Over Spring Break I visited my friend D who lives in Houston, Texas. I spent a long weekend there and had a spectacular time. On Thursday I spent the morning laying out by the pool in the 80 degree weather (Chicago was 55 and raining). I really need to move to a city in which you can go to the pool ten months per year... In the afternoon I went shopping at #1 in the photo collage below, The Houston Galleria . It is widely recognized as the number one shopping and tourist destination in Houston. It has stunning architecture, a huge selection of stores including Neiman Marcus, Gucci, Macy's, Tiffany & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue, Express, Ralph Lauren Collection, Louis Vuitton and Nordstrom. And it even has an ice skating rink! I sat on a bench overlooking the rink and watched little girls take ice skating lessons for a few minutes. The only other mall I have seen with an ice skating rink was in Australia. The Galleria attracts over 24 million annual visitors. That night for dinner we went to #2 Niko Niko's, an authentic but affordable Greek food restaurant. It has wonderful Greek food in a very causal atmosphere. We ate outside on the patio. This place was very busy, I could tell it was a local favorite. I had a chicken kebob sandwich which was served in warm pita with creamy tzatziki sauce. Yum. As a side I had herb french fries, which were honestly to die for. I definitely recommend Niko Niko's if you ever find yourself in Houston, Texas.
As most people are, I was curious about what Texan/country music bars were like. So D took me to #3 Rebels Honky Tonk. It definitely had the cowboy feel with many people dressed in jeans and boots, a mechanical bull and line dancing. I didn't know what two-stepping was, but it is definitely fun to watch. My personal favorite moment was when D's dancing partner tucked her clutch into the back of his pants, and put his beer in his back pocket in order to swing her around the dance floor. I also saw a guy put his dance partner's purse around his neck! These guys were definitely serious about their dancing, and I had a great Texas time. On my last morning in Houston we went to #4 Tacos A Go-Go for breakfast. It had funky decor and amazing breakfast tacos.
On Friday during the day I went to work with D who is a 4th grade teacher. Hanging out with 4th graders all day made me miss my own students. I had a great time helping the students write research questions about places near Washington D.C. Some of the places were the Arlington National Cemetery, the Vietnam War Memorial and the Smithsonian. These lucky kids are going on a trip to D.C., so cool! After work we took a road trip to Austin, Texas about three hours away from Houston. With more live music performances per capita than anywhere else, Austin is known as the “Live music capital of the world”. Austin was so much fun. The city is very spread out and almost rural, with lots of boutiques and non chain restaurants. It reminded me a little bit of Madison, WI. On our way to our hotel we stopped to eat at #1 Eastside Cafe, a restaurant that has its own organic vegetable garden. It is located in the interior of an old house, each room holds several tables which gives the space a cozy and intimate ambiance. Instead of a break basket they served mini cornbread jalapeno muffins. I was a bit skeptical at first, but they were amazing!That night we went out on 6th Street, #2 on the collage below.. Traffic is blocked for seven blocks on Thursday, Friday and Saturday evenings to allow the crowds to walk unhindered to the many venues that line the street. It reminded me of Bourbon street with people everywhere in the street going from bar to bar. Sixth Street (formerly known as Pecan Street) is lined with many historical houses and commercial buildings dating from the late 1800's and early 1900's. The storied old buildings now house numerous bars, a host of live entertainment venues, tattoo parlors, art galleries, casual cafes, upscale restaurants, and the elegant Driskill Hotel. Sixth Street is Austin's entertainment area with bars such as Aquarium, Library, Maggie May's, Chuggin' Monkey's, the Jackalope and Mugshots. If you visit Austin you have to spend a night out on Sixth Street, you won't regret it! On Saturday morning we hiked up to the top of Mt. Bonnell, #3. It has been a popular tourist destination since the 1850s. The mount provides a vista for viewing the city of Austin, the Lake Austin portion of the Colorado River, and the surrounding hills. It was designated a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark in 1969. The view from the top of Mt. Bonnell was very scenic and worth the climb, we also took some gorgeous pictures. #5 Downtown is home to some of Austin's most unique, unusual, eclectic, independent retail businesses. There are more than 300 retailers in the Downtown area. Whether you are looking to outfit yourself, decorate your home, or give a loved one a unique and thoughtful gift, shopping in and around downtown at one of the many stores and boutiques can provide you with a great experience. We spent a few hours shopping at the boutiques, but we could have spent all day. Adorable, unique stores line the street one after another, you won't be able to stop yourself from stopping in as many as you can.
#4 The next time you are in Texas Grab your cooler of beer and your sunblock, and rent a tube and float down the Guadalupe or Comal rivers. Don't forget to get a tube for your cooler too! This was hands down my favorite thing I did in Texas. You drive to one of the tubing companies and rent an inner tube, a cooler, and of course a tube for the cooler to float in. Next, you tie yourself and your companions to the tube that has the cooler on it. After that you float down the river basking in the sun and drinking some cold beer from your cooler. It takes 2-3 hours to get to the end, and you go over a few small rapids (where you almost, but not quite flip over). Then you get on the bus at the end and it takes you back to your car. I had so much fun floating the river. We saw a few bachelor/bachelorette parties, made up an awesome drinking game and met some incredibly interesting people... It was a unique experience that I would definitely try again.
Have you ever been to Texas? What fun things did you do?
BAS
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