Deals in Zilker

On a recent visit to the in Orlando, my three boys joined forces to play an interactive secret agent game.  Communicating by cell phone with Agent P – the secret identity of Perry the Platypus from the Disney show Phineas and Ferb - they set off on a mission to thwart the evil plots of Dr. Doofenshmirtz.  Racing around Epcot’s World Showcase, tracking down leads and solving clues, my little super spies succeeded in saving the world.  Not bad for a half hour adventure. Back home in Austin, I stumbled upon a similar mobile, interactive scavenger hunt, and knew we had to give it a try. Billed as part game, part city tour, Urban Adventure Quest invites locals and tourists alike to explore downtown Austin, while following clues and solving puzzles.  There is no Dr. Doofenshmirtz, but there are teams, tricky challenges, points, and a race to the finish! All you need for this fun family outing – after paying online to participate - is an internet capable smart phone or tablet.  At the starting point, you log in to the Urban Adventure Quest website and receive the first of 18 challenges.  Each directive sends you in search of a new destination - finding it is part of the challenge - and requires your team to solve a complex puzzle.  By the completion of your quest, you will have traveled two miles and seen a good deal of the city. You will also have learned several fun facts about the history of Austin. Urban Adventure Quest is recommended for ages seven to 70.  The most enthusiastic and helpful member of our team was my 11-year-old son.  Having recently completed the 39 Clues series, he was well versed in decoding with ciphers and unraveling word puzzles.  He mentioned that our downtown quest was similar to the fast-paced books, but “without people trying to kill you.” That’s not to say there isn’t an adrenaline factor. If you are a competitive sort, you will feel pressure to score big points in little time, ensuring that you rank high on the online Leader Board.  There are hints available throughout the Quest, but they will cost you five points a pop.  Bonus questions are also provided, offering the chance to gain 15 points per correct answer. My son got so into racking up points that when we were ready to head home he exclaimed, “Our car wasn’t towed! 15 points!” Urban Adventure Quest is a nice motivator to get out of the house and take a turn as a tourist in your own city.  Even as frequent visitors to the Capitol, my family discovered statues, mosaics, a memorial, and historical markers that we had never noticed before.  If you can tamp down on your competitive spirit, you may even opt to extend your downtown exploration, with a little mid-Quest dining and local shop browsing. But, that’s not the way to dominate the Leader Board!

As a mother of three small boys, who never seem to tire, I am ever on the hunt for kid-exhausting adventures. Wide-open spaces, to accommodate outside voices and boundless energy, are key. Throw in some scenery for an adult to enjoy, while the boys run in circles, and the deal is sealed. In Austin, Zilker Park is a one-stop shop for family fun in the great outdoors. Located minutes from downtown, the 351-acre oasis has all the essentials for an outing under the Texas sun: water, sand, and a sprawling playscape.  The park’s other attractions - animals, a mini-train, gardens, and works of art - are just gravy. The gorgeous, green water encompassing Zilker Park is a powerful draw, in a city that boasts year-round sunshine.  Explore Lady Bird Lake by canoe or kayak, to see the city from afar, while watching turtles and waterfowl up close.  Upstream from the rental boats, kids can wade in Barton Creek, or swim in the refreshing 68-degree water of Barton Springs Pool.  It certainly doesn’t hurt – where boys are concerned – that spring-fed pools offer minnows, and the creek is home to fish and snakes. Steps away from Barton Springs, you will find the train depot for the Zilker Zephyr, Austin’s own miniature locomotive. Hop aboard for a twenty-five-minute tour of the park, as you travel along the Hike and Bike trail, under a bridge, and through a tunnel.  If you’re lucky, you may spot local troubadour, Woody Woode, who occasionally serenades passers-by. Indulge in an ice cream snack and some playground time before heading up the road to Zilker Botanical Garden.  This collection of themed gardens offers urban adventurers a wide variety of flora and fauna to explore.  From a bamboo-lined trail, waterfalls and a butterfly garden there is a lot of interesting ground to cover. The Japanese Garden, with its stepping stones crossing koi-filled ponds, rustic wooden bridge and interconnecting streams, is not to be missed.  Also fun for tikes, is watching the blacksmith in Pioneer Village and tracking dinosaur footprints in Hartman Prehistoric Garden. Junior scientists can continue their paleontological education at the free Austin Nature and Science Center.  Here, kids dig in The Dino Pit to unearth casts of dinosaur fossils.  Austin Nature and Science Center is also home to a variety of living creatures, from reptiles to raptors. Visitors can learn about Central Texas animals, then hunt for some in the wild. Be sure to ask to borrow an Eco Detective Kit, which includes binoculars for birding along the center’s nature trails. Treat yourself to one final Zilker experience, by making your way to the park’s cultural gem, Umlauf Sculpture Garden and Museum.  This secluded corner of the park features works by American sculptor, Charles Umlauf.  Stop at the front desk to pick up a scavenger hunt for kids, and set off on a statue safari along shaded paths. All of that trekking around Austin’s most beloved park is sure to wear a parent out.  No guarantees on the kids, though.  They may ask to go back and do it all over again.

Improv comedy is all the rage right now in Austin.  So great, in fact, is the growing popularity of improvised theatre in Austin that a recent KLRU Arts in Context episode noted that the citywide movement is turning heads all across the nation. As is usually the case, when the arts are thriving in a community, we all benefit. A wonderful byproduct of our burgeoning improv scene has been the increase in local offerings of quality kid-friendly comedy.  These days, Austin families can enjoy a variety of G-rated improvised shows, performed for all-age audiences by fun-loving adult actors. Two local troupes are particularly passionate about sharing this theatrical art form with our city’s littlest theatregoers.  Move Your Tale specializes in using kid oriented improv shows as a vehicle for creative storytelling and Flying Theater Machine gets families laughing together, one silly, interactive show a time. Move Your Tale Saturday mornings at 10 a.m., Move Your Tale welcomes kids to the intimate performance space at ColdTowne Theater for a fully improvised theatrical journey called What’s the Story Steve?  A five-person comedy team joins one clever poodle named Steve for 45 minutes of audience directed tomfoolery. Upon arrival at the theatre, young audience members are invited to write a word or draw a picture, which may later be incorporated into the show.  When we last attended What’s the Story Steve?, my son’s picture of an apple was selected mid-show and became the theme for a fictional onstage investigation led by actors calling themselves “The League of Extraordinary Improvisers.”  During the course of their investigation, it was revealed that Steve, the dog villain, was stealing apples to make delicious dog food. At several points throughout What’s the Story Steve?, kids are called upon to make suggestions and every answer is worked into the story. No idea is too absurd.  In fact, the wackier the plot becomes, the louder the young audience giggles. Flying Theater Machine Sunday afternoons at The Hideout on Congress Avenue, families are invited to the theatre to see a nine-person improv troupe perform fast-paced interactive comedy.  Rather than long-form tales, Flying Theater Machine opts for rapid-fire improv games and shorter snippets of stories. This format provides ample opportunities for audience members to holler out suggestions and even hop up on stage to become a part of the action. On a recent visit to see the Flying Theater Machine show Fairly Silly Fairy Tales, we saw Jack and the Beanstalk performed in 3 seconds, we watched a unique rendition of Snow White called The Cheerful Salesman and the Seven Dragons, and we even helped to create a brand new fairy tale about two horses who loved to play video games. My son was hooked on improv from the first show we attended, where we witnessed Rapunzel’s prince picking his nose to create a mountain of boogers that he could climb up to rescue her from the tower.  With kids cooking up ideas for a story, you never know quite what you’re going to get. And that, is the beauty of improv.