Deep in the Heart of Texas

Bluebonnet season is here!! Who else is as excited as I am?

If you are a Texan, you know this is the time of year when the weather gets warmer, days get longer and fields gets covered with bluebonnets. If you are looking for family pictures, this is the time to carve some time from your busy schedule to go out and capture those breath taking memories.

For those of you that may not be from Texas, let me explain a bit about the bluebonnet. Number 1: This is our state flower, and when they start sprouting you know it’s springtime. Number 2: When you see the fields covered in these purple/blue hues, it looks magical. And lastly, its the best state flower out of all the other states. (I am being a bit bias here ❤ ).

If you live in the Houston metro area, you are in luck, they have started to sprout in several places, like Buffalo Bayou, White Oak Bayou, the museum district, and Sugarland. The thing with bluebonnets is that this is a wildflower, so they will pop up in different places, so you just have to be in the lookout for a good spot. If you ask me, this is the best thing because it becomes a mini adventure. However, if you are looking for fields of bluebonnets instead of just a couple of patches then this will require a mini road trip. You can head out to Brenham TX, the Hill Country, Austin or San Antonio. We headed to Brenham this weekend and found the best spots for our family pictures.

Now, before you go out there in your search of the perfect picture, a couple of things to keep in mind.

1. This is our state flower and even though it is not illegal to pick them (Although we all think it is) please don’t. These are wild flowers and we need them to fully blossom so that they can bloom again next year.

2. Be respectful, the bluebonnets are delicate! Tread around them. Respect people’s property. If you see a perfect spot but it is inside gated land, do not enter.

3. Be safe especially if you are out in the fields, there might be thorns or there might be snakes. Also keep in mind that with spring time in full swing, so is the humidity and mosquitoes. And remember to stay hydrated out there.

A couple of tips: Take a small blanket or towel to sit on. If you have little kids, I would suggest taking a little step for them to sit on. And lastly, think of your outfit ahead of time. Make sure the whole family matches, it will make your pictures come out even better 🙂

A little over a year has past

A little over a year has past since I married my best friend and I still think of that special day in Colorado. I have linked our wedding highlight video here

Does anyone else sometimes feel like time goes by so fast? Well wedding time goes by faster. You spend all the time and effort for the big day and when it finally arrives it is over in a blink of an eye. I am so glad we had an amazing photographer and videographer to capture all the great moments.

Mexico Lindo

We traveled to Mexico last week for a short family vacation. Thought I would share with you all our experience.

My favorite part was the Trajineras de Xochimilco, it’s a gondola-like contraption that takes you down the canals of Mexico City. The Trajineras are truly amazing; they are colorful and can fit up to 20 people. Most trajineras will charge per hour not per person, which is the best way. For our two-hour tour they charges us $1,000 pesos ($53.09 USD). Once you are on the tajineras the conductor will take it around the canals where you will find food, mariachis, and souvenirs all without leaving the little boat. If you’ve been to Mexico but haven’t visit Xochimilco, you should stop by next time.

Next stop, Agua Hedionda in Cuautla, Morelos. Agua Hedionda is a mineral spring water spa; the waters originate from the melting snow of the Popocatepelt and Ixtaccihualt volcanoes. The spring surpasses about 200 gallons per second filling 2 large swimming pools (120 x 60 ft) and 8 small pools that can be rented for private use. For general admission to the large pools, the cost for adults is $50 pesos ($2.65 USD).  During this trip, we rented the largest private pool that accommodates up to 15 people. I will be honest, there is a slight funky smell to the water but this is because its natural mineral water that is filled with minerals and sulfur. The private pool had its own shower and bathroom along with four changing rooms and a grill. Weather you rent a private pool or head over the bigger public ones, your skin will thank you later.

Lastly, let’s talk about Mexico City. There are some that might be scared of traveling around Mexico City but honestly, I don’t know why. Mexico City is not bad if you ask me. If you are trying to get around Mexico City I suggest you park your car and travel by the underground metro. If you have been to New York City or Paris and can get around the metro there, then you won’t have a problem in Mexico City either. Now if you have never been to the underground metro in neither of those places, do not panic. As long as you can read a map then you can download the metro map on your phone as a pdf and get around. You should visit the Zocalo, Garibaldi, El Palacio de Bellas Artes, Bosque de Chapultepec, and the Frida Kahlo Musuem. I  will warn you, if you are planning on visiting all these places it will take a whole full day and you will be doing tons and tons of waking so take comfy shoes.

Overall, it was a fun mini vacation, even my Teddy Bear (my dog) went on this adventure. I’ll be posting about internationally traveling with your pet in a future blog.

Texas Safari

Do you want to go to a Safari without leaving Texas? This past weekend my husband and I took off on a small adventure to Natural Bridge Wildlife Ranch. It is an African Safari, Texas Style. Just on the outskirts of San Antonio you will find over 450-acres of natural, scenic, protected environment where animal roam around and come to your car so you can feed them. You pay $22.00 per adult and $13.50 per child and are given one baggie of food for the animals; you can buy extra baggies of food for $2.50 (We bought two because I wanted to make sure I could feed as many animals I could).

As you enter the gates, there are animals all around. The animals are used to vehicles so they are not startled but you do have to go no more than 5 mph.   There is Deer, Texas Longhorns, Rhinos, Lemurs, Zebras, Camels, Kangaroos, Giraffes, and Ostriches. Most of them will come to your window to be fed, it it’s really amazing. If you are bold enough you can even feed them from your hand. I tried this but realized I was semi screaming when the animals would get close. If you have kids this is somewhere you should visit, and if you don’t have kids then you should still come because its all-around fun.

Something I should mention is that dogs are not allowed in the park; they might bark and scare the animals so leave them at home. Also, once you circle around you can go into the park to feed the animals again, there is not a restriction on how many times you can go. If you are interested here is their link: www.wildliferanchtexas.com

 

Side note, if you do happen to visit the ranch, I would suggest you stop by at Sal-o-Mon’s (18780 N Interstate 35 Frontage Rd, Schertz, TX 78154)  for a bite to eat before getting to the ranch. The food is amazing! It is a small family owned business, from the outside it can look a bit odd and you might be skeptical of stopping to eat, but don’t be. The menu does not have that many choices but whatever you get you will not be disappointed. My husband ordered the chilaquiles rojos and they were bomdiggity. They tortilla strips were crispy and spicy, you could taste all the flavors in each bite. I ordered jamon con huevo (ham and eggs) and they were well seasoned. Did I forget to mention that the tortillas are all handmade!!! We ordered some tacos al pastor and asada and the pastor ones are delicious. Go try them, you won’t regret it.

New Orleans’ Hidden Gem

I was in New Orleans for work this week, and for those that have not been there I thought I would share my opinion on this city. I have to be honest; I don’t love Louisiana. I never visited before Hurricane Katrina so I don’t know how it was before the destruction. However, most of New Orleans to me seems to be dirty and old. There is however, the usual tourist attractions such as the French Quarters filled with music and creole food but truthfully, it’s not all that and a bag of chips. Everything is highly overpriced and crowded. Unless you’re heading there to party and drink or for Mardi Gras, then I would say to save your pennies for another place.

Ok, back to my story. During my visit this week, I was dreading having to kill time before heading back to the airport until I found a little hidden gem. If you drive down Harrison Ave you will find City Park, it is their equivalent to Central Park in New York. It is a 1,300-acre park filled with things to do. As soon as you enter the park, you forget that you are in Louisiana. The park itself is well maintained with many trees and flowers. There are plenty of people walking, biking, taking a sunbath, and even fishing in the ponds. They have a botanical garden (general admission is 8 dollars per adult but are free on Wednesday if you are a Louisiana resident). They also have a sculpture garden that is free to the public. I didn’t have time to explore the whole park but apparently, there is a carousel garden amusement park, tennis courts among other things. If you are ever in the area, stop by and check it out.

 

Saying goodbye to the Rodeo

Last Sunday was the last day of the rodeo, and if you are like me then you are wishing it had lasted a little longer.   For a true Houstonian this is simply something you do, you must go to the Rodeo every year. Some of you may be thinking… but is it not the same thing every year? You are right; however, there is something about the livestock, the cowboys, and the food that keeps you asking for more.  Rodeo is that time of year where you dust off your boots, sparkly belt buckles, and cowboy hats and flaunt them proudly.

It starts with the trail riders coming into town, if you have not witnessed this in person, then you have a whole year to look forward to it. But first, a little history for those that are not from Texas. In 1952, four men traveled on horseback from Brenham, Texas, to raise awareness of the Houston Rodeo. Today, more than 3,000 trail riders partake in this tradition, heading into Houston from all directions including Louisiana and Mexico.  Los Vaqueros Trail Ride is the longest ride, covering 386 miles, beginning in Reynosa, Mexico. All 13-trail rider groups will gallop into downtown Houston to kick off the rodeo. If you happen to spot them coming into town you see tons of horses and wagons and many smiling faces.

Houston is the fourth largest city in the U.S, we are hustle and bustle kind of city but we all know that when the trail riders are coming in, all the traffic stops to make way for the horses and wagons to remind us of our Texan’s ways.

Now let’s talk about the food, everything is bigger and better in Texas. This is where you will find humongous turkey legs, 16in corn dogs, and fried everything from Oreos, cheesecake, and ice cream. There’s also tons and tons of games and rides, think of a county fair but ten times better. The concerts are amazing, this year we went to Rascal Flats and Luke Bryant (I did let my husband know that he will always be my husband but Luke Bryant is bae lol). The rodeo itself is amazing, you get to see the bull riding, barrel racing, bareback raising, and mutton bustin. If you don’t know what mutton bustin is then just picture a five or six year old hugging a huge sheep racing across the arena, the one that holds on the longest wins a buckle! Yes, a shiny belt buckle. The rodeo is now over and I can’t wait until the trail riders make their way back again. Next year’s goal… Get my Californian husband in full cowboy attire… boots, hat and all!