When the husband asked what I wanted to do for my birthday this year, I told him that I'd come up with an itinerary! The actual day fell on a Saturday this year. I always feel like a kid again when my birthday falls on a weekend! Growing up, having a September birthday meant that the day would often fall on a "school night," which was never fun.
I had a few ideas percolating, but knew I also wanted to be flexible with our time, in case whimsy took me somewhere unexpected. My only stipulation was that I didn't have to drive! I decided to start our day in McKinney, TX. After getting fortified with my first Pumpkin Spice Latte of the season (free and with an extra shot!), we headed for downtown.
Downtown McKinney is really fun place to walk around and explore. It's a mix of good restaurants and quirky stores, which I adore. I decided to eat breakfast at The Celt, a Irish pub right on the main square.
It was such a beautiful day that we ate outside on their patio area. After having 90+ temperatures most of the week, it felt like my very own birthday gift to have temps up only to the mid-80s. We also got to people watch as we ate, which was also equally fun.
Breakfast is one of my favorite meals to eat out, because I almost never cook it for myself. Throw in the option of a "full Irish fry up," and I will be right there!
After breakfast, we wandered in and out of shops along the square, including several antique stores, a pie emporium, an hipster clothing/vintage shop, and a surprisingly lovely game store.
Around noon, we drove just a little southeast of the square to visit a new brewery that I had been wanting to try out for a while. Tupps Brewery has been open for only about a year and occupies an old historic cotton mill.
I started out with a glass of the Black Ale (which was good), then tried a glass of the Northbound 75 (which was even better!) The Northbound 75 is a "specialty pale ale" that is infused with fire roasted peppers and spices. It has an lovely flavor and heat to it that reminds me a lot of Audacity's Mesquite Smoked Chili Ale. Then, on the recommendation of the bartender and another beer patron, I decided to try the Ale Mary. It's a glass of the Northbound 75 mixed with a bit of Zing Zang Bloody Mary mix. So incredibly tasty!!
In an amazing coincidence, the Tupps Brewery was also having a steampunk event that day. Everyone was dressed up in their bustles, petticoats, and top hats! We listened to several bands, chatted with the man behind Steampunk November (a large yearly festival that we had somehow been unaware of before), and got to watch a steampunk themed belly dance troupe perform.
I may have been persuaded to go up and dance with the troupe for their last performance!
We ended up being at the brewery for almost four hours! Between the good craft beer and the steampunk crowd, we just chatted with some really, really nice people. Four different couples sat our table throughout the afternoon, and we had great conversations about Texas, beer, and many points in between. It was one of the best brewery experiences I've ever had!
Finally, it was time to move on and track down dinner. The husband and I had discovered Yama Izakaya & Sushi by accident a few months ago. According to their website, "izakaya" refers to "casual watering holes" where people can get a drink and share small plates of food. They have the most amazing Japanese menu I have found in DFW so far.
We split an order of takoyaki (octopus balls), onigiri with roe, sashimi, and skewers of bacon-wrapped scallops. The takoyaki had almost a barbecue flavor and was quite delicious. And since I'm an avid fan of Fruits Basket, I "squee" at being able to order onigiri! (You have a great big plum on your back, Kyo!)
Next on the birthday agenda was a trip to Madness Comics & Games, an enormous gaming and comic store at which the husband and I can spend way too much money!
We wandered the shelves for quite a while, but came out fairly easy as far as purchases. I got the newest trade paper of Saga and a new pair of dice for our OKC gaming group.
For our last event of the evening, we headed to the Alamo Drafthouse to catch the new film by M. Night Shyamalan, The Visit. (Which ended up being a delightfully creepy and cheesy movie)
We had a bit of time before the show, so we hung out in the bar and played games. I also got my picture taken with a giant robot hand!
After the movie, the husband drove us back home. We were both pretty tired by the time we pulled up at the house, but it ended up being the perfect birthday! Lots of fun and plenty of places we'll be visiting again!
One of the things on my Texas Bucket List has been to go tubing. This seems to be a quintessential summer event here in the Lone Star State. Even though he is Texas born and raised, the husband hadn't been either, so we were excited when his cousin invited us and his brother and sister-in-law to tube the Comal River in New Braunfels. She rented a condo right on the river, which she and her family had stayed in before. The plan was to tube the river, catch a concert, and just enjoy hanging out together. This sounded like heaven to us!
We would have traveled to New Braunfels that Friday night to join everyone, but we actually had concert tickets to see Weird Al!
Weird Al puts on an amazing show! We've seen him once before and he had the same level of energy and fun. He changed costumes for all of his songs, included props, and even performed among the audience for two numbers. Large screens showed clips of random Weird Al television references and guest appearances (as well as clips from Al TV episodes) between songs.
(This photo isn't mine! Link to article here)
His encore songs were my absolute favorite Weird Al parodies: The Saga Begins and Yoda. Joined on stage by members of the 501st legion in full stormtrooper armor (and one Darth Vader), the entire audience stood and sang along. It was a magical nerd moment. If you haven't watched the music video for The Saga Begins, stop reading this blog and watch this before continuing! Honestly, this contains the best rhyme sequence ever: "Oh my, my, this here Anakin guy ... May be Vader someday later, now he's just a small fry." We will definitely catch Weird Al if he comes to the DFW area again!
In order to get to New Braunfels at a decent time on Saturday, we had to leave home really early. As in "I don't even want to drink coffee right now because it'll make me ill" early. However, it did make taking I-35 much easier because no one else was out on the roads! Or at least, I think it did, because I slept most of the way down. The husband opted to drive to New Braunfels and leave the return trip to me. We did stop for kolaches in West, Texas. (It's a state law. You must stop for kolaches in West, Texas) While everyone has their favorite place to pick up the tasty pastries, we decided on the Czech Stop. I opted to get two kolaches to nosh on, one sweet (pumpkin and cream cheese) and one savory (sausage and kraut), then we were back on the road.
(The mural on the I-35 highway overpass giving a nod to the Czech heritage of the town)
We decided to stop once more as we hit New Braunfels because also it's also a state requirement to get gas at a Buc-ee's if you pass one on the highway. I love Buc-ee's. They're huge, have clean bathrooms, seemingly hundreds of gas pumps, and the best selection of food, drinks, and snacks you could possibly want for your road trip. There's also a sizable shopping and souvenir department. Although, I resisted the urge to buy things for my nephew, I couldn't resist the opportunity for a photo opp with Mr. Buc-ee himself!
Not long after leaving Buc-ee's, we pulled up to our condo and started unloading. The husband's cousin had rented a nice two bedroom unit on the second floor, complete with a balcony and fully-equipped kitchen. After a late homemade breakfast, we all prepared to hit the river. The husband and I didn't have our own tubes, so we decided to rent them at Texas Tubes , which was right next door to our condo. For a fairly decent price, we got two tubes and a guaranteed bus ride back.
Here we are, fresh and ready to go! (And desperately hoping that we've applied enough sunscreen!)
As we didn't want to chance losing our iPhones, we didn't take any technology with us. While it meant I couldn't take any pictures, it was probably the smartest decision we made (as will become obvious later!) It was a bit tricky coordinating tube deployment, as the rest of our group put in at the launch site on the condo property. While it wasn't particularly far upstream, the husband and I had to try and time it correctly so we didn't end up with another group of tubers. While this may not sound too difficult, here's a picture of what the river looked like in many spots:
(Again, not my photo. See here for the original)
Although the husband did get a bit ahead of the rest of us and had to get towed back by one our nieces, we eventually got situated. The husband's brother even had an extra tube which carried our cooler stocked with beer and water for the journey. While I was initially worried about the sheer amount of people on the river, it didn't make a difference. It was incredibly nice and relaxing to just lay back and float down the river. (In fact, I even had a few brief conversations with random people we bumped up against) It was hot outside, but anytime I started to get too warm, I just had to dip my hands and feet into the cool water and it was perfect.
The entire route from start to finish took about three hours. Most of the river was slow moving and lazy, but there were three points where it got a bit more exciting. The river was funneled into fast-moving one-person-at-a-time sections at the Tube Chute, Weir Falls, and Warnecke Rapids. Signs warned "weak swimmers" to go ashore and get back into the water further downstream.
Here is one family's video of the Tube Chute, the first "rapid" on our path!
We all got queued up to go and then whoosh! We were off! The husband's brother and sister-in-law went down before us at the Tube Chute. As he left the chute, the current shot him towards the shore and into a strong eddy and flipped his tube. By the time the husband and I caught up, he was standing in the water, trying to save his tube, our cooler, and the tube the cooler had been sitting in. After a bit of wrangling against the strong current to get everyone back together in one group, we were floating back down the river, minus all of our water bottles and over half of the beer. (There is a very good reason why no glass bottles are allowed on the river) I chalked it up to making our offering to the river gods.
After that excitement, continuing down the river was fairly uneventful, even passing through the next two fast-moving parts of the river. We floated by the Schlitterbahn Water Park and got to wave at the people riding some sort of crazy free-fall bungee swing. We also passed some very nice homes with huge porches that overlooked the river. I don't think I'll ever be able to afford water-front property, but I can certainly dream!
Finally, we approached the last public take-out point. There were a lot of people trying to exit and the water was deeper than we expected. The husband tried to get out first, but somehow managed to get separated from his tube and started drifting out into the river. After a bit of a panic (he's not a great swimmer), the people around us helped him get to shore safely. The river, apparently feeling cheated, did claim his favorite hat however. When I tried to get out, my tube flipped over me and my wrist got trapped. I'm slow, but fairly competent in the water (thank you State of Alaska for requiring that high school graduates be able to pass a swimming test!!), so I felt pretty calm. However, I couldn't get enough footing to be able to pull my wrist free and flip the tube back off me. Those around me helped hold the tube and finally get me free of it.
After our entire party managed to get out of the Comal River, (somewhat safely!), we loaded up and headed back to the condo to shower and rest up for a bit. The condo had a beautiful grassy area next to the river that was shaded by enormous old trees. Picnic benches and grills were provided for the guests, so hot dogs and hamburgers were cooked up while we chilled out and watched people float by.
As the evening progressed, we got "fancied up" to go see Hayes Carll perform at the famous Gruene Hall, the oldest operating dance hall in Texas. We'd visited Gruene Hall before and it's an awesome place to listen to music, drink beer, and watch people two-step like nobody's business.
The opening act was Uncle Lucius, a band that was a bit country, a bit New Orleans, a bit rock. I was really impressed with their set and actually bought their album, And You Are Me (which I have been listening to in the car non-stop since then). Here is one of my favorite songs off that album:
There's no real air conditioning in Gruene Hall (just screened porches and ceiling fans), so by the time Hayes Carll performed we had moved to wooden tables outside to get more of a breeze. We sat under string lights, relaxing, chatting a bit, and just listening to good music. By the time the concert was over, we were all tired, happy, and ready to get back to the condo. Here are a few more photos of the hall itself. I loved the old wooden floors, signed photos of musicians who had played there, and generally relaxed vibe of the place.
We woke up the next day, a bit sore and sunburned, and packed to head home. We had a nice breakfast with my husband's brother and sister-in-law, then left New Braunfels. Rather than take the interstate back home, I took Highway 281 all the way through small towns like Marble Falls, Hico, and Stephenville until I hit I-20. It was a gorgeous drive. As the husband slept, I played my new CD and watched the countryside pass by. I even noted a few places that we'll have to visit on our next Texas road trip adventure (such as the Buggy Barn Museum in Blanco!)
Once we got back to Denton, neither one of us felt like being productive. So, we ended the day by heading down to the Square and eating at Burger LSA. Although I did get a bit sunburned in the places where my clothing rubbed off my sunscreen, the husband got the worst of it.
(OUCH!)
Even though there were a few tense moments there (as my brother-in-law says, the final score was River 0, brothers 2), we had an excellent weekend. We're already looking forward to the future family excursions! I don't know if we'll go tubing again, but we'll certainly be more prepared the next time.
Back in late June, the husband and I met another couple for drinks at the Drunken Donkey in Lewisville, TX. We were looking for a place that was midway between our homes that had a decent beer selection, and honestly, who could resist trying out a place with that name?
A great time was had by all, so the husband and I were incredibly happy to hear that a Drunken Donkey opened up in here in Denton. It moved into the building previously occupied by the Pourhouse, (an establishment with a great location, but pretty mediocre food and service.) Unbeknownst to us, our first time eating here was during their "soft" opening. The food was great and our waitress was very friendly, but the kitchen was pretty slow. They were apparently still figuring things out, because we have been back multiple times since then and have not had any more problems.
The Drunken Donkey refers to themselves as a "craft bar and scratch kitchen." Their beer list is quite impressive. I am always very pleased to find local brews on tap (my absolute favorite beer to get right now is Audacity's Mesquite Chili Ale!!), however they offer a variety of beers from all over the world. The husband and I usually try a new beer each time.
The food served at the Drunken Donkey is truly a step above your standard pub or sports bar fare. We have gotten the Donkey Balls before (snicker), but we are positively addicted to the Bacon Thingies. They stuff a jalapeno with chicken and cheese, wrap it in bacon, then fry the entire morsel and cover it in hot sauce. The husband is not generally a fan of jalapenos or hot sauce, but he requests these every time we visit.
All of the entrees I've ordered have been really tasty, but I was particularly impressed with the Reuben Sandwich. The corned beef soaked and cooked in Chainbreaker White IPA was phenomenal and it was paired with a very good sauerkraut and "boom boom" sauce.
The atmosphere of Drunken Donkey is pretty "sports ball." There are enormous flat-screen televisions everywhere and it can get pretty noisy. However, I have a special place in my heart for an establishment that holds an event called "Craft and Comics," where you can watch superhero films in the big theater room and drink craft beer!! We have yet been able to catch one of these, but I'm keeping my eye out.
While it has been a challenge to want to eat outside (summer in Texas is not kind), the Drunken Donkey's patio is worth it. Overlooking Unicorn Lake (strangely not a natural lake nor filled with Unicorns), diners have a great view at sunset.
Whether you sit inside or out on the patio, the waitstaff at Drunken Donkey are incredibly friendly and on top of things. We often have other servers stop by to say hello and see if we need anything. The husband and I always have a really good experience when we visit. The last time, we even brought some card games and just hung out for a bit, relaxing.
Final Verdict: The husband I would definitely recommend the Drunken Donkey! Great beer, food, service, and location. I hope you can check it out!
