On Vacation Again…
Hi Folks! The Tako family is on vacation again! This time we’re traveling around Texas!
It’s our first time to the Lone Star state, so we’re busy soaking-up the Texas sunshine, seeing the sights, and catching-up with old friends.
It seems like only yesterday we got back from our vacation to Japan, but that was over 5 months ago. It was time for another trip!
Texas, Yep it’s BIG
Texas is a BIG state, and we’ve only been here 3 days! There’s TONs to see and do, and I’ve been WAY too busy traveling to write a proper new blog post! Sorry folks, I’m retired afterall!
Instead, I’m going to share a few photos from our trip thus far…
First, we started our trip on the eastern coast of the state, in Galveston Texas.
Galveston is a beach town, with plenty of tourist entertainment, sunshine, and waves.
There, we met some interesting characters….
… and built some sand castles on the beach! The beautiful Texas weather was a nice break from the cold and rain of the Pacific Northwest.
Did I mention Galveston is a town with a lot of personality? It is. A quirky personality.
Yes, Texas is a big state. Everything is REALLY BIG, including portion sizes. They don’t eat small in Texas. Half a sandwich from a local deli was more than enough to fill me up.
After visiting the coast, we moved on to Houston… and stayed in a picture perfect Houston suburb. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a nicer neighborhood in my life.
And yes, there was sushi. Of course there was sushi! (This is MrTakoEscapes… there must be sushi!)
Texas also has plenty of “wild life” that needed checking out… specifically alligators. One hour away from Houston is Brazos Bend State Park.
Brazos Bend was absolutely gorgeous. The whole family loved it!
There was tons of beautiful scenery and miles of hiking trails.
I’ve been to many state parks, but this is probably the first one I’ve been to that was a swamp. A beautiful one at that.
Oh and yes, there was plenty of wildlife to see up-close and personal. (We got within 4 feet of these wild alligators). According the park ranger, they’re roughly 8 feet long.
Signs of the recent Texas flooding were also visible. Flooding reached 52.67 feet above sea level.
Wrap Up
All in all, it’s been a great trip so far! We’ve got TONs more to go! There will be plenty more to eat and see for the Tako family… and of course I’ll be keeping track of every expense!
At some point I’ll put together a proper trip report, but for now we’ve got a lot more traveling to do! I hope you enjoyed the photos while I take a little break from blogging!
If you know of any great sights to see in Texas, please let me know in the comments below!
Oooh this looks so delicious!
The BBQ! 😀 I’ve heard really good things about the salt lick! Other than food, I am out of suggestions lol.
Yep, I have a son who lives in Austin and Texas BBQ is something special. It’s never a light meal though. 🙂
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Thanks Olivia! I’ve heard good things about the Salt Like BBQ place too. It’s on my list!
Enjoy, Mr. Tako! Swamps and the wildlife they hold are so cool.
Not sure if you’ll be nearby Lockhart, but they’ve got arguably the best Texas BBQ (Kreutz Market is where we went). But, I’m sure you can’t go wrong many places in TX. Enjoy!
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Yep, tons of BBQ places out here, and everyone has their favorites!
Looks like a blast, get some BBQ!
Will do Accidental FIRE! 🙂
Nice to see a visitor to these fine parts! We live in the Woodlands area and happen to be getting hitched this weekend in Galveston! Hope you have a great rest of your trip. Let me know if you’re looking for anything specific to do in this area, I may have suggestions. But if you’re headed toward Austin and hill country you’ll find much more outdoorsy stuff to do 🙂 have fun and welcome!
Josh
Thanks for the tips Josh! Indeed we’ll be headed out toward Austin. 😉
How is the sushi in Texas??! (I need to know because I need to know to know.) No southern BBQ feast? What is this!!! And plates of better than Seattle Mexican food??
Believe it or not, I think the sushi might actually be better in Houston! The fish quality was really darn good (not Japan-level good, but not bad either)
Texas BBQ! Yum! Went to Dallas for FinCon and the portions were HUGE! Shared one between the 2 of us and still had leftovers.
Glad you’re enjoying yourself and love the pics!
I haven’t had a chance to try the BBQ, but it’s on my list of things to try. We might stop at Salt Lick. That place gets lots of recommendations.
Have a great vacation!
Thanks DocG!
Enjoy the holiday! I’ve enjoyed the visit to the battleship museum, perhaps the boys will like that too.
http://texashillcountry.com/update-battleship-texas-fully-repaired-reopen-june-17/
That sounds really good. If we have time, we’ll definitely check it out!
We moved from Houston 9months ago. The weather isn’t great this time of year, another 3 months and it will be unbearable. Did you see the baby alligators, they usually make an appearance this time of year.
There is plenty of awesome food in Houston especially Tex mex. if you are in Houston or Austin get some Torchys Tacos!
I agree with Steve. Torchys Tacos is great!
We didn’t see any baby alligators, but there were plenty of birds and large adult alligators around!
You’re the second person that’s given me a recommendation for Torchy’s.
Looks like a blast, Mr. Tako! You should have headed to Texas last October so we could have met at FinCon!
The only other place I know in Texas that’s always a fantastic time is my brother’s house in Austin. However, I’m guessing it might be a little awkward if you just show up there. 😉
Hope the rest of your trip continues to be tons of fun!
— Jim
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Thanks Jim — I think you should call ahead and let him know we’re coming 😉
How long is your trip? Looks like you’re taking great advantage of your time there!
About two weeks. Now that I’m here, I wish I’d planned more time. Texas is big!
You should try to meet up with Slowly Sipping Coffee while in Houston if time allows it. 🙂
We enjoyed our stay in Houston in Oct. Stayed with a family friend and had a blast. The Children’s Museum is worth the cost of admission.
We’re doing museums in Houston on Friday. We might check that one out! 😉
San Antonio is very touristy but a fun town. Austin has a lot of character (keep Austin weird!) El Paso is too far to drive (good food though!) Don’t recommend Dallas/Ft.Worth area but then I’m from Houston.
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Yep, San Antonio and Austin are definitely on our list. Although, based on your recommendation (and that of others), it sounds like Austin might be more our speed (less touristy, more outdoors). We might end up skipping San Antonio in favor of more activities around the Austin area.
Looks like an awesome trip so far. Love the pictures. Have fun!
Thanks Cody! It’s been a blast so far!
Welcome to Houston!! This is where early retirees are made. We had an excellent weather during the last week so you came at the perfect time. If you are around bellaire, let me know.
Thanks Serdar! Houston is a great town, and the weather’s been fantastic so far! We really enjoyed our stay in the area! 🙂
Wow, so excited that you’re in Houston! Oishii sushi is the *best* *cheapest* sushi in town. I can eat my weight in sashimi there. It’s dangerous. Also, authentic breakfast tacos at Brothers are an absolute must-have.
The Museum of Contemporary art is free and right across the street from the MFA! Definitely recommend–they often have pop-up talks by artists on exhibit and you can chat with the artists and get free art. It’s amazing. You can’t really go wrong with any of our museums though. And Hermann Park is walkable from the museums and is beautiful to walk through, and the outdoor theater has free shows (bring a blanket and sit on the hill! Tomorrow they’re doing an acrobatic show!)
I hope the Tako Family enjoys Texas!
We’re having a great time so far! Today we were at Hermann Park in the afternoon. The kids really loved the big play structures. 🙂
Ahh how did I miss this new post?! The trip looks super fun. Mr. FAF was actually in Austin and Dallas last week and really enjoyed it.
We’re thinking about moving to Austin, but we need to check out other cities to make the final decision. One thing that makes me hesitant is the hot weather in the summer and the AC bills *sweating*
I guess some places you pay for AC and other places you pay for heat. It’s all about what kind of climate you personally enjoy.
Buck-ees is a must-hit rest stop. Give me a shout if you make it to Dallas (self proclaimed greatest city in Texas)! If here, the kids would love the perot museum of science, the frontiers of flight museum, and the arboretum, which is at the height of the spring blooms festival now. In Fort Worth, they might enjoy visiting the us mint and the stockyards.
You know, that’s funny — someone else recommended stopping at Buc Ee’s to me too. I thought it was kinda funny at the time, but now I wonder what’s going on there.
You can visit the River Walk and the Alamo in San Antonio.
Outside of Austin, you can visit Hamilton preserve (scenic), but, you have to make a reservation. https://parks.traviscountytx.gov/find-a-park/hamilton-pool
Thanks for all the great tips Dan!
Great pictures! Texas is much nicer this time of the year than PNW. I visited a couple of times, but didn’t get out to Galveston. That sounds like a nice place to relax. Have fun!
Thanks Joe. The weather’s been great so far. Shorts and t-shirt weather. It’s been great!
I’m surprised at how fresh that sashimi looks! Texas looks fun and very very sunny! The PNW has been somewhat sunny too but not as warm I bet as Texas haha 🙂
Have a great trip Tako family!
Nowhere near as warm as Texas! An average day was 70-80 degrees. Near perfect weather.