#nadiagoingplaces: Texas

Showing posts with label Texas. Show all posts

This is my favourite places in Texas. This was our last stop in the road trip and we choose to spent the night at the Riverwalk. San Antonio Riverwalk consists of some small rivers and flood management system in San Antonio. Along the banks, they constructed hotels, houses and it was a walk away from one of Texas War Memorial called The Alamo for the Alamo battle.

San Antonio is located South of Austin and 3.5 hours drive from Houston. There were plenty of hotels at the Riverbank. We choose to stay at an old charming hotel called San Antonio Riverwalk O'Briens Historic Hotel. It was the cheapest option with excellent review. It is located in front of a parking bay and 2 mins walk from the Riverwalk. It was old but very clean and provide breakfast, except noises I heard coming from the road at 3 am during the commencement of Daylight Savings in US.

Very European vibe

The parking across the hotel is a private parking that charges $5 from evening to 6am. We reached the hotel quite late around 8pm. Checked in, and we went exploring the Riverwalk at night. There was a lot of people considering it was actually near to St. Patrick's Day. We walked halfway and basically trying to survey restaurants along the riverbank. We choose the Hilton's fresco restaurant right by the river and I ate salmon while RR had some salad. We were just people watching and just take in the environment. The Riverwalk reminds me of Venice in a lot of ways. But, Riverwalk was prettier and not smelly.

We then took a walk and visited some flee market along one of the river's bridge. There was a lot of college kids on their Spring break and I think we fit in just well LOL. We found a souvenir shop and we decided to buy our Texas souvenirs here. Price was not that bad. I managed to buy loads of fridge magnets and a San Antonio t-shirt for my dad. We decided to take the river cruise in the morning instead and went to the hotel to get some sleep. We went to sleep at 11 and woke up at 6 to refill our parking meter.

This is where they shoot the film Selena

I'm the Captain for 2 minutes

Had a simple breakfast at the hotel (I just had pastries and coffee) and RR decided she was still hungry. So we went into a Breakfast Bar to had some breakfast. The food was blend and tasteless. We then went to buy tickets for the cruise. We sat in front and the boatman again, had lived in Malaysia row few years. Another small world. We talked and he invited us to take photo as if we are steering the boat. It was amazing and the boat man was super nice. We went around the river with the boat man told the history of the place and mentioned how the Riverwalk was build. The water was green because the dyed it for St. Patrick's Day.

Fountain garden near The Alamo

The Alamo

After the cruise, we went for a short walk to get to The Alamo. The Alamo is a war memorial for the Alamo battle. It was actually a church. We did not go in since the line was so long. We just read the brief history outside and left. A lot of people we chat with thought we were studying in Texas. I guess RR and I still got the college kids look.

We went off early to San Marcos Outlet to shop. Again. This time I scored some A&F shirts. We left quite early to make sure we reached Houston in the evening. San Antonio Riverwalk is an amazing short vacation spot. It was happening, pretty and so relaxing. I would go back if I ever be in Texas again. Perhaps I would stay longer here just chilling.

Small Rodeo show by Cowboys at George's Ranch

What kind of Texas road trip it is without being in a ranch?! Everytime I mentioned Texas, a Cowboy will crossed through everyone's mind. From the famous blogger hannahonearth , most Cowboys are seen in Dallas. Well, RR and I spent a lot of time researching on ranch that we can visit and saw cows and cowboys.

RR found a working ranch called George's Ranch located in Richmond, which is about 1.5 hours drive from Houston. What makes it perfect is not only it was enrolee to Austin but the ranch is actually a real working ranch! So, real cowboys here!

Richmond is a small town and going to the ranch, we go through some small roads. The ranch was one of the largest ranch here and what makes it interesting, the ranch was owned by 4 generations of women, not men.

How they live in 1830s

Mr Jones actor re-enacting shooting at the yard

The 1st occupants of this ranch got their land from the government where back in the late 1800s, before Texas was in USA, the government gave it's people land to do some farming or ranching for free. Basically Mr Jones work on the land, and later on expand this land in the coming years. Mr and Mrs Jones has 12 kids and they passed the ranch to the eldest daughter who marry a Ryon. Ryon's daughter inherit this and marry a Davis and passed it to her daughter. Then this daughter married a George and this is where the family line ends.

Ryon's house. Where the Butter Churning is happening

Peek into Ryon's family routine

Ryon's house

It was a big complex and the ranch consists of a cattle farm, rodeo stands and the 4 houses of each generation - Jones, Ryon, Davis and George. Each inheritor own their own house on the land. The oldest hoist was dated back in 1830 which was the Jones' house. It looks like a shed and the Park worker kept all belongings of the family dated back to 1830. They even have actors which will re-enact how they lived in 1830s. It was a very interesting experience seeing on how people lived in that era. It was just a shed with outdoor cooking area. Very simple beds made with hay.

George's House. Interesting.

We visited the Ryon and George's house as well. You can see the difference in living condition for each house which is very interesting. It was a walk in living museum. During our visit, there was a Butter Churning demo in the Ryon's house. It was mind blowing seeing how people made butter back in those days. Such hard work. I wouldn't do it if I have to. lol. Remember I told you the line ends at George's? The George's only son and child died during infancy. They raised their niece, Nancy and she would then become the heir. Unfortunately, she was killed in an automobile accident at a very young age, around her early 20s. At that time, Nancy, the last surviving heir was pregnant with her first child. With no heritage line continue, the extended family set up a George Foundation which kept the ranch running until today and later transform this land to a Historical Park.

The house was a typical ranch house - like RR like to point out, she felt like we were in the film The Notebook. The house was huge and of course creepy. Each house has their own guide which dressed and talk like the house's era. Well, I find the George's house the creepiest since the setting reminds me of the house in The Conjuring. My God.

Doc, the horse

We also visited the ranch show. First, the cowboys will show us some rodeo skills. We are one of the first so one of the head cowboys introduced us to it's horse called Doc. So cute, but RR was scared of animals. Sigh. We talked with the Cowboy and we were surprised when he greeted us with "Selamat Pagi". He told us he was a marine and actually went to Malaysia for 1 year to train with our Army. What a small world indeed. We talked a lot about KL and Malaysia.

The cowboys showed us the famous Longhorn. Owh my God, the horns are soooo long and it does not seem happy. LOL. The cowboys then demonstrates on how they disinfect cows and cattles in the farm. Well, the new stock will come to a stable in a line, injected and then the cows fly into a small pool of disinfectant. Yes, flying cows.

Overall, it was such a great experience for me and RR. We had so much fun walking around the beautiful ranch, learn on the ranch history and even get to see the living experience of several different eras. I truly recommend you go here if you are ever in Houston.

Author at Texas State Capitol

Percutian ke San Antonio & Austin

March 2016

It has been a while since I wrote something, well work caught up as well as other things. Minta maaf ban yak-banyak. Janji nak tulis pasal pengalaman di USA sampan habis.

One of the favourite type of vacation is a road trip (it was my favourite at least). I can tell that not all places are suitable for road trip , I mean people don't road trip across Europe do they? Or at least in congested city like Paris even somewhere close to Malaysia which is Singapore or Indonesia. You need resources (car rental can be hefty, fuels) and willing drivers. One of the country which is perfect for road trip is USA. My parents did the USA East-West Coast road trip back in their college years and trust me, it will be something you'll remember forever.

I too, dream of road trip while I'm in USA, but for a couple of months' trip, I can only do Texas. Texas is big y'all. It will take 3 hours or more just to cross Texas borders. I found my road trip buddy, RR which turns out to be a very close friend. (being on the road bring people together, need I say more?). We're gonna do 3 cities and agreed on our stops in this short road trip. Being on the same page as your trip buddy is important! Learn to share, respect and give and take to each others' needs. Don't be a selfish organiser. Road trip is all about partnership and fun of course.

Our stops: Richmond, Austin, San Antonio and San Marcos (of course)

Today, I'm gonna talk about the capital city of Texas. Yes, many of you thought it's Houston, but NO. Come on, Houston is being popularised due to it's significant role as a NASA base. The capital of Texas, kids, is Austin.

Austin is located about 3 hours drive Noth-East side from Houston. Like many capital city in USA, Austin has it's own State Capitol Building. It is a replica of the State Capitol Building in Washington DC. Austin is special because unlike other Texas state, the metropolitan area is situated around series of lakes, which is huge! The lakes are part of a river called the Colorado River. Not to be confused the same river in Arizona.

To me, Austin is more laid back and it certainly has a metropolitan feel to it. Well, the entrance to Texas State Capitol is free but there is no parking nearby (same as Houston). We choose to park at a parking building 2 blocks away from the Capitol. When we reached Austin, it was already in the evening around 5pm.

The centre of the Capitol dome from top floor. Around it are the paintings of US presidents.

They erected several memorials around the Capitol. Funny story is that, we didn't plan to go inside the Capitol building. We went in because RR need to use the bathroom. As usual for government building, there will be security screening at the entrance. It was a Saturday so there is no proceeding inside the Capitol and there are quite number of visitors inside.

After the toilet break, we wander off and visited the top floor to the bottom. Inside, there's a dome and around this dome at each floor, the hang the paintings of US previous and current President. We spotted Abe Lincoln, Adams, Bush and Obama here. It's like their own hall of fame. You can go freely inside the Capitol except the proceeding room where they conduct the session.

The building is simply stunning inside and out. It was our first time entering any State Capitol in the US and we learn something about their politics. Thanks to RR of course. If she didn't have that bathroom break, we will missed out.

Austin Skyline from lady Bird Lake

Our last location in Austin before heading to San Antonio is Lady Bird Lake. Well, I researched on photo spots and this came up. Since the Lake/river is huge, they had constructed a boardwalk on the river across Austin downtown. This is where you can actually the see the Austin skyline from across the lake. There was no proper parking but people park on the side road. We just followed and park our car there. Thankfully there is no police and we are quick.

Boardwalk along Lady Bird Lake/ Colorado River

The river bank hosts some private houses and jogging track. We also see some people canoeing in the river/lake. I can tell that I like Austin more than Houston. The environment is different and the city is beautiful. Next story is about Texas Ranch. On to the next post.

HPO

It's been a while (again) since I wrote my post in this blog. I did not even finish my USA posts. I promise, it will be completely out sooner or later. Hehe.

Well, one of the popular choice of activities in Houston is..... shopping at the Premium Outlet. *sigh*. Believe it or not, when I asked around, people always pointed out that this is the shopping heaven for Malaysians. At first, I was astonished thinking that could it be that much of a bargain? Well, after hearing about how cheaper stuff are in the USA, I choose to do some shopping myself to have a proof that the statements are true (konon2. padahal memang aim nak shopping).

OK. In Texas, there are few Premium Outlets but I manage to go to 3 establishments: Katy Mills, Katy, Houston Premium Outlet and San Marcos Premium Outlet, San Antonio. I will elaborate on what is worth buying in the USA and which outlet/store to go to.

WHAT IS WORTH BUYING IN THE USA?

1. Levi's Jeans. Yes! Oh Lord, the Levi's is really cheap. I mean, I regretted that I brought a lot of pants with me. I bought 2 pairs of jeans- black skinny and grey slim fit (I would buy more if not for the luggage). Unlike in Malaysia, Levi's are sold in the department store itself. In Malaysia we have to buy in it's dedicated store, right?

The cut is slightly different but the classics are definitely there. I was looking for Curve ID - sadly I did not manage to find the cut I want. I opt for the slim fit/ skinny 501. Sizes? In US, you have to shop for waist and length! I wore a length of 31/32. The length comes in 5 lengths - 28, 29, 30, 31, 32. Jadi, tak payah susah payah potong.

Price? I bought my jeans for USD33.90 before tax. Cheap right?

Where to buy: I highly recommend you buy Levi's in Macy's. They have amazing deals.

2. Calvin Klein. Another favourite for pants. This time work pants. I think I bought 4 pairs - different colours and a pattern pants. Seeing the price, I almost faint. Okay, disclaimer: i bought my CKs at outlet. For CK, you have to shop for waist size and length. This time not the circumference but the US size (e.g 8, 10, 12...).

Price? USD39.90 before tax. A real bargain.

Where to buy: Buy at any Premium Outlet. I bought mine at Katy, Houston PO and San Marcos.

3. Corelle. My mum will laugh because I used to criticised her for buying too much Corelle in Langkawi. Since I have my own SoHo now, I bought 1 set for my new house. Again, if only I have luggage, I will buy multiple of this. Seriously.

Price? Brace yourself. USD29.90- USD 31.90. Cheapos right? Like, really? Not only Corelle, Pyrex are cheap as well. I bought the 16 pcs set.

Where to buy: The only place that has Corningware shop is Katy Mills. The entire shop is full with Corningware, Corelle and Pyrex at really cheap price.

4. Bedsheets. OK, this is for my home and results of my mum's influence. She bought a lot of flat sheets while my parents lived in the US. I did the same. Ugh- for my home.

Price? Depends on thread counts. I got 300 thread counts (which feels like 600 thread counts) for USD22.90 for King Size. These are sheet set (fitted sheet+flatsheet+pillow cases) Range is USD18-59.

Where to buy: Walmart or Target

5. Ralph Lauren. Basically the only place you can afford RL. I am not kidding. At premium outlets, you can buy these for USD 29-60. Seems expensive, but try to compare to RL in iSetan KLCC - RM500 per piece.

Where to buy: Macy's, San Marcos Premium Outlet

6. Abercrombie & Fitch. Love the clothes, hate the smell of the shop. It irritates my sinus cavities. I bought few shirts here and the quality was superb. Too bad there are no A&F in Malaysia.

Price: USD 30 and up

Where to buy: San Marcos/HPO

7. Shoes/Sport Attire. I bought a sport shoe from Nike for USD 29.90 and my friend bought a cute Ralph Lauren shoe for USD65. Kenneth Cole is pretty cheap as well.

Where to buy: Macy's, HPO, Katy Mills

7. Handbags. See below.

Kate Spade - definitely yes! So cheap! I bought a small WOC for USD 35. Wallets for USD20. They have good deals like 60%+20% off.

Coach - yes! You can get a pretty coach sling bag for USD 129. Crazy right? A full leather mid size bag costs RM500. In KL? Don't ever dream to get price.

Michael Kors - Hmmm. People might bash me, but I bought my handbag in Europe for a cheaper price. Seriously.

My watch bought for USD89. The watch has a diamond-like surface

Fossil - I bought a watch for a cheap price. Price was okay I guess, but I think Japan is slightly cheaper. Watch costs me USD89 and I saw cross body bags starts from USD159.

My bucket bag bought for USD160

Furla - amazingly, this European brand is cheap in US. My bucket bag costs me USD160. I saw some PS charged RM990 for the same bag.

Where to buy: San Marcos Premium or HPO.

THE SHOPPING WONDERLANDS

Katy Mills Mall - Located about 30 mins from Spring, TX (using the Grand Parkway) or 1.5 hour (using I45). Big indoor mall with a lot of brands. The only outlet that sells Corelle, Corningware.

Houston Premium Outlet - Located 20 mins from Spring via Grand Parkway and 1 hour via I45. Outdoor style just like our Johor Premium Outlets. Has variety of brands and frequent promotions.

San Marcos Premium Outlet - perhaps the biggest outlet I have been to. Located in between Houston and San Antonio. Approximately 2.5 hours from Houston. Everything you can imagine is here. Is a huge area, so sometimes you have to walk very far. Thus, plan which store you want to go.

Macy's - Another personal favourite. You can find everything in Macy's from economic to high end stuff. Levi's, Michael Kors, Ralph Lauren are all sold in Macy's. They are the best department store so far. While I was there, they have a 70% off for designer shoes.

Walmart's - Okay, I love Walmarts. My favourite place to shop so far. They have good deals. Believe it or not, I bought my Texans t-shirt and Harry Potter sweater for a total of USD9. Yes. USD 9. It's the holy grail of everyday shopping and mothership of deals. I remember taking like 5 items totalling USD33. But after I checked out that the counter, the total is USD15. Whaaaaaaaaat.

Luggage costs USD60 and baby clothes, you can get around USD1-2 for onesies. That is cheap. This is also where I go to buy souvenirs like Texan Football tshirts and Texans mug etc.

Target - another cheap outlet. I bought a sweater for USD7. Really? They also sell other stuff like foods, electrical.

Since I was very little, I was always interested in the aerospace field. I remember watching Apollo 13 on the TV and feel connected to the story. Space somehow holds a special place in my heart. One of the nation that co-owns the ISS is the United States. From we are little, the name of NASA are very familiar to us. It represents the cool-ness of space explorations.

One of the operating space centre in the US is the Johnson Space Center located in Houston. Well, it is not entirely in Houston city, it was rather situated near to the coast. The space center has become one of the sought after attraction to visitors and even the locals.

I bought a Houston City pass which includes 5 attractions tickets for $50. The site also offered other city pass such as the San Francisco city pass. We move in one car and traffic was really bad near the exit to the space centre. From Spring, we move through I45 then taking the route to Galveston thru the downtown area.

Using the City Pass print out, the guy at the ticket counter exchange the printout to a booklet that holds all tickets. I understand that at the Space Centre there are 2 tram lines - Blue and Red that took to different area. If you are an adult, I strongly recommend you go to both of the tram tours.

Saturn V rocket inside the hangar

The Blue line took you to the rocket park, where you can see the Saturn V rocket inside the building. There are commentary provided in the tram. Then, they will took you to the Mission Control Center (yes, it is operating 24/7). Here, you can see actual NASA mission control staff working, monitoring the ISS. You can even see where is the ISS currently located in the World.

The actual Mission Control Center for the ISS

The Red line took you to the Astronaut Training Facility. Here, you can see different console of the ISS or mock-up in the huge garage as part of a practical training for the astronauts. The rocket park is the place of several rockets used by NASA in their lunar mission. In the main building, you can enter the Independence Space Shuttle and there are a theatre presenting the history of man space travel throughout the years.

ISS module mock-up for training

We have lunch at a nearby McDonald's and stop for prayer at the Clear Lake Islamic Society building. We then went to the Kemah Boardwalk situated about 15 minutes from the Space Center. It was a weekend, so everyone was out to Kemah that day. We choose to park at a $7 per entry parking space next to the Boardwalk Bullet.

McDonald's near NASA even acknowledge it's proximity to the Space Centre

I am a big fan for rides so I am very excited. The City Pass allows you to board all rides at the Kemah Boardwalk. Otherwise, you can pay per ride tickets at the counter near the entrance. All of us decided to ride the Boardwalk Bullet. This is one of the fastest wooden roller coaster in USA, fastest in Texas itself.

Kemah Boardwalk at sunset

Boardwalk Bullet

I underestimated this ride. It was really fast that I got tired screaming. When we were on the ride, it was sunset and since this is winter, it is really cold. I rode the swing ride and the Boardwalk Tower overlooking Kemah.

If you got the chance to go to the NASA Johnson Space Centre, make sure you go for both tram tours and head out to Kemah Boardwalk for a fun evening out.

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