for adults” – oops. No wonder one of the wings came off!
Related: Things to do in San Antonio in February
I love family traditions. My Uncle has had 25 years of them at the Frio River with his family. It was so well organized too. Each family took turns making meals and cleaning up. Sleeping arrangements were all settled beforehand – well, kind of. One of my Uncle’s daughters gave up her bed for two nights to us. My Uncle says, “family is family, and you are family.” He did not once leave me out. My dad would be proud of his baby brother!
Related: Our Blue Knights Motorcycle Ride Through Galveston
And I got the T-shirt. Thanks, Uncle Roger, for a fun time at the Frio. Just look at Brody’s smile!
It’s time for the second half of our South Texas road trip family vacation. I can’t believe how many RV parks there are in Texas and how many we passed in San Antonio. If you own an RV, it’s worth a shot to look into. I hear they are a lot of fun!
Courtyard Marriott San Antonio SeaWorld Westover Hills
Like I said above, driving to San Antonio through Bandera Country from the Frio River was so peaceful and scenic. We were the only ones on the road most of the time, except for a few motorcycles. Uncle Roger told me that’s a popular scenic route among motorists, including himself. He loves taking drives through there on his Harley. Traveling this scenic route is a must!
Did you know Bandera is the Cowboy Capital of Texas? Yep, real cowboys live there!
We arrived at my favorite hotel in San Antonio. We were given a 2-day stay at the Courtyard Marriott Westover Hills and SeaWorld tickets for media purposes for disclosure. After we arrived, we headed straight for the pool. We could have stayed there all weekend – it’s spacious and beautiful. When we returned, a surprise came to our door.
Wine and cookies for the win. Yeah, those cookies!
SeaWorld San Antonio
I’m lucky to partner with the Courtyard Marriott SeaWorld Westover Hills when I come to San Antonio. I’m always treated so nicely; they are very generous to my family. Since I’m also a Marriott BONVoY Rewards member, I get to make memories while collecting points for future stays. On this trip, we were greeted with SeaWorld tickets. It’s been forever since I’ve been, and Brody has never been, so we were elated.
When we arrived at SeaWorld via the hotel’s free shuttle service, Brody grabbed a map and started tracking the shows. First, we saw the sea lions perform; then, we were off to the cutest indoor show called Pet’s Ahoy at the Sea Star Theater. This show was about a lovable group of rescue animals with a few fun tricks up their sleeves. It’s a must-see when you’re at SeaWorld! After that, we headed to the Beluga Stadium to watch the dolphins and Belugas perform for the audience.
Of course, we also rode a few water rides before heading to the Aquatica Water Park—Brody’s favorite place of all! Both parks, side by side, make a wonderful day of fun for the whole family.
You can’t beat the free shuttle to SeaWorld at the Courtyard Marriott Westover Hills. It’s free for all guests and only minutes from the parks. It’s the perfect place for families to stay.
Do you have any family traditions that you would like to share?
How fun! I would love to visit Texas someday – it’s on my bucket list!
Texas has been on my to visit list as a family. My cousin moved there, so now I definitely have a good excuse to visit!
I’ve never been to Texas, looks like a nice place and I’ve heard lots of great stories.
Looks like you guys had so much fun. I’ve always wanted to visit Texas.
So fun! We live in Texas and go to Sea World often. It’s like 10 minutes from the house. The hotel sounds fabulous!
Really? Well, then you know how awesome the Courtyard Marriott is!
I’m Kim’s “Uncle Roger”. There are many wonderful places to stay along the Frio River. However, for more than 25 years we have stayed at Neal’s Cabins in Concan, Texas. They can provide cabins for 4 to family lodge homes that sleep 24! They have a great little cafe, a store, hayride for the kids, horseback riding and an evening of music and dancing.
Our family enjoys road trips and swimming equally. I’m mapping this destination right now.
OH good, because you will love it!! The water is so clear and the rapids are not that strong – just right for the whole family.
I’ve never been to Frio. What a fun trip to take with family. I’ve been bugging my husband about planning a trip with a big group of us. I would LOVE to go to South Texas 🙂
This is a helpful post! We want to go close to here in a few years for a family vacation!
I grew up in Texas and have been to that SeaWorld but I don’t remember going to the Frio!
Looks like a great time. Hopefully, now that we’re in South Texas, we can make it to Frio ourselves.
Oh yes, if you live down that way, a visit to the Frio is a must!!