Anyone remember "Aquarena Springs"? Went today and took some pics. | FerrariChat
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Anyone remember "Aquarena Springs"? Went today and took some pics.

Discussion in 'Texas' started by -FROG-, Jan 1, 2010.

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  1. -FROG-

    -FROG- Formula Junior
    BANNED

    Nov 3, 2003
    839
    Austin
    Full Name:
    Paul Daniels
    #1 -FROG-, Jan 1, 2010
    Took a trip to eat at Saltgrass in San Marcos today, 01-01-10. Went to the old "Aquarena Springs" amusement park and snooped around. Looked like the old ruins of Chernobyl... Really spooky around there with everything left to rot away. I used to go there as a child back in the 80's. Some interesting info below from Wikipedia.

    -The first Europeans to visit the springs were probably Spanish explorers in 1689. The springs were an important stop on the Old San Antonio Road and the Chisholm Trail. In 1847, former Republic of Texas vice president Edward Burleson purchased the land surrounding the headwaters of the river and built a cabin on the hill overlooking the headwaters. Two years later Burleson built a dam just below the springs to power a mill; this dam, which created Spring Lake, still exists today. A.B. Rogers purchased the property in 1926 and his son, Paul, developed a hotel there in 1928 and introduced glass bottom boats on the lake.

    Spring Lake has been visited by notable individuals including Robert E. Lee, Jay Gould, and Helen Miller Shepard due to its beauty.[1]

    In the 1950s, construction of a submarine theater and large spillway at one end of the lake to produce a swimming pool led to the opening of an amusement park at the site in 1951. Other features of the park were the Alpine Swiss Sky Ride (a Von Roll skyride), an Intamin AG 220 foot Sky Spiral that moved vertically above the lake and rotated 360º, and "mermaid" performers that could be viewed from the submarine theater. By far, the most popular attraction was "Ralph, the Famous Swimming Pig." Ralph swam in the "Underwater Show" performing tricks and his famous "swine dive" until the park closed. At its peak, Aquarena Springs attracted 250,000 visitors annually.

    In 1994, Aquarena Springs was purchased by Texas State University. Aquarena Springs was operated as an amusement park until 1996, when the park was closed and converted by the university to an environmental learning center now known as Aquarena Center. The center still offers glass bottom boat tours, plus environmental education tours, an endangered species exhibit and natural aquarium and scientific diving training.


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    The tree literally grew around the pole... all the way around.

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    This is the inside of the building, "Spanish Mission", above.

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  2. Scuderia-San-Antonio

    Scuderia-San-Antonio Formula 3

    Feb 27, 2005
    1,567
    San Antonio
    Full Name:
    Wes
    #2 Scuderia-San-Antonio, Jan 1, 2010
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2010
  3. -FROG-

    -FROG- Formula Junior
    BANNED

    Nov 3, 2003
    839
    Austin
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    Paul Daniels
    #3 -FROG-, Jan 2, 2010
    Holy smokes!!!! I lost much sleep as a young child because of that dang movie!!! I had no idea, lol!!!!! AWESOME!
     
  4. Nick R

    Nick R Formula Junior

    Jan 15, 2004
    786
    Plano, TX
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    Nick R
    #4 Nick R, Jan 2, 2010
    Okay, I am old enough to remember going there in the 60s and seeing the mermaids.
     
  5. Challengehauler

    Challengehauler Formula 3

    Jul 28, 2008
    1,315
    NE Connecticut
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    DB
    #5 Challengehauler, Jan 2, 2010
    Wait.....you were in San Marcos and you ate at a where!? Saltgrass!?

    Somewhere a server from the Salt Lick is crying in a corner.

    Cool pics!
     
  6. tx246

    tx246 F1 Veteran
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Nov 4, 2003
    6,634
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    Shawn
    #6 tx246, Jan 2, 2010
    Seeing those photo's is definitely eerie. I remember all the places the way they USED to look. However, I swear the pigs name was Arnold and not Ralph.
     
  7. Axecent

    Axecent Formula 3

    Oct 15, 2008
    1,112
    Central Texas
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    John
    #7 Axecent, Jan 2, 2010
    It was Ralph the swimming pig and I heard he died a coupla years ago...RIP.

    Everyone in my family grew up going to the springs as kids. My wife and I went there 2 years ago to catch up on the archeological work and take the glass bottomed boat tour.
     
  8. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
    N.Richland Hills, Tx
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    James Dunne
    #8 AnotherDunneDeal, Jan 3, 2010
    We went again three years ago after about a 20 year absence. Took the glass bottom boat ride. Nothing like it was before, and no mermaids. We went swimming in the river. Man was that water cold for being in the heat of summer........
     
  9. Axecent

    Axecent Formula 3

    Oct 15, 2008
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    John
    #9 Axecent, Jan 3, 2010
    Last edited: Jan 3, 2010

    It is the average outside temperature (annual and not diurnal; over a years time) for that lattitude, which is approximately 69F, because it is rising from depths that are not affected by seasonal temperature swings, but not deep enough to have a geothermal effect. Feels pretty chilly in the summer.
     
  10. -FROG-

    -FROG- Formula Junior
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    Nov 3, 2003
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    Paul Daniels
    #10 -FROG-, Jan 3, 2010
    I was bored, so looked around and found some old pictures on "GOOGLE Images" that were kinda cool.


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  11. AnotherDunneDeal

    AnotherDunneDeal F1 Veteran

    Jun 2, 2003
    6,109
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    James Dunne
    #11 AnotherDunneDeal, Jan 4, 2010
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
  12. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    Dec 6, 2002
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    #12 BigTex, Jan 4, 2010
    Last edited: Jan 4, 2010
    Ralph the Swimming Pig, IIRC.

    Too bad, although I never toured the Springs, worked in San Marcos years ago, I'm SURE I've met the mermaids...

    "Grins" was the best burger/back porch...I think it's gone now also.
     
  13. goodfinder

    goodfinder Rookie

    Aug 24, 2007
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    San Marcos
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    Steve Harvey
    #13 goodfinder, Jan 5, 2010
    Glad you made the trek to San Marcos. We were just a few feet down the river from you, attending the annual New Year's Day "Plunge" into the river. We moved here from Plano two years ago and love it. A lot of nice people in the community and area. Now, if we just had more Ferrari drivers on the streets...
     
  14. -FROG-

    -FROG- Formula Junior
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    Nov 3, 2003
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    Paul Daniels
    #14 -FROG-, Jan 6, 2010
    Was there two of you swimming? I was eating at the resturant "Saltgrass" right there where the water spills through. There was a bum bathing, then a dude walking his dog, then a guy fishing with his buddy playing a guitar, then 2 dudes showed up and started swimming, jumping off the wall area. This was around 4:00 or so...?
     
  15. goodfinder

    goodfinder Rookie

    Aug 24, 2007
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    San Marcos
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    Steve Harvey
    #15 goodfinder, Jan 6, 2010
    We were there from about 11:45am to 12:45pm. Although we didn't jump in ourselves, we cheered everybody else along. It's estimated there were 100 jumping in and another 100 cheering them on. My chemotherapy makes me very sensitive to cold, otherwise I would have been right in the water with everybody else!

    Although we can't afford a Ferrari, we love the cars and (many of the) people who own and drive them. We did fly out to California after Thanksgiving to visit friends and then pick up a used Porsche Carrera S Cabriolet to drive back. We enjoy cars and get-togethers and look forward to the Hill Country Region Porsche group being invited to join other Ferrari upcoming events when possible, too.
     
  16. Got One

    Got One Karting

    Mar 7, 2006
    188
    #16 Got One, Jan 8, 2010
    awesome pics Frog...email me when you get a chance...would like to ask you a couple of questions about the trip.
     
  17. -FROG-

    -FROG- Formula Junior
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    Nov 3, 2003
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    Paul Daniels
    #17 -FROG-, Jan 9, 2010

    Cool deal. I was wondering if you were the one I saw swimming, but I guess the event was over by the time we were there eating lunch. brrr... too cold to be in that water! Lots of events go on here in the Ferrari world. If you like the cars, check out some of the events!
     
  18. -FROG-

    -FROG- Formula Junior
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    Nov 3, 2003
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    Full Name:
    Paul Daniels
    #18 -FROG-, Jan 9, 2010
    email sent! :)
     
  19. willrace

    willrace Three Time F1 World Champ
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    Oct 21, 2006
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    #19 willrace, Jan 9, 2010
    Wow, that's a name and place I haven't thought about in a very long time. Very eerie!!
    I never thought to wonder where it was located, and San Marcos wouldn't have come to mind.

    Same here - I was fascinated with how they stayed under water for so long (hidden bubble tubes).
    I also remember that as we exited that show, my 2 or 3 year old sister stepped on a cigarette butt and screamed for what seemed like days.
    And those glass-bottom boats were pretty cool to a 5 year old who loved water.
     
  20. texasmr2

    texasmr2 Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #20 texasmr2, Jan 10, 2010
    LOL!! Man I wanna eat at the Salt Lick soooo bad aswell as Maria's Taco Express.


    Cool pics by the way and thanks for sharing.

    Gregg
     
  21. DallasHammster

    DallasHammster Rookie

    Apr 14, 2010
    1
    #21 DallasHammster, Apr 14, 2010
    Actually, Grins is still in the same place it's always been, straight north of the campus. However, it has gotten so popular, and added on to so much that it is now (I am not kidding) four times as big as it was when I first went there back in the late 1970s. And they're still as good as they ever were, so go there next time you're in San Marcos.

    On the subject of Aquarena Springs, the University's "vision" for the park is sad. Having grown up in San Antonio, I have lots of happy memories of the place.
     
  22. BigTex

    BigTex Seven Time F1 World Champ
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    #22 BigTex, Apr 14, 2010
    Well, thanks for the info!!!

    And welcome to the site..........

    Grins used to be a really mellow place to sit out on the back porch and get a really great burger and beer, and watch the girls go by.....

    That's been some time ago for me, also....but I used to have the top floor apartment across from the Park, and dry my parasail over the balcony railing, when we came back in from the Lake.
     

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