NEW BRAUNFELS, Texas — The sun was out and so were the tubes.
Memorial Day Weekend is bringing visitors to the Hill Country, and in New Braunfels are choosing to relax at the Comal and Guadalupe rivers.
At River Acres park, a few families could be seen cooling off in the Guadalupe River on Friday. A few blocks away, at the tube chute on the Comal River, things looked like a typical summer weekend.
“Usually Memorial Day Weekend is our first busy weekend,” said Amy Niles, river operations manager for the city. “It's kind of our unofficial start to the summer season. We expect people to come out if the weather is good.”
Swimmers were spotted making a splash and tubers faced the chute with confidence.
With more visitors expected throughout the long weekend, Niles reminded families to make smart decisions, especially if the weather takes a turn.
“The city recommends any visitor keeps an eye on the weather,” Niles said. “We don't recommend that anybody gets in any open bodies of water if there's lightning present.”
As for health concerns, Niles says city parks have space for visitors to spread out.
“We're creating an environment where people can socially distance, but it is up to the user that comes to socially distance from each other,” she said. “We ask that you would stay at least six feet away from people that are not in your group when you come. That way, everybody can come and have a great time.”
River time can be a fun way to relax this weekend, but remember to stay safe.
“We encourage anybody that comes to the river to know their swimming level,” said Niles. “We do have life jackets available, but if you have your own life jacket we encourage you to bring that. That waym, you feel most comfortable.”
The Guadalupe and Comal rivers within the city limits have restrictions on what you can bring with you. No glass or disposable containers are allowed, so make sure your food or drink is in something you would wash and reuse.
“We put all these rules in place to protect the safety of our visitors, the safety of our citizens and, as well, just to protect our rivers and keep them beautiful,” Niles said.
