Places to Go Swimming in Bryan-College Station With the Kids This Summer

Summer is here, and the kids are out of school. It can be a blessing as well as a challenge. It’s a great opportunity to spend quality time in your new home and community with your family, but you also want to make sure that your kids stay entertained so that they’re not going stircrazy at home. Swimming is a perfect summer activity that the whole family can enjoy, both at a pool or at a lake surrounded by beautiful natural scenery. Bryan-College Station has several options to choose from, but here are a few of our favorites:

Lake Bryan

Lake Bryan is surrounded by a 125-acre park, so if you’re looking for a calm day to enjoy the flora and fauna of nature, this is the perfect place to go for a swim. It’s perfect for the whole family. Kids can go swimming or play on the beach, and adults who want to can take a boat out or jetski for something a little more exciting. You can even enjoy RV camping here with a reservation, so you can make a few days of fun in the sun and the water out of it. Of course, if you live locally, you can take a day trip whenever the weather and your summer schedule permits. You can also grab a meal at the Lakeside Icehouse nearby.

Bryan Aquatic Center

But if you’re looking for something a little more controlled and structured, check out Bryan Aquatic Center. The pool is heated year round so even in winter, you can still visit this spot, but it’s busiest in summer of course. There’s something for everyone here: an Olympic-sized pool, a massive swirling water slide, a kiddie pool, lap swimming, and two diving boards. It’s a popular spot during the summer, so this is also a great place for your kids to make friends — and maybe you’ll even be able to make friends with other parents yourself.

Adamson Lagoon

Can’t afford a tropical vacation this year? Stop by the tropical-themed Adamson Lagoon Pool, a mini-water park that might just have everything you need to cool down. Here you’ll find another Olympic-sized pool, water slides, “lily pads” and rafts for kids to play on, and a baby pool for the littlest ones. As a water park, they’re also fully equipped with a bathhouse where you can change and shower as well as concession stands to keep you refreshed.

Cindy Hallaran Pool

This College Station pool is smaller than the others, but an excellent option for new swimmers. 25 yards in length, this pool has a gentle decline of depth that, at the deepest, is just 4 feet. However, there’s a water slide, poolside amenities, and they even include a “Doggie Day” in August, where you can take even the furry members of your family to check out the pool.

Looking for a dream home in Bryan-College Station close to places where you can take the family swimming? Talk to a College Station realtor today about the perfect place for your moving wish list.

Summer Activities in College Station

Summer is a great time of year for College Station. With sunny weather, friendly surroundings, and plenty of activities to choose from, you’d almost have to try to find yourself bored here. But if you’re new to town, you might be wondering where to get started enjoying the summer this year. Talk to your College Station realtor about summer activities happening near your new home, or check out our list of favorite things to do in College Station this summer:

Visit Lake Bryan

Lake Bryan Park showcases, of course, the beautiful Lake Bryan, but is also described on their website as “an outdoor recreation oasis in the heart of Aggieland.” If it’s a peaceful summer getaway you want, this is the place to go. Open seven days a week, you can come here to sit by the pier or relax on the shore as the sun goes down, or you can venture into the water yourself, whether swimming or fishing. There’s also the Lakeside Icehouse serving food and refreshments so you can stay at the lake for as long as you like without going hungry. They even have live music performances, particularly during the summer.

Go Skating

Everyone loves the summer heat, but when it gets to be too much, you might look for a way to cool off. That’s why Spirit Ice Arena is here for you, even in the middle of summer. It’s a good place to take the kids while they’re out of school, or take yourself and friends when you’re nostalgic for winter. You can also take a special someone — or someone who might become a special someone — to Date Night, where they offer two-for-one admission every Thursday. It might not be a conventional summer activity, but it could be a breath of fresh air to make your summer more fun.

Check Out Some Live Music

What summer is complete without a few free concerts in the park? In College Station, that event is Starlight Music Series, an annual summer concert series so named because guests can spread out on a picnic blanket under the stars while they listen to the music acts that perform there. Still to come this year on June 8 is Grammy nominated Dwayne Dopsie and the Zydeco Hellraisers, as well as guest Mi’chel Rose and Zydeco Players. This event usually takes place in May and early June, but it’s worth checking out every year if you have the chance.

Start the Aggieland Football Season

This event, fittingly, will signal the end of summer, but the first game will start before fall sets in. Aggieland football is a big draw to Bryan-College Station, and there are some die-hard fans in the city. So in September, head to Kyle Field where you can catch the first football game of the year and get excited for the rest of the season. This year, the first game versus Clemson will be on their turf, but the second game, against Lamar, will be on Kyle Field, the perfect place to cheer on the team.

Still looking for your perfect home in College Station as summer comes on? Don’t put it all on yourself. Contact a College Station realtor today to help you find the home of your dreams so you can start to enjoy all that College Station summers have to offer.

Getting Your Porch, Deck, and Patio Ready for Summer

Summer is the perfect time of year to entertain at your home, both indoors and outdoors. When you have a great porch, deck, or patio, you can carry the parties and family gatherings further. But are your outdoor entertainment spaces ready for summer the way that your indoor space is? You want to make sure they’re in good shape and that they look great, too, before inviting guests over to start the summer festivities. Here are a few ways to ensure that your porch, deck, and patio are ready for the summer.

Take Care of the Landscape

It’s not just the material of the porch, deck, or patio itself. It’s the surroundings. Is your lawn unkempt and full of weeds? Or are there too many bare dirt spots due to rambunctious pets? Take some time to trim bushes, mow the lawn, and do a little landscaping so that the view surrounding your deck, porch, or patio looks as nice as the rest of your home. You might even consider some upgrades, like planting a flower garden or installing a water fixture.

Make Any Repairs

Next, take a look at your porch, deck, and patio themselves. Are there any repairs that need to be made? Especially in the case of porches and decks, make sure the flooring is strong and that boards don’t need to be replaced anywhere. If you have a porch swing, make sure it’s secure. Deck or patio furniture? Check that they’re still in good shape. Even simple cosmetic changes such as repainting or staining can make a big difference as you settle into summer.

Add Some Decoration

It’s not enough for your outdoor entertainment to just be in shape. Now add some decorations to draw the eye and make the space more interesting. This may mean a few potted plants to enhance the natural scenery, or adding more furniture to give it some extra comfort. Wind chimes can have a pretty effect, or maybe you want to add a small table to the space so you can enjoy drinks with friends or play a game of cards. Porches, decks, and patios are typically pretty colorless on their own, so your decorations should add a sense of color and aesthetic to the place.

Give Some Shade

This may not be a problem for your porch, which is usually covered under an eave of the home, but if you have a deck or a patio, you may benefit from adding an awning to protect guests — and yourself — from the severe heat and sunlight that often comes with College Station. You can also install a gazebo or pergola to offer partial shade as well as style for hot summer days. These features will not only protect you and your guests from harsh sunlight and heat but can ensure that stormy days won’t slow you down.

Still looking for that perfect home where you can entertain this summer? Talk to a College Station realtor about available homes in the area, especially those with porches, decks, or patios.

4 Ways to Get Involved in Your New Community

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Moving to a new place can be an exciting time, with so many new experiences before you. But it can also be intimidating, especially if you don’t know anyone in your new community. Taking the first step to meet people or to become more actively involved in your community is often met with no small amount of nerves, but just because it’s daunting doesn’t mean it’s impossible. Here are a few ways to become more involved in your community, and possibly make connections along the way.

Introduce Yourself to Neighbors

This may feel a little old-fashioned in the digital age, but it’s still effective. Once you’ve moved in, go around and say hi to your neighbors. You can introduce yourself and tell them a little bit about your story — how you came to live in the area and what you do. Make sure not to be self-centered in your conversation. Ask them about themselves, as well. Don’t feel comfortable going door-to-door to introduce yourself to your neighbors? Consider using social networks like Meetup to find groups for people who are new in town.

Volunteer

We’ve discussed volunteering before in 4 Places to Volunteer in Bryan-College Station. Volunteering is a way to be a part of something good and to give back to the community, but it’s also a way to meet people and become more involved in your community. Find a cause that you’re passionate about, whether it’s child illiteracy or poverty or homelessness. From there you can find a place to volunteer in your community, and in doing so you may learn of other opportunities that interest you.

Take a Class

Another way to find your people in your new community is to take a class based on your interest. If you’re crafty, you can take a painting or a pottery class. If you’re interested in cooking, take a cooking class. Why not celebrate your home in a new place by trying something new, like learning to play a musical instrument or starting yoga? It’s up to you, but in choosing something that interests you, you’ll be able to find others that have something in common with you.

Start a Group

Struggling to find something that strikes your interest in the classes and groups available in your city? Why not start a group? It can be a gaming group or a creative writing group or a group for new parents to swap advice. It may be slow-going at first, without a built in community, but you can promote your group through social media or put up flyers in relevant stores or coffee shops. Even if you start with a small group, that’s still the beginning of getting involved in your community.

Getting involved in your community can be the best part of your adventure in your new home. But it starts, of course, with finding your dream home. For that, contact a College Station realtor today to help you find your dream home in the neighborhood of your dreams.