Urban Adventure... Dallas, Texas

Dallas, Texas Skyline

Our family decided one beautiful day recently to have an urban adventure! We decided to have our experience in Dallas, Texas. Dallas is one of the largest cities in Texas & has much to offer families on a budget. 

Cost saving tip: If you plan to visit this bustling city you should consider purchasing a Dallas City Pass. The City Pass includes: 1. Perot Museum of Nature and Science, 2. Reunion Tower GeO-Deck 3. Dallas Zoo OR The Sixth Floor Museum, & 4. George W. Bush Presidential Library & Museum OR Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Garden. The City Pass costs only $46 for adults & $31 for children 3-12. IF you are planning to see all of these attractions you will save 42% by purchasing the City Pass. For more information about the Dallas City Pass click here.  We did not plan to visit all of the attractions included in the City Pass on this trip so we opted not to purchase one. 

Urban Adventure Stop # 1 - Perot Museum of Science & Nature
Opening in December of 2012 this state of the art science museum was a welcomed addition to Dallas, Texas. The Perot Museum mission is to "inspire minds through nature and science".  Our family has visited many times since opening day & continue to be amazed at the quality of exhibits. The four levels of this architect designed building offers activities & exhibits for everyone from 3 to 103! A day spent at this museum will be fun for all in your family.Operating hours are Monday - Saturday 10 AM - 5 PM & Sunday Noon - 5 PM. Admission cost: General Admission adults -$19, children aged 2-17 is $12, children under 2 are free. Parking is $8.

Earth Resources Level of Perot Museum

Perot Museum

Engineering Level of Perot Museum

Natural Science Area of Perot Museum

Fossil at Perot Museum

Sports Hall at Perot Museum

ATTENTION ALL TEACHERS the Perot Museum offers FREE admission to all educators. (Remember to bring proof that you are an educator - paycheck stub or ID.) The Perot Museum is an ASTC reciprocal admission museum. Discounts are available for military. To learn more about the Perot Museum of Science & Nature click here. 


Urban Adventure Stop # 2 - Stop by Klyde Warren Park
When you exit the Perot Museum of Science & Nature take a left & go around the building to the north.  Go down the stairs & you will find a green line painted on the sidewalk.  Follow the green line a few blocks to Klyde Warren Park. (approximately a 10 minute walk) This 5 acre green space in the center of a bustling city is a sight to see! Not to mention the park is located above one of the busiest freeways in the city! Each weekend there are a variety of activities offered at the park.  If you are hungry you can partake of some yummy food truck offerings as well. On your Dallas adventure make sure to include a stop at this unique park. Cost: FREE!  To learn more about Klyde Warren Park click here. 

Urban Adventure Stop # 3 - Dallas Museum of Art

Dallas Museum of Art

Across the street from Klyde Warren Park you will find the Dallas Museum of Art. Featuring 4 levels of art from around the world, you will not want to miss this stop on your urban adventure. Admission is FREE for general admission. Special exhibit admission is $16 for adults aged 12 & up & FREE for children aged 11 & under & senior citizen & military admission is $14.

Dallas Museum of Art

Urban Adventure Stop # 4 - McKinney Avenue Trolley
After the Dallas Museum of Art, head back to Klyde Warren Park & catch the vintage McKinney Avenue Trolley that picks up approximately every 22 minutes.  Ride the trolley up to McKinney Avenue & grab a bite to eat in one of the many restaurants.  The trolley runs 365 days per year & is heated & air conditioned. This one of a kind experience in Dallas, Texas is FREE!  Hop on & off the trolley as much as you wish for the affordable price of nothing. 

Urban Adventure Stop # 5 - Hopdoddy Burger Bar
With our stomachs growling we "hopped" off the McKinney Avenue Trolley at Hopdoddy Burger Bar. This is the place to eat if you want some of the most unique burgers that have ever been created.  Don't worry if you are not the adventurous burger eater, they have the classic burger as well. My son & I had the classic burger & my husband had the terilingua. We all devoured our burgers with some tasty fries. The truffle fries come highly recommended.  I liked them but my husband preferred the classic fries. The price came to about $13 per person for our burgers, fries, & 3 sodas. A bit steep for the family on a budget but is par for the location we were visiting. To see the menu for Hopdoddy Burger Bar click here.




With our bellies full we headed back to our car at the Perot Museum. We had a fun day on our urban adventure!  We were able to see & do things that are not seen or done on a typical day in the life of our family.

Visit our video link at the top of the page to see footage from our trips.  

May God bless you on all your adventures!

Tranquil Tejas...Mission Tejas State Park

Our family has a tradition that on January 1st we hike at a state park as a way of bringing in the new year. In 2015 Texas state parks began their "First Day Hikes" program as a means of encouraging people to start the new year off right. (Maybe they heard about our family tradition & thought it was a good idea...) State parks around the state of Texas have ranger led hikes as well as a few state parks offer canoeing or fun runs. This year we spent January 1st at Mission Tejas State Park with Ranger Josh on a 1 mile ranger led hike. 

Where is Mission Tejas State Park?

Mission Tejas State Park is located at 120 State Park Road 44 Grapeland, Texas 75844. Mission Tejas State Park is just off State Hwy 21 (El Camino Real) 15 miles east of Grapeland,Texas in the rolling hills of East Texas. Mission Tejas State Park is in a remote area with the nearest town having a population of approximately 1,400.  You will find Mission Tejas to be a tranquil place where you can slow down and enjoy life away from cell phones & other distractions in your everyday life. 

What is Mission Tejas?

Mission Tejas State Park was created in 1934 by the Civilian Conservation Corps to remember the first Spanish mission in Texas built in 1690, Mission San Francisco de los Tejas. A visit to the park will provide you the opportunity to to see a replica of the original mission. You can also revel at the industriousness of the Rice Family as you tour the Rice Family home that was built on the El Camino Real by hand in 1828.  After you learn the history by touring the mission & family home get out on the trail and enjoy the over 600 acres of pure East Texas beauty of Mission Tejas State Park! 

What is the cost for visiting Mission Tejas State Park?

Daily entrance fees are $2 per person for persons aged 13 and up, children 12 and under FREE! If you would like a year pass to all 90 of Texas' state parks you can purchase one from any state park for $70 per year.  This will get you and your family into any state park for 1 year for free.  The Texas Parklands Pass is also available with 50% off entry for residents age 65+, 50% off entry for permanently disabled individuals, 100% off entry for anyone born before Sep. 1, 1930,  & 100% off entry for disabled veterans.

What did the ranger led hike include?

The first day hike with Ranger Josh was fabulous!  He was very knowledgeable about the state park & the wildlife that calls it home. We met Josh at the playground at 10 AM for the 1 mile guided hike.  At first it seemed that only our family would be on the hike.  However, others began showing up on the brisk January morning & in total we had 11 people from all over Texas on our hike. We hiked the nature trail around the pond, up Cemetary Hill Trail, over to Steep Step Trail, & back around Big Pine Trail to our starting point. Ranger Josh explained different plants and animals on the trail as we hiked. The information Ranger Josh provided was informative without being advanced.  The two children (aged 8 to 12) on our hike were engaged & interested in the information presented. Questions were encouraged from all members of the group. After the hike I told my husband the things Josh pointed out to us I would never have noticed if I were hiking the trail myself. The hike was easy to moderate because you do have a steep hill to climb up & steep steps you must traverse down.  I recommend bringing a hiking stick for this hike due to the hilly terrain. 

Mission Tejas State Park has many ranger programs throughout the year. Some of the offerings include ranger led hikes, geocaching, stargazing, wildlife found in the state park, & survival skills to name a few.  To find out more about current events at Mission Tejas State Park visit their events website. 

What other activities are available at Mission Tejas State Park?

Pond with bench for enjoying the beauty of your surroundings.

In addition to ranger led programs, hiking, & touring historical homes Mission Tejas offers picnicking, geocaching, & fishing.  Picnic tables are plentiful or you can rent a covered pavilion for large parties. If you liked playing hide & seek then you will LOVE geocaching! There are 7 caches hidden throughout the park that can be found using GPS coordinates.  If you do not have GPS units, the park will rent one to you for FREE for the length of your stay. There is a small pond for fishing.  If you do not have fishing poles, Mission Tejas has 24 you can use for FREE for the length of your stay. 

View of campsites from park road.

Are there cabins or campsites at Mission Tejas State Park?

There are no cabins at Mission Tejas State park.  There are 17 campsites nestled in the beautiful trees of east Texas. Sites available range from water only for $9 per night plus daily entrance fee,  to water, electricity, & sewer for $15 per night plus daily entry fee. Remember to bring your food & drink for your stay because you are a minimum of 20 minutes from the nearest grocery or convenience store. 




After our ranger led hike we hiked more trails on our own.  Our first day of 2016 was invigorating and tranquil thanks to our time spent at Mission Tejas State Park! To find out more about Mission Tejas State Park visit their website or Facebook page.

Mission San Francisco de los Tejas est.1690.

Visit our video link at the top of the page to see footage from our trips.

May God bless you on all of your travels.

Exploring Huntsville, Texas

On a beautiful early fall weekend our family spent some quality time in Huntsville, Texas. Huntsville is located 1 hour north of Houston on Interstate 45. We were looking for a budget friendly destination that would let us experience the beautiful Texas weather we had that weekend.  We were not disappointed!

What is there to do?

Explore all that nature has to offer.

• Huntsville State Park - Located in the Sam Houston National Forest, Huntsville State Park has over 2,000 acres surrounding a  beautiful lake for you to explore and enjoy. Some of the activities you can enjoy include hiking, biking, fishing, swimming, canoe & paddle boat rentals, horse back riding, camping, & picnics. You will find over 21 miles of hiking/biking trails in this state park.The day we visited the park was very busy with a mountain bike race going on & almost all of the campsites were full. We were surprised to find despite so many people were in the park the hiking trails were not crowded. We have hiked trails across the United States and found Huntsville State Park had the best marked trails.  The trails were well maintained and easily traveled. We enjoyed hiking around the beautiful lake.  We did not hike all 21 miles of trails, we focused primarily on the southern portion of the state park near the dam. During our hike we saw several bicyclists on the hiking trail. If you enjoy mountain biking, Huntsville State Park has many miles to ride. We highly recommend spending a day or weekend at Huntsville State Park.  Entrance fees for daily use are $5 for adults 13 and older and FREE admission for children under 12. Campsites: $15-$25 per night, Screened Shelters $30 per night, Shelters with Air Conditioning $60 per night, Group Pavilion Screened Shelter $50 daily. 

Pictures of Huntsville State Park:

Well marked trails..

You are surrounded by towering trees.

The horseshoe shaped lake is encircled by the state park.

Trails have many bridges to cross.

Easy access from Interstate 45

• Sam Houston Memorial Museum 1836 Sam Houston Ave, Huntsville, TX hours Sunday: 12:00pm - 4:30pm,  Monday: Closed, & Tuesday - Saturday: 9:00am - 4:30pm. Learn about the life of Sam Houston and how he influenced Texas' entrance into the United States. Entrance fees: Adults $5, Children Aged 6-18 $3, Seniors 65+ $4.

67 foot tall statue of Sam Houston

• Visit the World's Tallest Statue of a Hero - Sam Houston Located on Interstate 45 on the south side of Huntsville you will find the tallest statue of a hero in the world. Standing at 67 feet tall, the Sam Houston statue is worth stopping by on a trip to Huntsville. 

Where did you eat?

Huntsville has many options for restaurants from chain sit down restaurants, fast food restaurants, and locally owned restaurants. When we travel we like to eat like the locals so we chose a family owned restaurant near downtown Huntsville.  

Farmhouse Cafe located near downtown Huntsville

Farmhouse Cafe - 1004 14th St, Huntsville, TX. The Farmhouse Cafe is off Interstate 45 and worth the drive into the heart of Huntsville. Each day the Farmhouse Cafe offers daily specials to supplement the down home offerings on the menu. Oh & don't forget the hot and fresh one of a kind homemade cornbread that is brought to the table when you arrive.With meals priced at a reasonable average of $11, you can't go wrong if you are on a budget.  As for my family we ordered the following:

One of a kind cornbread served
with all meals.

I ordered the lunch special and was not disappointed. 

Lunch Special - Parmesan chicken with hand battered fried squash
& Italian style green beans.

Here's what my husband and son each ordered:

Fried catfish platter that served crispy filets, spicy hush
puppies, sweet & tasty coleslaw, & crisp french fries.

The desserts looked spectacular as well! (We had Blue Bell ice cream earlier in our trip so we did not try a dessert.) Do I recommend the Farmhouse Cafe:  YES! Everyone enjoyed their meals, we would definitely return next time we visit Huntsville.

Final notes about the trip:

While our trip was merely a day trip, Huntsville could easily be a great weekend getaway. Whether you are looking for a fun family camp out at the state park or you would like accommodations that include a nice comfortable bed with plenty of air conditioning, Huntsville has something for you to explore & enjoy! 

May God bless you on all of your travels!