Dallas Arboretum Offers $1 Admission Through August
Follow CBSDFW.COM: Facebook | Twitter
DALLAS (CBSDFW.COM) - In spite of the searing Texas heat, Jennifer Wester insists that her little ones still get time to play outdoors.
"It's awesome to get them out," said Jennifer, gesturing to 3-year-old Anden Barantsev and little sister Devin. Today's outing is at the Dallas Arboretum.
"He comes away with new words every time… and I can't say he doesn't watch television," she admitted with a laugh, "but, at least he understands the concepts they're talking about because he's seen them in real life. A computer is not going to replace that."
The family is spending the summer in Texas before returning to Connecticut. What??? Who leaves New England in summer to vacation in Texas?
"Fair question! Fair question!" she admitted with a chuckle, "I'm managing with a lot of water, eating a lot healthier, because I want the hydration…so it's been a good trip."
And if you think Connecticut is a summer temperature culture shock, Kristina Farkhoutdinov grew up in Russia.
"It's hot and I like it,' said Kristina. Her affection for the sun reminds that blistering heat can get a bad reputation, when you're not remembering the ice. So which would you prefer?
"The heat for sure!," said Kristina, "because snow in Russia, it's hard… you have to wear a lot of clothes and you can't swim." No question, she'll take the Texas summer.
There's also lots of places in the garden to cool off and indoor galleries to sneak a little A/C time.
"The families can go inside the cave, inside earth cycles and cool off go back out and explore," said Melissa Medina with the Dallas Arboretum.
Medina says the garden's water experiments, misters and splash spots are all extremely popular with young guests who seem to hardly notice the heat.
Which brings us to the very best thing about heat: it's a standing excuse for a very cold treat.
"I'm going to get ice cream," exclaimed Anden—while adding that "no", it wasn't hot at all.
Which, I suppose, could be the best way to handle the Texas heat: just ignore it.
If you need some extra encouragement to get outdoors, the Arboretum is offering $1 admission during the month of August. Children's Garden admission is an additional $2.
(©2015 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
