Gone are the days of old when, in the rare event of your absence, your husband took your kids to McDonald’s and let them play all day because they couldn’t think of anything else to do. Enter Wonderdads: the Best Dad & Child Activities in Austin, by Wesley Sythoff. This handy dandy (notebook!) guide has loads of activities for kids and their dads to do, including short road trips, museums, neat places to catch a meal or sweet treat, cool swimming holes, fun greenbelts, and more! Even better is that it fits nicely in your back pocket, so you can grab the book, grab the kids (please don’t forget the kids) and head out for a day of fun.
I am obviously not a dad, but I am the (self-appointed) adventurer of Livemom, so I was all over reviewing this book. A big fan of guidebooks, I own a few Frommer’s guides, as well as some guides put out by Texas Monthly. Chet Garner from The Austin Daytripper is my hero. I love pouring over these guidebooks, planning elaborate road trips with fun and interesting stops along the way. Wonderdads fits nicely into my collection of guidebooks, and I have found myself thumbing through it several times a week and anytime I am looking for something to do with the boys.
Wonderdads is broken down into several sections, including “Best Things to do On a Rainy Day,” “When You Have the Kids for a Full Day,” “The Best Splurges,” “The Best Road Trips Under 1 Hour Away,” and “The Most Memorable Dad/Child Events.” Boasting over 400 entries, there are also categories for restaurants, sporting events, outdoor parks and recreation and a section for unique child/dad activities.
In addition to Austin, the Wonderdads guidebook is available for 38 other cities, including Dallas, Denver, New Orleans, San Francisco, Boston, Sacramento, Brooklyn, and many more! We are moving to Baltimore, MD next week, and I was elated to see that Wonderdad has already scouted out our new city for us. I will definitely be picking up the Baltimore guide, as well as the one for Washington, DC!
Wonderdads is a must-buy in my opinion. It’s easy to navigate, small enough to carry around with you for spur-of-the-moment trips, and has something to offer to even the most seasoned Austinite who thought they knew about everything the city has to offer. Happy adventuring!
Would you like to win a copy of your very own? All you have to do is fill out the form below by Friday, May 27, 2011. Only one entry per household, please. The winner will be contacted via email with 24 hours to respond to claim the giveaway. The winner will receive a copy of Wonderdads Austin, valued at $14.95 and a couple of stickers. No geographic restrictions apply.
Written by: Jennifer “The Adventurer” Ford
** Giveaway Closed
Congrats to Adolfo– you are the winner! Check your email.