Have you ever wanted to take a fun trip but felt overwhelmed by all the planning that comes with it? Or maybe you love the idea of exploring somewhere new but can never decide where to go. If you enjoy the element of surprise and want to travel without stressing over every detail, Pack Up & Go is a travel company that plans an entire vacation for you and keeps the destination a surprise until just before you leave.

What Is Pack Up & Go?

Pack Up & Go specializes in surprise vacations. Before booking, you fill out a detailed survey covering your travel preferences, budget, interests, and any places you want to avoid. From there, their team handles everything, including lodging, transportation details, and curated activities. You know when you’re leaving and how long you’ll be gone, but the destination stays a secret until just days before your trip. There are multiple trip "types" you can choose from such as: plane trips, road trips, outdoor trips and more.

The Surprise Factor

The anticipation is half the fun. Leading up to the trip, Pack Up & Go sends helpful clues, packing tips and a weather report for the duration of your stay so you’re prepared without spoiling the surprise. You receive an envelope a few days before you leave that finally tells you where you’re headed. My husband and I actually waited until right before we left for the airport the morning of to see where we were going. It’s exciting, memorable, and feels a little like opening a gift you didn’t know you were getting.

Family Friendly?

Pack Up and Go does plan trips for families with kids of all ages. When my husband and I did our Pack Up & Go trip, we did not take our kids because they were very little at the time. I didn't know what to expect since it was our first time, so I wasn't sure how it would work with kids. Now that our kids are a little older, I think it would be a lot of fun to do a trip with our kids. It would be a fun way to explore somewhere new and make memories as a family.

Our Trip

We got sent to Asheville, North Carolina on our trip and it was so much fun! We went to the top of Grandfather Mountain, saw the beautiful Biltmore, hiked to SO MANY beautiful waterfalls, visited Chimney Rock, explored downtown Asheville and so much more! It was the perfect little getaway to explore a new place. We fell in love with Asheville and can't wait to go back someday!

Final Thoughts on Our Surprise Trip

If you’re looking for a unique way to travel that takes the pressure off planning while adding a sense of adventure, Pack Up & Go is such a fun option to consider. Whether you go as a couple, with friends, or bring your kids along, it’s an experience that turns the journey into part of the excitement. Sometimes the best memories come from the places you didn’t expect, and this is one trip where the surprise truly becomes part of the story.

If you’re looking for a warm-weather family getaway with a mix of animals, hands-on fun, and easy-to-explore activities, San Antonio is such a great option.

We actually took this trip when we just had our one son, who was about 1.5 years old at the time. And even at that age, there was so much for him to enjoy.

Now that we have three kids, I can confidently say we would absolutely take this same trip again as a full family. It’s one of those trips that truly works for a wide range of ages.

Here’s everything we did and what we loved most.

Is San Antonio Good for Toddlers?

Short answer: yes.

Longer answer… we were honestly surprised by how toddler-friendly this trip was.

At 1.5 years old, our son loved:

• Looking at animals up close at the safari and zoo

• Exploring open spaces like the River Walk

• Playing freely at The DoSeum

Most of the activities didn’t require long attention spans or strict structure, which made the days feel a lot less stressful.

And now looking back, we feel even more confident that this trip would be just as fun (if not more) with multiple kids of different ages.

Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch (Drive-Thru Safari)

One of the most memorable parts of our trip was visiting Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch.

This is a drive-thru safari park where animals walk right up to your car, which was perfect for visiting with a toddler.

We had ostriches and zebras come right up to the car and eat straight out of our hands, which was such a fun (and slightly wild) experience.

One thing we really loved was being able to have our son sit on our laps during the drive. It gave him a much more up-close and personal view, and we could easily help him feed the animals while keeping a close eye on everything.

What we loved:

• No need to get out of the car

• Animals are incredibly close

• Hands-on experience feeding animals

• Easy to guide and monitor a toddler throughout

Parent tip: Bring wipes. Trust me on this one.

San Antonio Zoo

We also spent time at the San Antonio Zoo, which was a great balance to the safari.

This zoo felt very manageable with a toddler, which made the experience much more enjoyable for us.

What stood out most was how easy it was to explore. The paths were very walkable without feeling exhausting, and it allowed us to move at our own pace. There were plenty of shaded areas throughout the zoo, which was perfect when little legs needed a break. We also loved the variety of animals and how many you could see up close, which kept our son engaged a lot of the time.

One unexpected bonus we loved was an outdoor mud kitchen play area. It gave our son a chance to slow down, play, and just be a kid for a bit in between seeing animals.

Even at 1.5 years old, those simple play moments ended up being some of his favorite parts of the day.

What’s New Since Our Visit (And Why It’s Even Better for Kids)

We visited back in 2019, and from what I can tell, the zoo has continued to grow and improve quite a bit since then, especially for younger kids.

The play area we experienced, including the mud kitchen our son loved, has since been expanded into what’s now called the Kronkosky Tiny Tot Nature Spot.

It’s been reimagined specifically for younger children, with a focus on building confidence, creativity, and a connection to nature. From what I’ve seen, it now includes:

• Mud kitchen and sensory play areas

• Water and sand play spaces

• Nature-based climbing and open-ended exploration

Even when we visited, simple spaces like this ended up being some of his favorite moments of the day. Now that it’s been expanded, this is one of the first places we’d head to if we went back.

Beyond that, the zoo has added and improved quite a bit overall, including:

• Expanded habitats for animals like giraffes and other African wildlife

• New immersive exhibits like the Congo Falls gorilla habitat

• Continued updates to the layout and overall guest experience

If anything, it looks like it’s gotten even better since we went and we’d be excited to revisit now with all three kids. You can check out everything there is to do at the zoo on their website.

The River Walk

You really can’t go to San Antonio without spending time at the San Antonio River Walk. It was beautiful and was one of my favorite parts of our whole trip!

Most of our time was just spent walking along the river, stopping when we wanted, and letting our son take everything in. There’s something about the boats going by and the water that kept his attention more than we expected.

What we loved:

• Very stroller-friendly paths

• Easy to explore at your own pace

• Lots of spots to stop, sit, and take a break

• Plenty of restaurants nearby if you want to grab a bite to eat

One of the best parts about the River Walk is that it doesn’t feel like a “structured” activity. You don’t have to plan it out or commit to a long block of time. You can pop in, walk for a bit, grab food, and head out when your kids are done.

The Alamo (Quick Stop)

We also made a quick stop at The Alamo while we were near the River Walk, and it was super easy to fit into our day.

It’s just a short walk from the River Walk, so we didn’t have to go out of our way at all. Honestly, it kind of caught me off guard because you get to the street it is on and you see a bunch of tourist shops and then you see the Alamo. It felt very out of place, but you have to remember, it was there first. :)

We didn’t spend a ton of time, but it was fun to stop, walk around, and take a few pictures. It’s one of those places that’s worth seeing, especially since it’s so easy to add into your plans.

The DoSeum (Hands-On Kids Museum)

The DoSeum was such a fun surprise for us and ended up being a great stop for a wide range of ages. Even with a younger toddler, there were plenty of spaces to explore, move around, and just play freely. We loved the mix of open-ended play areas and both indoor and outdoor options, which made it easy to spend time there without feeling rushed. It’s one of those places where kids can truly just be kids, and it’s easy to see how it would be even more fun as they get older.

Final Thoughts on San Antonio

San Antonio ended up being such a great mix of activities without feeling overwhelming.

Between the safari, zoo, River Walk, and hands-on experiences, it felt like there was always something to do, but still at a pace that worked well with kids.

If you’re planning to extend your trip, we also spent time in Corpus Christi, which added a really fun aquarium experience + beach.

Something fun we have done for our kids on April Fool’s Day is surprise them with a silly breakfast. It’s such a simple way to start the morning with some laughs before school, and the kids never quite know what they’re going to get.

The idea is pretty simple. Everything looks like one food… but turns out to be something completely different. The reactions when they realize they’ve been tricked are always the best part.

Over the years we’ve tried a few different breakfast surprises. One year we served “spaghetti and meatballs” that were actually pancakes, sausage, and strawberry sauce. Another time we made what looked like a pan of brownies… but it was actually brown construction paper “E’s” in a baking pan. (I still don’t think my son has forgiven me for that one, even though it was years ago. Haha!)

Another easy one we’ve done is “donuts” that are really apple slices topped with frosting and sprinkles. They look just convincing enough that the kids get excited… until they take the first bite.

None of these take very long to put together, but they always lead to some great reactions at the breakfast table.

April Fool’s “Spaghetti and Meatballs” Breakfast

This was probably my favorite breakfast we have made for our kids because it really did look like a plate of spaghetti and meatballs. The fun part is that it’s actually pancakes, sausage, and strawberry sauce.

Here’s how to make it.

What You Need

• Pancake batter

• Breakfast sausage

• Strawberry syrup or strawberry sauce

• Powdered sugar

How to Make It

1. Make the pancake “spaghetti”

Pour your pancake batter into a squeeze bottle or piping bag. Slowly squeeze long thin lines of batter onto a hot griddle, creating noodle-like strips instead of normal round pancakes.

2. Cook the pancake noodles

Let the batter cook until the bottom is lightly golden, then flip the strips just like you would a pancake. Once cooked, remove them from the griddle and pile them together to look like a small mound of spaghetti noodles.

3. Prepare the “meatballs”

Cook your breakfast sausage and cut or shape it into small round pieces so they resemble meatballs.

4. Add the “sauce”

Spoon strawberry sauce or strawberry syrup over the pancake noodles. The color actually looks surprisingly similar to spaghetti sauce.

5. Finish with “parmesan”

Sprinkle a little powdered sugar on top to look like grated parmesan cheese.

Serve it up on a plate just like spaghetti and watch your kids try to figure out why their spaghetti tastes like pancakes.

April Fool’s “Brown E’s”

This one might be the simplest prank of all, but it was also the funniest because my kids were completely convinced they were about to get brownies for breakfast.

All I did was tell them they get to have brownies for breakfast. They were very excited and uncovered the pan with foil and found a pan full of brown construction paper letter E’s instead.

My son quickly caught on and said, “Those aren’t brownies, they are paper!" I replied with, "they are Brown Es". My daughter looked at the pan and said, “No… I want brownies to eat!!”

They were definitely not very happy with me in that moment, which honestly made it even funnier. I still don’t think my son has forgiven me for that one, even though it was years ago. Haha!

What You Need

• Brown construction paper

• Scissors

• A baking pan

• Foil

How to Make It

1. Cut several letter E’s out of brown construction paper.

2. Place them in a baking pan so it looks like a tray of brownies and cover it with foil.

3. Call the kids over and tell them you made “brownies for breakfast".

Let them uncover it and then just wait for the moment they realize they’re actually brown E’s.

April Fool’s “Donuts” (Frosted Apple Slices)

These “donuts” look like a fun breakfast treat, but they’re actually apple slices with frosting and sprinkles. This one is especially fun because the kids think they’re getting donuts… and then realize they’re eating fruit instead.

What You Need

• Apples

• Frosting (any color you like)

• Sprinkles

How to Make Them

1. Core the apple to make the "donut hole"

Use an apple corer to cut out the center of an apple.

2. Slice the apples

Cut the apples into round slices about ½ inch thick.

3. Add the frosting

Spread a thin layer of frosting on top of each apple slice. You can use different colors to make them look like bakery donuts.

4. Add sprinkles

Finish them off with sprinkles on top of the frosting.

Serve them on a plate like real donuts and see if your kids notice the trick before taking a bite. Our kids still ate these and enjoyed them, however, they were bummed. they weren't actually getting donuts!