Our Never Ending Journey

For a while when Clay and I were dating, his voicemail message said something like, "I'm going to keep this short and sweet, just like Cora. Please leave a message." I could never decide whether it was annoying or flattering...

In honor of that totally random memory, I am going to keep today's post short and sweet, at least compared to my usual verbosity.

On yet another gorgeous Saturday during the wonderfully unpredictable weeks when the weather cannot decide whether it is late winter or early spring, I decided to check out the hiking trails at Hunstville State Park. This time, I braved the trails alone because I wasn't afraid of getting eaten by an alligator!

My trail of choice was the 6.8 mile Chinquapin Trail.

The trailhead was conveniently located (i.e., I didn't have to take too many turns inside the park to get there and there was a nearby building, thus my chance of getting horribly lost and driving around the park for hours was reduced - reduced, not eliminated) and the trail seemed to offer a nice overview of the park's scenery.

Other than several mountain bikers and a few people walking in the area around the campground and lake, I was blissfully alone for most of the hike. The trail was mildly challenging with at least some change in elevation. Add in the opportunity for a lakeside picnic lunch and it was just about perfect!

Huntsville State Park's longest trail is 8.5 miles, but if you're looking for even more adventure, you can head to the nearby Sam Houston National Forest where the 128-mile Lone Star Hiking Trail is located. This unexpectedly scenic part of Texas is definitely worth a visit.

As much as I did not believe it would be true, my internship year in Houston has (thankfully) flown by. As winter turned to spring, I realized I could begin counting the months before moving home on one hand. Which was really exciting, but also reminded me that anything on my while-I-live-in-Houston to do list had to be done sooner rather than later. On this list was hiking in Brazos Bend State Park. One thing the park is known for is alligators. And I of course could not go by myself because, well, alligators! Attempting to hike the maintained and busy trails by myself would mean certain death by alligator, obviously. So, I convinced Clay that he should accompany me to Brazos Bend State Park during one of his weekends in Houston. Although, now that I think about it, it was less convincing and more telling...

Despite Clay's questionable willingness to spend a Saturday morning protecting me from alligators, we had a lovely hike through small portion of the park. After the one hour drive from Houston, we paid our $7 apiece entry fee and began deciding which of the 35-ish miles of trail we wanted to hike. We eventually settled on a combination of the popular Elm Lake Loop Trail and the 40-Acre Lake Trail. They are connected by the Spillway Trail and we added on a bit of a detour with the Pilant Slough Trail. I estimate we ended up hiking a little over 4.5 miles, but we could have easily made a day of it if we had not had other plans for the afternoon. The trails were not challenging, but the scenery was pleasant and surprisingly varied.

We were there on a truly beautiful, if windy and cool, day in early March. Despite the lovely weather, the park was not crowded and we could enjoy the quietness that can only be found away from the city.

Oh, and I am sure you're wondering about the whole alligator thing. Well, we saw one the entire hike. One! I was freaked out for nothing!

Of course, maybe if it had been a few degrees warmer...

Even though I didn't get to see many alligators, we still enjoyed Brazos Bend State Park. If hiking isn't your thing, there is also horseback riding, camping, and fishing. The park also houses the George Observatory, which is open to the public on Saturdays. Although I won't be in Houston much longer (65 days. Give or take. Not that I am counting), I wouldn't mind going back to explore one of the park's longer trails before I move back to Dallas.

There are many reasons I love living in McKinney, many of which are probably the same reasons it was recently ranked the #2 place to live in the US by Money Magazine. Out of all of the great things about McKinney, the downtown is probably my favorite. There are great restaurants and shops and there is always some type of event going on, like the Local Yocal Steak 101 class. The Local Yocal is not only a butcher shop, but it also provides a place for local artisans and farmers to sell their products.

One Saturday when I was home, Clay and I decided to check out the Steak 101 class. Okay, Clay decided to check out the Steak 101 class and I tagged along because they were offering a 2-for-1 special, so we were able to both attend for $40.

The class was led by Local Yocal owner Matthew Hamilton.

During the first part of the class, we learned about the various grades of beef and how it is oh-so-effectively marketed in the US. We also learned about the ways in which the product offered by Local Yocal differs from what you can buy at most other places. Careful breeding and humane care of the grass fed cattle lead to beef that is superior in quality to what is generally available in supermarkets or grocery stores.

The next portion of the class, we got to go inside the shop and learn about the various cuts of beef. For the first time, I really understood the difference between a ribeye and a sirloin. This portion of the class was a bit gruesome, but it literally put into context the various parts of a cow that are commonly consumed.

The final portion of the class was the one that everyone was really there for – we ate steak, lots and lots of steak.

Cooked according to their mantra “There are three ways to cook a steak: rare, medium rare, and ruined,” we were able to try all cuts of steak, as well as hamburgers and smoked brisket, all while learning the ideal way to prepare and grill steak.

I was surprised by the varying tastes and textures of the different cuts, as well as the noticeable difference in taste between Wagyu beef and Angus beef.

We just about ate our weight in steak, or at least Clay did. I hit what Clay called a “meat wall” about half way through. I not only could not think about eating a single bite more of beef, I also insisted we immediately find some vegetables to eat. I think Clay was moderately horrified by this, but he did not seem to mind eating my steak in addition to his own...

If you would like to attend the class, you can sign up online or in the store. The class schedule varies, but typically seems to be offered 1 -2 times per month. The class is even BYOB. At our class some really nice person walked to the nearby McKinney Wine Merchant and purchased a few bottles to share. I told you I love McKinney!!

Needing something to do on a Saturday other than be responsible by completing the formatting of my dissertation, I came up with a seemingly perfect day combining pretty much everything that I love to do – learning about history, spending time outdoors, eating good food, drinking wine, and shopping. Not wanting to stray too far from Houston, I was pleasantly surprised to find that Washington County, Texas offered all of these things. I spent the entire week leading up to my perfect Saturday eagerly planning and looking forward to "my day". The danger, of course, was that the reality would not quite live up to my admittedly high expectations...

I began the day with a bit of Texas history at Washington-On-The-Brazos State Park.

A park pass for all of the onsite attractions cost $9, or I could have purchased individual passes for $5 apiece if I had been planning to visit just one spot. The park offers frequent guided tours of the original Old Washington town site and Independence Hall. This of course includes information about the signing of the Texas Declaration of Independence, which established the Republic of Texas as independent from Mexico.

The original building where the Texas Declaration of Independence was signed burned down sometime after the town was abandoned, but this is an exact replica built on the foundation of the building.

This cistern is the only remaining original structure of the town of Washington.

As a non-native Texan, I am not too familiar with Texas history, so I enjoyed learning more about the state I will indefinitely call home. Washington-On-The-Brazos even offers an app that provides more information about the Republic of Texas and the history of the Washington town site. After the tour, I took advantage of the sunny, but cool day to walk the onsite trails. There were even a few brave bluebonnets beginning to bloom. I was there in mid-February, but I imagine that a few weeks later the fields were covered in them.

I had obviously planned a full day, so I chose to skip the Star of the Republic Museum. I have difficulty lightly perusing a museum, so it would probably have taken me a couple of hours (at least) to do the exhibits justice.

Although I didn't have time for the museum, there was a re-enactment group camping on the grounds over that particular weekend, so it was fun (and encouraged) to walk around their tents and get a glimpse of history.

I did that on my way to the Barrington Living History Farm, which includes the home of Anson Jones. He was both a physician and the last president of the Republic of Texas.

Although walking between sites is possible (and what I chose to do), there are also parking lots at each site if you are just visiting one or if it’s 110 degrees in the middle of summer and walking seems like a bad idea. I must confess, I am a sucker for living history museums, which I realize I probably should have outgrown sometime, oh, around the mid-90’s. But I didn't, so I had a great time touring the onsite buildings and talking to the various historical interpreters about life in the early days of Texas.

There was also a special exhibit on heroic medicine, the aggressive and often ineffective medicine practiced until the mid-nineteenth century, such as would have been practiced by Anson Jones himself. I got to learn about all of the things I could have died from had I lived at the time, as well as the treatments that were often used. Yes, this means I saw leeches. And did you know that the treatment for a toothache was putting fire ants in your mouth? Gross and painful!!

Special programs like this are offered on a frequent basis, so there is always something new to learn even if you've been to Washington-On-The-Brazos before.

After a thoroughly enjoyable morning, I had worked up an appetite. My lunch spot of choice was the Southern Flyer Diner at the Brenham Municipal Airport.

If I were cooler/richer/had access to a private airplane, I could have just flown in for my lunch. As it was, I took the less exciting route and simply drove there and parked.

It was fun to people watch while I ate lunch at the 50’s style diner. Not only was the atmosphere fantastic, but the food was also really good. Definitely worth the effort to get there, whether by plane or by car.

Next up, I wanted to visit one of the many wineries in the area for a wine tasting. The only unfortunate part of being by myself was that I was also driving, so I limited my venture to only one tasting at one winery. My choice was the Windy Winery.

One of the owners was originally from Arkansas, so we got to chat about our mutual home state while I tried several delicious Texas wines. The tasting was $10 and included 6 wines. The pours were generous and my tasting may have included more than six wines.

They also offer a cheese plate and a couple of other food options to accompany the wines, but I was still quite full from lunch. My favorite, which of course I purchased, was the muscadine wine. The bubbly version of this was quite good, as well.

My last stop, after a bit of a drive in the country (in other words, I got lost and yes, I had a GPS; obviously it was defective), was downtown Brenham. I was actually surprised that it was not busier on a pleasant Saturday afternoon. I window shopped the many boutiques and antique stores and enjoyed the downtown architecture.

There was also a pocket park that included a brief history of the town. The park was on the site of one of the original cisterns that provided water to the town. It was an interesting and quick peek into some of the highlights of Brenham’s past.

So, was my day as wonderful as I expected? Most definitely! Washington County has a lot to offer as a daytrip or a weekend getaway. Although anytime of the year would be fun, to see the bluebonnets, plan a trip sometime in March or April (although the bluebonnet season varies a bit from year to year). There is literally something for everyone, whether you are looking for history, outdoor fun, romance, or are more interested in family-friendly activities. I can’t wait to go back!

It's no secret that Clay and I love Mexican food. Like really love Mexican food. Like we-could-eat-it-every-day love Mexican food. We had already celebrated our 7th anniversary with an incredible trip to Aruba (covered here, here, and here), but when Clay realized we would be in Austin the weekend before our anniversary, he immediately made reservations at Fonda San Miguel. Open since 1975, it is not only an iconic Austin restaurant, they also have some of the best interior Mexican food in the US.

Fonda San Miguel is as known for their decor as for their food. Colorful without being tacky, the restaurant welcomes you with a spacious yet cozy bar.

As we waited for our table, I got up the nerve to try a pisco sour for the first time. I was a bit nervous given that one of the ingredients is egg white - hardly something that I want to drink. Fortunately, it was so delicous that I demanded that we plan a trip to Peru immediatley. For some reason, Clay didn't think that was a good idea - something about having just gotten back from Aruba and something else about saving for my upcoming graduation trip. I thought he was being a little ridiculous. He wondered why I didn't just order another one.

After a brief wait in the bar, we were escorted to our table.

We began our meal with the chile con queso. Fonda San Miguel has one of the best known chile con quesos in the state of Texas. This is no small feat given the number of Mexican food restaurants in Texas. The queso was melty, but thick and loaded with pepper, tomato, onion, and cilantro. The best way to eat it is to scoop some into the warm, homemade tortillas that accompany the queso. Of course, eating it straight out of the bowl with a spoon didn't seem like a bad idea either.

After devouring the chile con queso, we had to somehow decide what we were ordering for our main courses. I eventually narrowed it down to a relleno, but that was only somewhat helpful becuase there were several types from which to choose. Being quite indecisive, when the waiter recommended the seasonal relleno, I did not hesitate to order it. I can't remember exactly what was in it, but it was perhaps the best chile relleno I have ever eaten. It was the perfect mix of sweet, savory, and spicy. The unexpected addition of the pomegranate sauce was not only visually appealing against the dark green roasted chile, it was a surprisingly tasty balance to the relleno's more hearty filling.

It was so good that I did not even want to think about dessert, which is sort of like saying that I didn't want to breathe. It was that good!

I am sure that Clay's carne asada a la tamiquena was equally delicious. I didn't hear any complaints, but I was too caught up in eating my chile relleno to really notice. I guess the fact that his plate was practically empty by the end of the meal would suggest that he might have liked it. Many of the restaurant's vegetables and herbs are provided by Fonda San Miguel's own garden. Most other ingredients are sourced locally.

Our bill with tip was around $125, so it certainly is not the type of place we would visit on just any night. But Fonda San Miguel was the perfect place to celebrate our anniversary. We got to eat our favorite type of food in a romantic and unhurried atmosphere. Who knows, maybe for year number 8 we can actually be together on our anniversary.