RGV Moms, let’s get our littles (and our bigs) outside and explore all that the Rio Grande Valley has to offer! Walk alongside RGV Moms Blog Contributor Stephanie as she takes you along on her RGV adventures.

Let’s Explore Palo Alto!

After many days of on and off tears and essentially avoiding the world, it felt amazing to get outside with my oldest daughter recently. We had a fun 2-hour trip to Palo Alto Battlefield National Historical Park with her troop. It was the perfect place to clear one’s head and gain some Texas History knowledge in the process. Palo Alto Battlefield was E’s 2nd National Historical Park in her tiny little life (her first was the Independence Hall/Liberty Bell when she was 2). I have to say, I think we enjoyed this experience more as it was less crowded and much more serene.

When you first enter the park, it can feel intimidating not knowing where you’re driving, but if you keep on following the curve you’ll find the visitor’s center, as well as plenty of parking. Inside, they have really neat interactive maps and artifacts to look at. To the left they have a small gift shop, where my daughter purchased her National Park Passport.

They asked our group if we wanted to watch a short historical movie before venturing outside. It was a little detailed for our group of five- through seven-year-olds, but they sat through pretty well and filled out their Junior Ranger Badge booklets to test their knowledge/comprehension of the movie. My daughter is obsessed with her new fancy badge!

When you first walk out they have another fun interactive area for the kids. If you move beyond that, there’s a very long walkway with a small pavilion halfway for rest.

My daughter enjoyed skipping in the drizzle with her umbrella and identifying animal poops, and tracks. She and her friends even found a crab! They observed him crawling away back into the grass where he disappeared with the perfect camouflage.

Overall, my daughter loved the coloring activity booklet and the nature walk. From a mom’s perspective, I enjoyed the fresh air and peaceful atmosphere. It was a fun, neat experience! Palo Alto Battlefield is a great short activity when you want a change of scenery for some outdoor time with your kids. This activity is great for all ages.

Wear tennis shoes, bring your reusable water bottle and have a blast!