Howdy Ya’ll! 🤠 I was gifted a flight to Texas for my birthday back in March from my girl Stacia, and were just getting to it! If you’re looking for a quick, fun & effortless Texas Itinerary, this is it! There’s sooooo much do here! An abundance of great restaurants, places to stay and exciting activities. I wish we could have done a lot more, but until I have that chance, here are the details on our trip…
Hotel
We stayed at the Hyatt Regency Houston West. Pretty enough scene and centrally located to nearly everything we wanted to do in Houston. Cleanliness, amenities and esthetics were right above average, but I wouldn’t have a problem staying there again if need be. I did love the fish they have housed in small pools inside the lobby area. It gave the space a calm and serene feel.
I saw that there were a lot of upscale apartment style rentals with pools, and I think those type of accommodations would have been pretty cool too.
Day 1
We took a late flight and didn’t get to our room until around 7pm. So naturally we were starving and the only thing we wanted to do, was eat! We decided to check out La Bahia, a Mexican Seafood spot a few minutes away from our hotel. We loved the food here. And it was obvious that they bring in quite the crowd judging by the live music stage they have situated at the front of the space.
A quick note, if you don’t speak or understand too much Spanish, you may run into quite the language barrier. Our waitress, who was extremely nice by the way, didn’t speak much English at all, and had to communicate with us via translator on our phones. Which is ok! That didn’t take away from our experience, the delicious food or the great service.
Rosewell’s Saloon
Rosewell’s Saloon space-themed bar is one of the cutest, most unique bars I’ve seen; and everything glows! Seriously, everything! The floors the walls and even the staircase. And what makes this place even more unique? You can get a glow in the dark tattoo painted on you for just $10. How cool right?! We went mostly for the look, but I did end up buying one drink, the Strawberry Lemon Drop ($13 and not on the menu), it was pretty good.
Day 2
San Antonio River Walk
The San Antonio River Walk is a must visit. Although about 3 hrs away from Houston, it’s well worth the drive. Here, you’ll be able to take a 30 min scenic boat trip around the area. You’ll also enjoy great drinks and an abundance of restaurants to try and vendors to shop with. We ate at The County Line BBQ, and ehhhh the food was just ok. But all in all, I didn’t think this would be as fun as it was. But we really did have a great time.
Day 3
Lagoon Texas : Beach Club and Aqua Adventure park
Lagoonfest Texas was fun and relaxing at the same time. This beach-like atmosphere is great for a girls trip, a date or a fun family day. But no matter who you choose to spend your time with, you’re guaranteed to have blast. There’s water bumper cars, paddle canoes , aqua bikes, and even an obstacle course to run through on the water. We loved it! Oh, and the drinks aren’t bad either 😉.
It would be wise to visit as close to opening as possible. As you can imagine, a place like this can very crowded, and you’ll want to be able to grab lounge chair before they’re gone. Unless you don’t mind reserving a Shore Cabana for $275, a floating Cabana for $400 or rooftop deck seating for $1k 🥲. Admission tickets are $20 for children 3-13, and $38 for 14+.
Kamp Houston
Kamp Houston was one of the first spots we had on our bucket list for when we got the chance to visit. There’s an upbeat & fun vibe here. And the Waitresses dressed like Forest Rangers to match their “Camp” theme, made it even cuter. There’s an outside seating area great for groups, especially because you have to have a tab of Atleast $250 to be seated out there. So if you don’t plan on spending that much, being inside is just fine.
What attracted us though, was the super huge drink I (I mean, we 🫣) just HAD to get our hands on! We ordered the Island getaway for $85 (we got it with champagne instead of tequila) It serves at the minimum 4ppl, but we ended up giving it away because it was just too much for us to finish. For food, we had the Oxtails w/ rice (amazing) and the Grilled Jerk Shrimp Rolls.
One of the better hangout spots for you and your crew. Whether for brunch or dinner, Kamp is a cool place to be. And yes, hookah is available.
Funnel Cake House
We had a sweet tooth, and The Funnel Cale House did the job! They’re located at Railway Market in Katy, Tx. A small plaza that houses a few other vendors, including bath essentials, food (including sushi), drinks and even jewelry.
The menu is full of delicious funnel cake varieties, with the option of a few add on choices. I had the Apple Funnel cake, featuring warm apple glaze and added whipped cream and cinnamon sugar as my toppings, OMG 🤌🏾. Stacia had The Princess, a strawberry funnel cake, with added bananas. Baby, these were to die for. I could eat their entire menu. They serve medium and large cakes, and range anywhere between $11 – $15 (not including add on choices). My only wish was that they had ice cream to pair with them 😩.
Day 4
Boheme Drag Brunch
Boheme offers a Drag Brunch every Sunday and it was pretty cool. As hard as it may be to believe, I’ve never been to any Drag entertainment before, even with a plethora of it right here in NYC. Me being a virgin to it all made the experience even more exciting. The Entertainers and Hosts were sure to keep the crowd aroused by their consistent interaction, fun games , live DJ and even dance contests.
Admission is $35 pp, giving you access to the show a buffet style brunch. Drinks are an extra charge. We got a picture of Mimosa for $30 which I think was worth it, but the food wasn’t anything I would go back for. There was an extra $20 added to our bill for gratuity (so also keep that in mind). Valet parking is available, but if you’re lucky you’ll find a spot on the street.
Typhoon Texas Waterpark
Now Typhoon Texas brought out the kid in us. I can’t remember the last time I had the chance to run around an amusement park without my children. As a matter of fact, I don’t think I ever have! Being able to enjoy water slides, the lazy river, waves pools and adult conversations is the definition of a carefree day.
General admission is $45 if bought online, $55 if bought at the gate, $35 if under 48” tall and for military and seniors 65+. And of course am there are drink and food stands all around at additional costs. Lockers are also available and parking is free.
Wow Wow Lemonade
I had the strongest urge for some fresh lemonade, but missed the stand at the waterpark because they close early. With a quick Google search we found Wow Wow Hawaiian Lemonade, and listen here!!!! I’ve never heard of a place that offered so many delicious varieties. We got 2 lemonades each because we just couldn’t decide on which ones to try! I ended up getting the Butterfly Mojito and the Passion Fruit Guava. Stacia got the Mango Pineapple and Pina Colada Lemonades. I wish I couldn’t have saved them to bring home with me 😩.
They also offer Açaí bowls, coffee, tea and a variety of avocado toast and flatbread paninis.
Pergola
And last but not least, Pergola! I LOOOOOOOOVED this restaurant!!!!!! You want to talk about AESTHETICS?! I was literally mind blown. Each room takes you to a different place visually, and I couldn’t have been more impressed.
The food and drinks were impeccable (we got the fried catfish and lamb for our main dishes, tortillas w/ dip & crab cakes for appetizers), yes there’s hookah (because I know everyone wants to know that 🙃) and you can even play some games while waiting for your meal to arrive. I’m so glad we were able to make it here. This restaurant deserves a blog post of its own!
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We also stopped by The Turkey Leg Hut and Beyoncé’s childhood home. These two are only a few blocks away, so if you stop by one, stop by other! * I’m almost 100% sure the home is currently occupied, so please be respectful if you stop by!*
Other Things I Would Have Liked To Do:
These recommendations, in no way, suggest that these are the best things to do in Texas. There’s just so much to experience, and way too many things to list here. But these make for a good start!
La Cantera is a luxury resort and shopping center in San Antonio that I would have loved to visit (to my understanding you can buy a day pass here). This would be the place to visit if you wanted a more relaxing day to reset and unwind; spa time, pool, and some retail therapy.
Just another dope scene for a nice brick with the girls. Everything about the menu & cocktails look amazing. If I visit again, I’m surely stopping by.
Playground is a another fun brunch/dinner venue that gives off a similar vibes to Kamp Houston. Unique drinks, good food and an extremely lively crowd. We were set to visit the day after we arrived but the place was packed! I mean it was a complete zoo. And at the time, was charging a $60 cover we weren’t willing to pay (the wall to wall packed club scene isn’t really our thing). Then, when we attempted going on a Sunday for brunch (more our speed lol) , the day before we left, but it wasn’t open. We went around 1:00pm and it was supposed to be open at 11 or 12 that day. We took that as a sign of it not meant for us to be there 🤷🏽♀️. But it definitely seems like a cool place to hang out!
• Giraffe Brunch at Blue Hills Ranch
Africa vibes in Texas?! Heck yea! If you can’t make it to Nairobi to catch a meal with one of these fellas at the Giraffe Manor, you can do it here right here in Texas! And in addition to giraffes, here, you’ll be able to interact with Otters, Zebras, Kangaroos, Donkeys, Quarter Horses, Cows, Mustangs and more! They even have cabins to accommodate your overnight stay and the venue is built to serve weddings and parties. I would have loved to visit here!
• The Glen
I had my heart set on going to this restaurant, especially for the Aerial and Fire Thrower performances, but with it being more than 4hrs away from us, we just couldn’t make sense of the drive. But if you’re visiting close to Frisco Texas, you should give this place a try.
Have you ever been to Texas? Are you from there? What are your favorite things to do? Places to eat? Let me know!
TTYL,
LEXI 💋
