Tag: eats

Staycation: Exploring Home

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Huntsville, Texas

Home of the Bearkats

The Piney Woods

And of course The Prison (there’s actually several)

I think Huntsville gets a bad rap, you know because of the large population of prisoners and college kids, but personally I love this growing town.

According to a recent article I read, Huntsville is the 5th fastest growing city in the state. Now I know that might seem a little scary to the original Huntsvillies but I am excited about the growth and development!

Our rapidly growing town has so much to offer but yet still holds that small town authenticity.

Hidden Food Gems

Whether your in the mood for Japanese, Cajun, or El Salvadoran food, Huntsville offers it all. Here are some of our favorites:

  • Latin Food
  • – Hands down our go to Latin food place is Carbonero. They offer a variety of food but specialize in El Salvadoran cuisine. The owner is always so welcoming and friendly, service is great, drinks are fantastic, and the pupusas are the best!
      • Steak
  • – We’ve all dined at those expensive chain steak houses which in all honesty aren’t too bad, but nothing beats and original family owned steakhouse. If you’ve never been to 1836 Steakhouse you’re missing out. The restaurants itself is housed in a beautiful historic mansion. It’s been renovated numerous times and is quite beautiful. Our favorite dining experience is upstairs in the attic bar. Not only do they have delicious, perfectly cooked steaks, they have an array of creative appetizers and drink! (Try the friend goat cheese, sangria, and Caesar salad with housemade dressing)
      • Cajun
  • –If you’re from the south, you know all about crawfish and Cajun food, and if you’re into all of that goodness you have to try Arnaud’s Cajun Kitchen. This fabulous food truck is situated in its own little food truck park (so if you’re not a fan of Cajun you have several other options). Arnaud’s isn’t just crawfish, they have it all…boudin, boiled shrimp, crab, and so much more.
      • Deli/Sandwiches
  • – If you’re looking for a sandwich, salad, or any other home town deli dish you have to check out Five Loaves Deli. This family owned gem is one of my absolute favorites and has been since college. I’ve never been disappointed in any meal I’ve tried here!
    • Something Different
  • If you’re tired of burgers and fries and the same old thing then you have to check out Potato Shack. This unique restaurant bar is literally potatoes in every way, shape, and form. Chicken fried steak stuffed potato? Sure thing! Boudin stuffed potato? They’ve got it! They have other menu items such as salads, wings, and funnel cake fries (yes you read that right). The atmosphere is always friendly and laid back, great owners, awesome staff, daily drink specials…we just can’t get enough of this place!

    • We’ve pretty much grabbed a bite to eat at every restaurant, diner, and dive in Huntsville and have rarely been disappointed. This small town has a lot to offer so come check it out for yourself.

    http://www.carbonerorotisserie.com/

    https://www.1836steakhouse.com/

    http://www.arnaudscajunkitchen.com/

    http://www.fiveloavesdeli.com/

    http://www.potatoshackhuntsville.com/

    We’re DINKs!

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    I learned a new hysterical, yet fitting, term recently. DINK-Double Income No Kids. At this point in our lives we are choosing to embrace this term and spend some of that double income on our next adventure.

    In just 3 short weeks (hopefully, if the school Gods are smiling down upon us teachers) we will be ON SEA TIME, headed to Mexico!

    This cruise is basically the same as the other we took but no complaints here. Five days of food, drinks, sun and sand, I can’t wait!

    I’ll keep y’all posted on the itinerary but until then, wish us DINKs luck, we need it to make it spring break!

    A Much Needed Weekend Away

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    Gruene, Texas, my favorite little town.

    This weekend we finally decided to get away and head to my happy place, Gruene. Situated on the banks of the Guadalupe River, home to “Texas’ Oldest Dance Hall” , and notorious for historic shopping and live music, I am in love.

    This perfect little town is chock-full of history, music, and memories for me and my bearded wonder. This is the place where I was asked to become a Mrs, I discovered acceptance and love from strangers, I two-stepped without a care in the world, I discovered my favorite wine, and continue to build my adventures.

    We’ve never experienced this perfect little town in the winter and although we’ve been here for less than 5 hours, I’m already overwhelmed with the holiday spirit.

    I can’t wait for tomorrow adventures! We plan to welcome the original Pony Express, shop the artisan Christmas market, and cheer on Kris Kringle as he arrives on horseback to spread a little Christmas magic.

    Stay tuned, my heart is full tonight ❤️

    Road Trip: New Mexico-Arizona-California

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    Well ladies and gentlemen, we’ve covered quite some ground in the last 24 hours. We’ve seen the white sands in New Mexico, the organ pipe cacti in Arizona and we will arrive on the pacific coast of California this evening. We have been pleasantly overwhelmed by the beauty of nature on this trip and we’ve used every opportunity to stop and explore. An hour detour here, 30 minutes there, every extra minutes and mile was well worth it.

    White Sands National Monument

    We knew a little ahead of time we wanted to see the white sands in New Mexico and we couldn’t have picked a better day. When we arrived it was about 68 degrees and the views were stunning. While we explore all these places we always take the time to learn a little about the history. The white sands aren’t technically sand, they are white gypsum and they’ve been around for over 8,000 years. There are over 275 square miles of white gypsum dunes and a large portion of them are enjoyed by visitors from all over. I visited here as a child but I really didn’t remember much of it. As an adult, it’s completely mesmerizing and I’m still impressed by the park overall.

    Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

    Our next stop was Tucson Arizona. We didn’t really do much in Tucson, except eat some bomb-ass pizza at a little place called Dry River Pizza and Beer. After that we spent the evening researching things to do in AZ. The Bearded One found Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and was determined to see these cacti. It was slightly out of the way but well worth it. The desert terrain is nothing like we’d imagined it would be. It’s full of unique vegetation, most of which we’ve never really seen before.

    We’ve already seen quite a lot and can’t wait to explore California next. We will be in San Diego for the next few days and then up the coast from there!

    Colorado Adventures: Short but Sweet

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    966 miles

    14 hours and 48 minutes

    2 days in the car

    Our Colorado Adventure has begun.

    The gloomy summer storms didn’t stop us this AM as we began our the first day of our trek to Colorado.

    After several rest stops, a picnic lunch in the middle of nowhere, we made it to our first destination, Amarillo.

    I’m sure we could do this trip in a solid day, we did last year on the way back, but there’s just something about a good old fashioned road trip that really makes my heart happy.

    I love being able to stop when we need to, flip through the radio stations, enjoy the tiny towns we drive through and just converse with my vacation buddies and the Bearded One. ❤️

    Vacation makes my soul rejoice and I can’t wait to explore Colorado!

    Day 1= Success