By David Jenkins

Staff Writer

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We have officially entered the heart of summer.

There’s no better way to cool off than to take a vacation that is centered around water.

Texas offers many options, but if you are up to traveling out of state, Oklahoma and Arkansas potentially have cooler temps and some great scenery as well.

New Braunfels

The town is home to the Guadalupe River and is located in the counties of Comal and Guadalupe.

It is located within a day’s drive to downtown San Antonio (29 miles), San Marcos (19) and Austin (45).

An interesting sidenote is that New Braunfels is also home to Buc-ee’s, which is considered by some to be the mother of all gas stations.

It combines restaurants, a gift shop and so many other things, it is well worth the stop.

New Braunfels offers many activities, but the most popular is tubing down the Guadalupe and Comal Rivers.

There are multiple businesses along the two rivers that offer tube rentals.

If you prefer to fish, they have that too.

The Guadalupe is listed as one of the 100 top trout streams in the United States.

In addition, one can fly fish for rainbow and brown trout on the tailwaters of the Guadalupe.

Below Canyon Lake anglers can catch large and smallmouth bass, Guadalupe bass, white bass and the Rio Grande cichlid.

For more information on the Guadalupe River visit guadaluperiver.com.

If you’re not into Mother Nature, New Braunfels offers the Schlitterbahn Waterpark and Resort.

The 70-acre park boasts multiple slides and water areas for the youngsters.

For more information visit the parks website at www.schlitterbahn.com/new-braunfels.

Turner Falls

The park is located in Davis, Okla., which is a little over a two-hour drive from any town in Collin County.

Turner Falls is considered the tallest waterfall is Oklahoma, according to locals, and drops 77 feet into a natural swimming pool.

Its height matches the Natural Falls State Park, which is located northeast of Oklahoma in the Ozark Highlands Region.

The highlight of Turner Falls is the clear water that flows throughout the park, creating rippling creeks and natural swimming pools.

The pièce de résistance is the 77-foot waterfall. In addition, there are natural trails and three caves.

There are many options when it comes to housing.

The park offers an RV and tent campground area as well as cabins that are privately owned and available to rent.

Additional information on Turner Falls can be found at www.travelok.com.

Arkansas

The Natural State is home to the Ozarks, also known as the Ozark Mountains, Ozark Mountain Country and the Ozark Plateau.

The fishing lakes of Arkansas are among the state’s most prized possessions.

Cold-flowing springs and creeks constantly feed them,

The mountain-based fishing lakes are among the cleanest in the world.

The Ozarks offer Bull Shoals, Greers Ferry, Norfork, Beaver, Dardanelle and other smaller lakes.

The Ouachita Mountains feature DeGray, Greeson, Hamilton, Catherine, Nimrod and Ouachita lakes.

So what if you’re not into fishing and are looking for something that requires a little more adventure?

There are multiple rivers that offer canoeing and kayaking.

Just a few are Big Piney Creek, Big Spring, Buffalo National River and many, many more.

If you’re just passing through Arkansas, one place that is worth the stop is the Hot Springs Mountain Tower.

It is 216 feet off the ground and offers two viewing levels with educations and historical exhibits.

No matter where you way be standing, there is a 360-degree view of the surrounding Ouachita Mountains.

For more information visit www.arkansas.com and www.hotsprings.com.

Note: Parts of this story featured information from www.wikipedia.com,  schlitterbahn.com.,www.arkansas.com.,www.travelok.com and www.hotsprings.com.