•Oma's Haus Restaurant. Spice up your trip to New Braunfels by trying the German sausage sampler for $11.95 (830-625-3280).
•Schlitterbahn Waterpark. Brave the Master Blaster, a water coaster with 60-foot-high hills, and plunge down the Wolfpack on a giant raft. (Admission is $28.50 for adults, $23.65 for kids ages 3 to 11; 830-625-2351.)
•Naegelin's Bakery. At the oldest bakery in Texas, we order sausage kolachey (50 cents each) and treat ourselves to German strudel (95 cents per slice; 830-625-5722).
•Beautiful parks. Landa Park (830-608-2160) features paddleboats ($3 per person per half hour) and train rides ($2.00 per person). Adjacent Prince Solms Park (830-608-2165) is a popular launch point for a 90-minute float trip down the Comal.
•Historic District of Gruene. Set on the northern edge of New Braunfels, this former ghost town is the place to eat ice cream at the Gruene General Store and poke through western-themed souvenir shops (830-629-5077).
•Riverside lodging. Set on the Comal, the Inverness has two-bedroom condos with riverside grills for $185 nightly (800-990-4386).
•Lunch at Pat's Place. Enjoy down-home Texas food at down-to-earth prices (hamburgers cost $3; 830-629-1491).
•Scenic campsites. At the KL Ranch Camp, you can pitch your tent below cliffs on the Guadalupe. Tent sites cost $20 for two ($7 per extra adult and $4 extra per child; 830-625-3038).
Barbara Nielsen and her husband are the authors of KEEP YOUR KIDS BUSY THE LAZY WAY (Macmillan).
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated June 2005.
