grab a tube and float in the pool until you feel ready for the swim-up bar, conveniently situated in the hot tub. Family fun really doesn’t get much better than this (or, it must be noted, much more expensive). If you’re hungry: Dippin’ Dots are a must. 305 W. Austin. 830-625-2351. Open April through September 21; hours vary. $37.99 ($29.99 for kids 3–11). Crowded on Weekends - Picnic Tables - Shade - Lifeguard.

8) Deep Eddy Pool

Austin

While I acknowledge the superiority of Barton Springs, Deep Eddy is always my first choice in Austin, because there I can actually swim up and down the lap lanes. What, you don’t need to practice your butterfly stroke? Lots of grass to lie on and a large pool to wade in make this a popular destination for parents and kids too. Even without the fifty-foot cottonwoods that the city removed in 2004 amid wailing and lamentations, this pool, fed from two 30-foot wells, remains a special place in the heart of the city, with its own congregation of (mostly middle-aged) devotees who gather here after work every afternoon. If you’re hungry: Mag Mud at the Magnolia Café. 401 Deep Eddy Avenue. 512-472-8546. Open year-round; hours change seasonally. $3. Crowded on Weekends - Picnic Tables - Shade - Lifeguard.

9) Medina River

Near Bandera

In case you’ve forgotten, YouTube will remind you that “Funky Cold Medina,” rapper Tone Loc’s 1989 hit single, was a song about a magic love potion that worked on both women and dogs. I am unaware of any connection between the song and the river but can attest to the power of this secluded loop between Peaceful Valley Ranch Road and Ranger Crossing, just north of Bandera, to relax humans and canines of both sexes. Perfect for tubing on a Sunday afternoon. If you’re hungry: buffet at the Old Spanish Trail Restaurant. Six miles north of Bandera on Texas Highway 16. Free. Picnic Tables - Shade - Grilling.

10) Fort Clark Springs

Bracketville

Las Moras Springs, named by Spanish explorers (moras means “blackberries,” though I found none in the vicinity), was the local spot for rest and relaxation for some 12,000 years before Fort Clark was built along the creek, in 1852. The old fort is now a gated residential community with a golf course and a motel. The adjacent pool, the third-largest spring-fed pool in Texas, is a serious rival to Balmorhea for the title of Best in the West. For day-trippers, it may be the main factor in answering the age-old “I-10 versus Highway 90” quandary. If you’re the sort who always picks I-10, take the low road next time and spend a night in Bracketville. Warning: The swimming pool is open only to motel guests or those signed in by a guest. If you’re hungry: enchiladas at Julie’s Place. Just south of U.S. 90 on Fort Clark Road. 830-563-2493. Open year-round, sunrise to sunset. Free to motel guests. Crowded on weekends - Picnic Tables - Shade - Grilling - Camping.

11) Krause Springs

Spicewood

The Hill Country is mecca for fans of the open-air dip, and the family-run Krause Springs is one of its most hallowed shrines. Octogenarian Elton Krause is the guardian angel at the gates of this piece of paradise on earth, or, more specifically, on Cypress Creek. There, in the shade of cypress, oak, and sycamore trees, the water tumbles down a steep bluff over ferns and crashes into a small, deep pool. Arrive early to beat the crowds. If you’re hungry: brisket at Opie’s BBQ. Just off Texas Highway 71 on County Road 404. 830-693-4181. Open year-round, 9–sunset. $5. Crowded on weekends - Picnic Tables - Shade - Rope Swing - Grilling - Camping.

12) Ratcliff Lake Recreation Area

Ratcliff

With Boykin Springs, in the Angelina National Forest, closed since Hurricane Rita, Ratcliff Lake is arguably the most beautiful place to swim in East Texas (though the Neches River boasts a number of fine holes too). Deep in the Davy Crockett National Forest, this picturesque fishing lake has a roped-off swimming area, and you can rent a canoe for exploring and then a pedal boat when your arms get tired. Plenty of camping and great hiking (the twenty-mile Four C Trail starts here) make this an unbeatable place for a weekend getaway. If you’re hungry: Bring a picnic. One mile east of Ratcliff on Texas Highway 7. 936-655-2299. Open year-round, sunrise–10. $3 per vehicle. Picnic Tables - Shade - Grilling - Camping.

13) City Tube Chute

New Braunfels

If I ever left Texas, I think the memento I would most treasure would be one of the signs that hang across the Comal just before this chute, warning of its proximity. Zooming down the slippery S-shaped concrete channel is usually the thirty-second climax after two torpid hours on the river, but there’s nothing to stop thrill-seekers from repeating the rush all day. On a recent early morning I watched a bunch of cops in helmets and life jackets run it tubeless, which I bet they wouldn’t let civilians do during regular hours. If you’re hungry: schnitzel at Friesenhaus. Prince Solms Park, 100 Leibscher Drive. 830-608-2165. Open Memorial Day through mid-August, 10–7 (weekends only mid-August through Labor Day). $5. Picnic Tables - Lifeguard.

14) Lake Raven

Huntsville

Thick pine forest surrounds this pretty lake fed by three creeks: Prairie Branch, Big Chiquapin, and Little Chiquapin. It was created in 1937 as a recreation destination. Fishing is what most people come here to do, but there is an area roped off for swimmers, with a sandy beach and a floating dock. Like at many East Texas holes, tannin in nearby pine trees has turned the water the color of iced tea. Recently I laid out on the dock and watched the morning sun sparkling on the water and couldn’t imagine anything much better. My only worry was whether the park’s alligators knew that the rope meant that the swimming area was off-limits to them. If