Barton Springs – Austin, TX

Barton Springs as a public pool has been around for nearly 100 years. I love that some of the flavor of the bygone era it hails from still shows through in the signage.

Up until we visited Barton Springs, I didn’t realize quite how cold a pool fed from a natural spring might be. Friends, it’s COLD. I personally only got in about to waist level and even then, it was due to heavy pressure from my kids and a hope that it might get better once I got used to it. It didn’t. They didn’t mind the cold so much but then again, they never do. I preferred sitting on the side watching them play.

People watching was without a doubt my favorite thing about Barton Springs. Specifically, watching other people get into the extremely chilly water and seeing their reactions. It was absolutely hilarious every single time.

Andrew especially loved Barton Springs. We visited on the very first day we were in Austin and he asked to go back every day after that. (We did go one more time after all that badgering.)

In a place as hot as Austin, it’s no surprise Barton Springs gets crowded – especially on weekends. As the evening wore on, the crowd began to dwindle and I had a better view of the full expanse of the springs. It really is amazing!

As a bonus, you can pretend you are the Hulk and hold up the city skyline on your way out. You know, if you’re into that sort of thing.