Travel Tuesday-Bucket Brigade #LoveGalveston #BeachesFam

I am a water baby and so are the members of my family.  We love to head South to Galveston, TX, where it is always island time!

There is always so much to do.  Every time we go to Galveston we discover something new that we have not seen or done before.  At the beach we get to disconnect.  I always find things to learn in every adventure we take and the beach is always a place of discovery for us.  You can use all your senses when you dig your feet in the sand.  Find a shell; touch it, feel it, collect it.  There is beauty everywhere.

On this adventure, we took a tour with the Galveston Bucket Brigade. 

Bucket Brigade offers free interpretive tours to beach-goers on Galveston Island.  Their objective is to increase the public's understanding of the positive role of sargassum and turbid water in our marine and coastal ecosystems.

Tours are available from March to October 2016. They last approximately one hour.  It is a unique hands-on activity that the entire family can partake in.  Bucket Brigade highlights the impact we can all have on coastal ecosystems through marine debris and pollution. 

We learned that Galveston's beaches are not "dirty" beaches.  Galveston water is actually very clean but full of sand.  Our water is sandy brown, the same color as our sand.   

Check out some of the cool items found in Galveston:

 Lighting Whelk Seashell

 Moon Snail

Mermaid's Purse (shark egg)

Do you go on beach walks?  We love to go on walks on the beach.  We are always finding cool things, not this cool.  Or maybe we didn't know what it was? 

The Galveston Bucket Brigade has 6 free tours that are held at 9:30 a.m., 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:30 p.m. and 3:30 p.m.  They are offered at a variety of locations along Galveston beaches including Stewart Beach, 21st Street, 37th Street, 53rd Street, 61st Street, 63rd Street, and Dellanera Dunes RV Park.  If you want to participate, you can sign up for a tour at the lifeguard station at each tour location.

For more information, go to galveston.com/bucketbrigade

Travel Tuesday-Chef Point Cafe

If I asked you to join me for a bite to eat at a gas station, would you come? 

Last week I was in the Fort Worth/Dallas area. A big group of us decided to grab dinner together.  The decision was made that we would be eating at a gas station.  I thought it was a joke.  But heck, I went with it.  I like to try new foods, new restaurants, and am always ready for new adventures. 

5901 Watauga Rd., Watauga, TX 76148

(picture from @chefpointcafe on Instagram)

Chef Point is a fine dining restaurant located in a gas station in Watauga, TX.  You can visit it when you are in the Fort Worth, Dallas, and all surrounding DFW areas.  Fun fact I was told was that the bank would only give the owners a loan for a gas station and not a restaurant.  So guess what happened next?  A gas station was opened.  The restaurant is inside and has expanded in the back which includes a new dog friendly bar and patio.

Restaurant Hours:

Monday - Thursday 11:00am - 9:00pm
Friday 11:00am - 10:00pm
Saturday Breakfast 7:00am-11:00am
Saturday 11:00am- 10:00pm
Sunday 10:00am-9pm

I did not know what to order.  Luckily we had some locals in our group who were ready to tell us how good everything was.  I noticed on the menu that some of the dishes have been featured on Food Network's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives, Paula Deen Magazine and The New York Times.  I am a sucker for trying places that Guy Fieri puts his stamp of approval on.  So picking my entrée was not that difficult, I went with Guy's recommendation for the Blackened Stuffed Chicken or Pork Chop.  I picked the pork chop. 

Hand stuffed with pepper jack cheese and fresh crab meat stuffing, smothered in Asiago sauce and served over angel hair pasta.  (2 slices of toasted bread too)

Let me go back, we did order some appetizers.  They were all delicious.  This is one of the appetizers we had, the Bloody Best.

Start off with a double serving of their spicy Bloody Mary with your choice of 16oz domestic beer, their famous "Better Than Sex" Fried Chicken, a Nolan Ryan slider, waffle fries, grilled shrimp, jalapeno pepper, pickle spear, bacon, and more is what the menu says.  The picture above is from the website, check out our Bloody Best below:

It was a huge drink.  My picture does not give it justice.  I got to tell you that "Better Than Sex" Fried Chicken is delicious!

I got to tell you, their portions are big.  I did not finish my entrée.  I tried.  I really tried.  It was so flavorful.  It had a little spice to it.  Just good enough.  I was so mad I did not have room for their famous Bread Pudding.  Maybe next time I will start with dessert first. 

Travel Tuesday-Houston Zoo Lights 2015

***Disclosure-My family received complimentary entrances.  All opinions stated are my own based on my personal experiences.

Will you be visiting Houston this holiday season?  Are you looking for things to do with the family?  How about visiting the Houston Zoo and seeing the Zoo Lights?

The Houston Zoo looks different at night.  There are thousands of lights everywhere.  Colorful lights and festive holiday music fill the Houston Zoo.

The are large life sized sculptures through out the Zoo.  There are talking animals.  Even places for great photo ops with the family-

We each had a favorite spot.  My daughter loved the talking Zebra-Candy.  We all agreed catching a monkey play with a blankie was the funniest thing ever.  Santa's village with Thomas the Train is the coolest.

Did you know you can recycle your old and broken lights at the Houston Zoo going on now until Jan. 9? 

Looking for unique gift ideas?  How about adopting an animal, go to www.houstonzoo.org/adopt