Taking on Texas
Gone to Galveston!
For spring break 2019, the Smith’s took to Texas! We stayed in Galveston, and absolutely fell in love. It was a beautiful town; it felt very much like the east coast.
Dinner on the dock:
Fisherman’s Wharf was the ideal place to eat outside!
Sugar fix:
LaKing’s Confectionery is a quaint candy shop with everything a kid could imagine - from homemade taffy to ice-cream and soda fountains!
Fishing:
The weather wasn’t as warm as our spring Florida trips but it was warm enough for swims in the pool and perfect weather for fishing! Now - I’m no expert fisher, but B wanted to give it a try. We went to Jimmy’s on the Pier and rented the rod and bait (since B was the only one fishing and we were doing catch and release, we didn’t need a permit) . NOTE: if you are fishing in Galveston, be prepared to catch anything - and if you aren’t prepared, fish by friendly looking people who will offer help! We caught plenty of different fish (our friendly neighbors were very knowledgeable about the different kinds) including this ray and even a baby hammerhead shark!
Obviously we didn’t stay in Galveston the entire week - there is too much to explore in Texas! We went to Houston (which was only a little more than an hour away, depending on traffic). If I had to pick - Houston seemed like the place to live - people there are doing life right. Its close enough to a beach, plenty to do and within driving distance to the Cowboys stadium (perhaps not as close as Mike would prefer - but we can argue over that another time). So here are a few things we did in Houston that I loved and would recommend putting on your ‘check it out’ list:
Hello Houston:
When we arrived in Houston that morning it was raining, so we deviated from our original plans slightly and found an awesome Children’s Museum where the kids had a blast till the rain passed (which took most the morning). There was so much to do - for all the ages we were traveling with and it was the perfect rainy day activity.
Buffalo Bayou Park This is a must visit - especially if you do the bike rentals! After the rain passed - the sun came out and we had the best time exploring the park. The boys (Mike included) and I played cops and robbers around the natural playground for a solid hour. The boys loved it. Check out my video to see where I ranked in the game!
Bike Rentals to explore the entire park! Nathan absolutely loved the tag-along bike! (So much that I bought one for home on amazon - super easy to attach to your bike, perfect for beach trips) The bike rentals had an option for everyone, we had 5 adults, an 8 year old a 4 year old and a 1 year old and it accommodated us all! The park was easy to navigate and was beautiful.
Taste of Texas is the place to go for a fresh Texas steak! There was an on-site butcher where we could pick out our own steaks, the service was attentive and friendly (even with our table of kids) and there are even historical artifacts and documents on display! I would travel all the way back to Texas just to eat here again!
To Waco We Go!
The selling point for going to Texas was obviously the Cowboys for Mike. We compromised on staying down in Galveston as long as we made the trip to Dallas - which we did and was totally worth it if you don’t hate being in the car (which we don’t). Conveniently, Waco, TX is right on the way from Galveston to Dallas - so obviously we had to make the stop to visit the Magnolia Store! And yes - it is a quaint and homey that all the images convey.
So I want to give you all realistic tips to visiting here but honestly, we had an unrealistic experience. Like noted, we traveled from Galveston to Waco, which is roughly four hours. The entire FOUR hours was downpour. The radar just showed rain upon rain, upon rain no matter how far north we traveled. We debated skipping it and just going straight to the Cowboys stadium. As we pulled into the parking lot - the clouds parted and the most beautiful blue sky appeared. I kid you not - for the 2 hours we were there, the weather was perfect. Because it was down pouring the entire morning, no one else was there. It wasn’t crowded at all, there were no lines and it was magical. Nathan highly recommend the cinnamon from the bakery and I recommend saving a small fortune before you go in there - because that is what I spent! If you get a chance to visit - I loved it! Here is the website with more practical tips for an ordinary day at the market: Magnolia Market at the Silos.
How ‘bout them Cowboys
We traveled another 1.5 hours north to finally reach the home of the Cowboys. For those who don’t know, my darling Michael is a Cowboys fan. Unfortunately we did not go during football season so we didn’t get to see them play - but we did visit both the stadium (which is technically in Arlington, TX) and the practice facility (which is in Frisco, TX)… did I mention we don’t mind driving? Here are the tips I have if you ever find yourself wanting to visit either, or are trying to decide which one to visit.
Cowboys Stadium:
We bought tickets ahead of time, you can do that here: AT&T Stadium Tours
You might want to check the event calendar, when we went the field wasn’t down because they just had a monster truck show
This tour is more about falling in love with the stadium - and it is a beautiful stadium.
It was really cool going into the owner’s suite and their locker rooms
Practice Facility:
This is where a lot of trivia and artifacts are, such as the rings and the trophies - we also got tickets for this tour here: The Star in Frisco
This tour was fun because they were telling more about the history of the team and the players - I personally loved the display of the evolution of the uniform.
Yes - I was able to answer a question that stumped the entire tour group- including Mike. The answer was “Dancing with the Stars” … anyone know what the question was?
The complex around the practice facility “The Star District” was really cool too - we had the best burgers at The Concrete Cowboy
This is life in my lane, I hope it helps you navigate yours!
-Christy Smith