Angelo State University (Texas)

City: San Angelo, TX

🌳 San Angelo State Park — San Angelo (bison viewing, playground, picnic areas)

🎨 San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts — San Angelo

🦋 International Water Lily Collection — San Angelo (free & gorgeous photo spot!)

🎢 The Chicken Farm Art Center — San Angelo (art studios & kids’ events)

🛝 Kids Kingdom Playground at Unidad Park — San Angelo

🎭 Murphey Performance Hall — San Angelo

🎳 Sunset Mall & Angelo Skate & Fun Center — San Angelo

☀️ Concho Riverwalk — San Angelo (walking trail, fountains & outdoor concerts)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Twisted Root Burger Co. — San Angelo

🍕 Downtown Local — San Angelo

🥞 The Grill — San Angelo

🌮 Franco’s Café — San Angelo (Tex-Mex favorite)

🍗 Cork & Pig Tavern — San Angelo

🍦 Dippin’ Dots at Sunset Mall — San Angelo 

☕️ The Bearded Barista — San Angelo

🥗 Silo House Restaurant — San Angelo

Cameron University (Oklahoma)

City: Lawton, OK

🌳 Elmer Thomas Park — Lawton (lake, splash pad, & playground)

🎨 Museum of the Great Plains — Lawton (interactive history & children’s play area)

🦋 Comanche National Museum & Cultural Center — Lawton

🎢 Urban Air Adventure Park — Lawton

🛝 Liberty Lake Park — Lawton

🎭 McMahon Memorial Auditorium — Lawton (family shows)

🎳 Twin Oaks Bowling — Lawton

☀️ Mount Scott Scenic Drive (Wichita Mountains) — Medicine Park (25 min)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Backporch Drafthouse — Lawton

🍕 Luigi’s Italian Restaurant — Lawton

🥞 Boomarang Diner — Lawton

🌮 El Chico Mexican Restaurant — Lawton

🍗 Wayne’s Drive Inn — Lawton (local staple since 1950s!)

🍦 Braum’s Ice Cream — Lawton 🍦

☕️ Viridian Coffee — Lawton

🥗 The Silver Spoon — Lawton

Dallas Baptist University (Texas)

City: Dallas, TX

🌳 Cedar Hill State Park — Cedar Hill (hiking, fishing, & beach area)

🎨 Perot Museum of Nature and Science — Dallas (25 min — kids LOVE it)

🦋 Dallas Zoo — Dallas (20 min)

🎢 Epic Waters Indoor Waterpark — Grand Prairie (25 min)

🛝 Mountain Creek Park — Dallas (picnic area & playground)

🎭 Kessler Theater — Oak Cliff (local family shows)

🎳 Round 1 Bowling & Arcade — Arlington (30 min)

☀️ Bishop Arts District — Dallas (shops, murals & fun eats)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Twisted Root Burger Co. — Dallas

🍕 Eno’s Pizza Tavern — Dallas

🥞 Café Brazil — Dallas

🌮 Velvet Taco — Dallas

🍗 Pecan Lodge BBQ — Dallas (top 5 BBQ in Texas!)

🍦 Wild About Harry’s Frozen Custard — Dallas 🍦

☕️ White Rhino Coffee — Cedar Hill

🥗 Tribal All Day Café — Dallas

Lubbock Christian University (Texas)

City: Lubbock, TX

🌳 Mackenzie Park — Lubbock (playground, prairie dog town & disc golf)

🎨 Science Spectrum & OMNI Theater — Lubbock (hands-on fun & aquarium)

🦋 Prairie Dog Town — Lubbock (kids love it!)

🎢 Adventure Park Lubbock — Lubbock (go-karts, mini golf, laser tag)

🛝 Legacy Play Village — Lubbock (huge outdoor playground)

🎭 Buddy Holly Hall of Performing Arts — Lubbock

🎳 Main Event Lubbock — Lubbock

☀️ Downtown Depot District — Lubbock (food, murals & live music)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Blue Sky Texas — Lubbock

🍕 One Guy from Italy Pizza — Lubbock

🥞 Pancake House — Lubbock

🌮 Torchy’s Tacos — Lubbock

🍗 Evie Mae’s Pit Barbeque — Wolfforth (25 min — top-rated BBQ in Texas)

🍦 Holly Hop Ice Cream Shoppe — Lubbock 

☕️ Monomyth Coffee — Lubbock

🥗 The Farmhouse — Lubbock

Midwestern State University (Texas)

City: Wichita Falls, TX

🌳 Lucy Park — Wichita Falls (splash pad, playground, and waterfall view!)

🎨 River Bend Nature Center — Wichita Falls (butterflies & science exhibits)

🦋 The Falls in Wichita Falls — Wichita Falls (iconic photo spot!)

🎢 Urban Air Adventure Park — Wichita Falls

🛝 Hamilton Park Splash Pad — Wichita Falls

🎭 Kemp Center for the Arts — Wichita Falls

🎳 Family Fun Zone — Wichita Falls

☀️ Downtown Wichita Falls Farmers Market — Wichita Falls

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Gypsy Kit Café — Wichita Falls

🍕 Stone Oven Pizza — Wichita Falls

🥞 The Duck Coffee Company & Eatery — Wichita Falls

🌮 Casa Mañana — Wichita Falls (authentic Tex-Mex)

🍗 The Highlander Public House — Wichita Falls

🍦 Braums Ice Cream & Dairy Store — Wichita Falls 🍦

☕️ 8th Street Coffee House — Wichita Falls

🥗 Back Porch Draft House — Wichita Falls

Oklahoma Christian University

City: Edmond, OK

🌳 Mitch Park — Edmond (walking trail, playground & splash pad)

🎨 Science Museum Oklahoma — Oklahoma City (25 min)

🦋 OKC Zoo & Botanical Garden — Oklahoma City (25 min)

🎢 Frontier City Theme Park — OKC (30 min)

🛝 Pelican Bay Aquatic Center — Edmond

🎭 Civic Center Music Hall — OKC (family matinees)

🎳 Round 1 Bowling — OKC

☀️ Downtown Edmond — murals, shops, & family cafés

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 The Mule Edmond — Edmond

🍕 Hideaway Pizza — Edmond (local legend)

🥞 Neighborhood Jam — Edmond (amazing brunch!)

🌮 Ted’s Café Escondido — Edmond

🍗 Eddies Bar & Grill — Edmond

🍦 Roxy’s Ice Cream Social — Edmond 

☕️ Evoke Coffee — Edmond

🥗 Pub W — Edmond

St. Edward’s University (Texas)

City: Austin, TX

🌳 Zilker Park — Austin (playground, splash pad & Barton Springs nearby!)

🎨 Thinkery Children’s Museum — Austin (interactive science play)

🦋 Lady Bird Lake Hike & Bike Trail — Austin

🎢 Austin’s Park n’ Pizza — Pflugerville (25 min)

🛝 Butler Park — Austin (playground with skyline views)

🎭 ZACH Theatre — Austin (family musicals & shows)

🎳 High Five Bowling — Austin (family fun center)

☀️ South Congress Avenue — Austin (shopping, murals, & treats)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Hopdoddy Burger Bar — Austin

🍕 Home Slice Pizza — Austin

🥞 Kerbey Lane Café — Austin

🌮 Torchy’s Tacos — Austin (Austin classic!)

🍗 Salt Lick BBQ — Driftwood (30 min)

🍦 Amy’s Ice Creams — Austin 

☕️ Jo’s Coffee — Austin (“I Love You So Much” mural stop!)

🥗 June’s All Day — Austin

Texas A&M University–Commerce

City: Commerce, TX

🌳 Bicentennial Park — Commerce (playground & picnic areas)

🎨 Northeast Texas Children’s Museum — Commerce (hands-on fun)

🦋 Cooper Lake State Park — Cooper (30 min — beach, trails & fishing)

🎢 Air U Trampoline Park — Greenville (25 min)

🛝 Downtown Splash Pad — Greenville (summer fun!)

🎭 Commerce Community Playhouse — Commerce

🎳 Bowling & Arcade at Shenaniganz — Rockwall (30 min)

☀️ Downtown Commerce Square — local eats & murals

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Dos Laredos Mexican Grill — Commerce

🍕 Luigi’s Italian Café — Commerce

🥞 Omega’s Restaurant — Commerce

🌮 Los Mochis Mexican Restaurant — Commerce

🍗 Ernie’s Pit BBQ — Commerce

🍦 Braums Ice Cream — Commerce 

☕️ Mugs on the Square Coffeehouse — Greenville

🥗 Landon Winery — Greenville (family-friendly patio)

Texas A&M International University (TAMIU)

City: Laredo, TX

🌳 Lake Casa Blanca International State Park — Laredo (picnics, swimming & trails)

🎨 Imaginarium of South Texas — Laredo (children’s science fun!)

🦋 San Agustin Plaza Historic District — Laredo (shops & cultural events)

🎢 Altitude Trampoline Park — Laredo

🛝 Slaughter Park Splash Pad — Laredo

🎭 Laredo Center for the Arts — Laredo

🎳 Jett Bowl North — Laredo

☀️ El Metro Trolley & Riverfront Walk — Laredo

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Danny’s Restaurant — Laredo

🍕 Palenque Grill — Laredo (famous for Tex-Mex & live music)

🥞 El Mesón de San Agustín — Laredo (local breakfast spot)

🌮 Taco Palenque — Laredo (family classic)

🍗 The Tack Room — Laredo

🍦 Red Mango Frozen Yogurt — Laredo

☕️ TAMIU Starbucks on campus — Laredo

🥗 The Yellow Rose Café — Laredo

Texas A&M University–Kingsville

City: Kingsville, TX

🌳 Dick Kleberg Park — Kingsville (playground & splash pad)

🎨 King Ranch Museum — Kingsville (family-friendly history stop)

🦋 John E. Conner Museum — Kingsville (natural history exhibits)

🎢 Kingsville Community Pool — Kingsville (summer favorite)

🛝 Jaycees Park — Kingsville

🎭 Texas A&M-Kingsville Performing Arts Center — Kingsville

🎳 KC Bowl — Kingsville

☀️ Downtown Kingsville — murals, ice cream & antique shops

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 El Dorado Restaurant — Kingsville

🍕 Harrel’s Kingsville Pizza — Kingsville

🥞 The Cherry Tree Tea Room — Kingsville

🌮 Taqueria Jalisco — Kingsville

🍗 Big House BBQ — Kingsville (local favorite)

🍦 Young’s Pizza & Ice Cream — Kingsville

☕️ Kleberg Coffee Co. — Kingsville

🥗 El Tapatio Restaurant — Kingsville

University of Texas Permian Basin (UTPB)

City: Odessa, TX

🌳 McKinney Park Splash Pad & Playground — Odessa (kids’ favorite for cooling off!)

🎨 Ellen Noël Art Museum — Odessa (hands-on exhibits & family events)

🦋 Odessa Meteor Crater — Odessa (short drive & fascinating stop!)

🎢 Cinergy Entertainment Complex — Odessa (arcade, mini golf, go-karts & movies)

🛝 Memorial Gardens Park — Odessa (walking paths & fountains)

🎭 Permian Playhouse Theatre — Odessa (family-friendly shows)

🎳 Diamond Lanes Bowling Center — Odessa

☀️ Downtown Odessa Murals & Farmers Market — Odessa (great weekend stroll!)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Cork & Pig Tavern — Odessa (fan favorite burgers)

🍕 Teak & Charlie’s Jersey Girl Pizza — Odessa

🥞 The Egg & I — Odessa (breakfast go-to)

🌮 Taco Villa — Odessa (Texas fast-Mex classic)

🍗 Barrel & Derrick BBQ — Odessa (local smokehouse vibe)

🍦 Rosa’s Café & Tortilla Factory — Odessa (fresh tortillas + dessert bar!)

☕️ The Human Bean Coffee Drive-Thru — Odessa

🥗 Whitehouse Meat Market Café — Odessa (quick lunch stop with Texas flair)

Western New Mexico University (WNMU)

City: Silver City, NM

🌳 Gough Park — Silver City (picnics, playground & Saturday market)

🎨 Silver City Museum — Silver City (fun for history-loving families)

🦋 Big Ditch Park — Silver City (easy walking path downtown)

🎢 Silver Bowling Center — Silver City (family bowling & snacks)

🛝 Ben Altamirano Sports Complex — Silver City (playground & fields)

🎭 WNMU Fine Arts Center Theatre — Silver City (student performances)

☀️ Downtown Silver City Arts District — murals, shops & small-town charm

🌄 Gila National Forest — trailheads start just 20–25 minutes from campus (great for light family hikes!)

Family-Friendly Eats:

🍔 Diane’s Restaurant — Silver City (cozy spot with burgers & desserts)

🍕 Jalisco Café — Silver City (local favorite Mexican)

🥞 Adobe Springs Café — Silver City (beloved breakfast stop)

🌮 La Cocina Restaurant — Silver City

🍗 Wrangler’s Bar & Grill — Silver City (western-style comfort food)

🍦 Vicki’s Eatery & Ice Cream Parlor — Silver City 🍦

☕️ TranquilBuzz Coffee House — Silver City (great lattes & local art)

🥗 Tapas Tree Grill — Silver City (salads & Mediterranean options)