We began our trip in Austin. As I often do, I accompanied my husband who had a work event there. As a first-time visitor, I was excited to experience the vibe, especially the music scene, and I was not disappointed. I also spent a couple of days visiting crystal shops nearby to enhance my chakra healing practice.
On the last day in Austin, my husband had no work obligations. After dinner at The Moonshine Restaurant, a local favorite, we walked to Sixth Street. The entire block was closed off, and almost every bar had live music. Some venues had Latin/Reggaeton music, and they were my favorites. Since we had to drive to Houston early, we returned to the hotel early to sleep and pack.
It’s always fun to visit grandchildren. It’s great for them to be spoiled, to have fun with you, and then to be handed back to their parents. In May 2024, we visited my husband’s daughter and her baby girl in Houston, Texas.
The drive to Houston took us 2.5 hours. We stopped at Buc-ee’s along the way to see what all the hype was about, and I can completely understand why. It’s like a gas station on steroids. It’s a must-stop if you’re lucky to have one in your area.
We arrived at my stepdaughter’s house early afternoon and spent some time with our grandchild before she went to bed. After we checked into our Airbnb, we went to a Puerto Rican restaurant called El Caribeno, which was a treat since there are no Puerto Rican restaurants in Colorado.
On the following day, we planned to visit the Houston Zoo. Children’s excitement at seeing wild or exotic animals makes the experience more enjoyable for adults. The next day, we woke up to torrential rain so we decided to check out the Children’s Museum. The last time I visited a children’s museum or a zoo was when my children were young. I can’t believe it’s been 20 years! You experience the same level of fun and joy, however.
On our last day, the weather was good and we decided to go swimming. Grandpa, or as he prefers to be known, pop pop, splashed around the pool with his granddaughter for a few hours. The pool was a little chilly for my stepdaughter and me. We enjoyed the warm weather and watching them have fun.
On the way to the airport, we stopped by to say our goodbyes and left feeling like true grandparents. We don’t get to see them very often because of the distance between us, but when we do, we always make up for it.
