Travel Archives - FinalRant

finalrant August 27, 2019

Top Things to do in Houston For Socialites

If you are new to the area, or even just visiting, you might be wondering what are the top things to do in Houston, TX. Well, brace yourselves–there’s a long laundry list of things that you can get into.

I’ve been here for about 13 years now and I still stumble upon undiscovered places to visit on a daily basis. Read on to hear my top things to do in Houston for Socialites.

Don’t forget to check out my list of Houston restaurant reviews! My most recent foodie adventure was at The Juicy Crab. If you want detailed descriptions, then be sure to head over to that section of my blog.

Where To Brunch

Breakfast is definitely one of my most favorite meals of the day. Anytime there’s time for you to just be lazy and go to brunch, you know it’s going to be a great day.

So, whether you’re a bacon fanatic or just trying to nurse a hangover, these are some of my favorite local breakfast spots.

EggHaus Gourmet

2042 E T C Jester Blvd | Houston, TX 77008| egghaus.com

Pelican Breakfast & Lunch

3142 E NASA Pkwy | Seabrook, TX 77586 | pelicanbreakfast.com

Snooze, an A.M. Eatery

5000 Westheimer Rd Suite 120 | Houston, TX 77056 | snoozeeatery.com | *

The Back Yard Grill

9453 Jones Rd | Houston, TX 77065 | thebackyardgrill.com

The Breakfast Club

3711 Travis St | Houston, TX 77002 | thebreakfastklub.com

Toasted Yolk

2110 Town Square Pl | Sugar Land, TX 77479 | thetoastedyolk.com | *

Toute Suite Cafe

2001 Commerce St | Houston, TX 77002 | toutsuitehtx.com

Where To Have Dinner

If you’re looking for a nice hearty meal, then check out some of these recommendations. I’m all about good flavor and feeling full after I leave. These restaurant options will do just that!

Whiskey Cake

23139 Grand Cir Blvd | Katy, TX 77449 | whiskeycake.com | *

State Fare Kitchen & Bar

947 Gessner Rd #B190 | Houston, TX 77024 | statefaretx.com

Turkey Leg Hut

4830 Almeda Rd suite a/b| Houston, TX 77004 | theturkeyleghut.com/

YardHouse

800 Sorella Court Space 116 | Houston, TX 77024 | yardhouse.com | *

Best Places To Drink

There are a ton of bars to go drink at, no matter what part of Houston you’re in. Each area kind of has its own little vibe. My favorite areas to visit are downtown on Main Street, Midtown or The Heights.

If you want to wild out, then Main Street is definitely the place for that. Come early and try to Uber. You’ll thank me later!

Midtown is also a party area, mostly for the younger, less crazy crowd.

The Heights is a more mature type of spot. It comprises of business professionals that still like to drink every now and then, but they prefer to be in a civilized atmosphere.

Bad News Bar & Spirit Lounge

308 Main St | Houston, TX 77002 | Bad News Bar

Height Bier Garten

1433 N Shepherd Dr #1 | Houston, TX 77008 | Heights Bier Garten

Lei Low Rum & Tiki Bar

6412 N Main St, Houston, TX 77009 http://leilowhtx.com/

Sugar Refinery

2248 Texas Dr | Sugar Land, TX 77479 | tsrbar.com/

Where To Go For Chill Vibes

Don’t want to party? Why not go for the chill vibe with these options below. The crowds at these spots are very relaxed. Enjoy your drinks, on a patio, in a carefree and light atmosphere.

77 Degrees

2416 Brazos St, Ste 200 | Houston, TX 77006 | http://77-degrees.com/

Beaver’s

6025 Westheimer Rd |Houston, TX 77057 | beavershtx.com

Nobi Public House

241 E NASA Pkwy | Webster, TX 77598 | nobipub.com

Pitch 25

2120 Walker St | Houston, TX 77003 | Pitch 25

Sambuca

909 Texas Ave | Houston, TX 77002 | sambucarestaurant.com

Best Dance Spots

If you enjoy the good music and big crowds, then check out these recommendations below. They offer huge dance floors, badass DJ’s, and of course–loud music! Whether it’s swing, alternative, or just your typical mainstream music that you enjoy, you won’t be disappointed!

Cabo Bar & Grill

2513 NASA Road 1 | Seabrook, TX 77586 | caboclearlake.com/

Whiskey River

7637 FM 1960 Rd W | Houston, TX 77070 | whiskeyriverhouston.com | *

Shot Bar

2315 Bagby St | Houston, TX 77006 | Shot Bar

Lincoln Bar

5110 Washington Ave | Houston, TX 77007 | Lincoln Bar

Where to Shop

We’ve discussed pretty much every other venue and type of establishment. I felt that I should also mention shopping. No vacation getaway is complete without a good shopping session.

As a local, I love to visit the following spots for a good shopping spree.

Vintage Stores on 19th St

W 19th St | Houston, TX 77008 | 19thstreetheights.com/boutiques.html

Galleria Mall

5085 Westheimer Rd | Houston, TX 77056 | simon.com/mall/the-galleria

First Colony Mall

16535 Southwest Fwy | Sugar Land, TX 77479 | firstcolonymall.com

Houston Premium Outlets

29300 Hempstead Rd | Cypress, TX 77433 | premiumoutlets.com/outlet/houston

Sight See in Houston

For those of you that are visiting, I’m throwing in the section. Here are several places to go if you really want to soak up the culture and what Houston has to offer.

If you’re really good at planning, you might be able to land at these sightseeing spots on discounted days. Create an itinerary ahead of time to take advantage of free days!

Galveston Island

Galveston, TX 77550 | galveston.com

Houston Zoo

6200 Hermann Park Dr | Houston, TX 77030 | houstonzoo.org/

Museum District

Houston, TX | houmuse.org

Schlitterbahn

2026 Lockheed Rd | Galveston, TX 77554 | schlitterbahn.com/galveston

Space Center

1601 E NASA Pkwy | Houston, TX 77058 | spacecenter.org/

Hines Waterwall Park

2800 Post Oak Blvd | Houston, TX 77056 | uptown-houston.com/news/page/water-wall-park

Other Seasonal Events in Houston

If you’re visiting, check out some of the seasonal events that we have to offer! Houston has a multitude of sports teams: basketball, baseball, football, and soccer. Why not watch a live game to really create some memories while you visit.

For additional seasonal events, be sure to check out Eventbrite. This is a great way to find events that are local to you, no matter what area you’re in.

Astros Games

Houston Livestock & Rodeo Show

HUE Mural Festival

Texans Games

Rockets Games

Dynamo Games

Is there anything that I missed? Have you been to any of the bars that I mentioned? If so, drop me a comment below letting me know how your experience was.

Until then, cheers!

Processing…

Success! You're on the list.

Whoops! There was an error and we couldn't process your subscription. Please reload the page and try again.

finalrant August 20, 2018 South Padre Island

My Must Have Beach Essentials

Summer break is drawing to an end, but that didn’t stop us from squeezing in one last trip. We flew from Houston to Harlingen to visit South Padre Island. As I packed, I couldn’t fight off the looming feeling that I was probably forgetting something. I wished there was a list that I could reference to offer me some reassurance with my packing. Now that we have returned, I feel seasoned enough to create my own list… So, here it is–my list of very necessary must have beach essentials!

top beach essentials

Sunglasses

As soon as we landed, the heat hit my like an Amtrak train. I don’t know why I expected it to be any different than Houston, it wasn’t! The sun was directly overhead. I was highly relieve to have my big bourgeoisie sunglasses that covered almost half of my face. Eye protection is of the utmost priority when you’re visiting a beach.

Sun Hat

A beach trip is simply not a beach trip without a beach hat. You can go with the big floppy sun hat or a cute little beach fedora as I did. I was able to kill two birds with one stone. Not only did the keep my curly tresses in place, but it allowed my sensitive scalp to be protected from the beaming sun rays.

Beach Cover Up

You all know that I’ve been up in the gym just working on my fitness, like Fergie. The goal was to be the most slim thick chocolate morsel on the beach. I hopped at the airplane at a smooth 130 pounds, go me! However, I still felt like it was necessary for me to cover up my bum and tummy. No lie, I sifted through page upon page on Amazon before finding this lovely cover up. I knew it was meant to be because it matched my beach hat perfectly!

beach vacation essentials

Lip Balm

If it’s a couples trip, then you know you better have an ample supply of lip balm or chapstick. The lips have to be soft and supple for bae. I’m a big fan of the EOS lip balms because the smell and taste aren’t too overpowering. It’s mind boggling how this cute little ball of ingredients works so efficiently to keep my lips moisturized and baby soft.

Beach Blanket

I have the best beach blanket! But guess what, I didn’t remember to bring it along. Anyway, I highly recommend bringing this as it will keep your towels [mostly] free of sand. If there’s one thing that I hate, it’s drying off with a sandy towel. Which brings up straight to our next item.

Beach Towels

I really don’t have much to say about this one… We ended up getting ours from the hotel that we were staying in. They were white and plain, but at least they were huge. If you can, try to buy your towels before heading to the beach! The ones I saw at the tourist shops and the surrounding stores were going for an arm and a leg. Ummm, nope!

finalrant south padre trip

Sunscreen

Now, I for sure gained some color on this trip. I remember putting on sunscreen for about 2 days out of the trip. I left with a nice melanin style tan that was tender to the touch. Yes, African Americans can get sun burns. So, be sure to pack a sunscreen with an adequate SPF for your skin type. I prefer the spray on sunscreen because it’s easy and umm, who doesn’t like that.

Swimsuits

If you’re planning a multiple day beach trip, be sure to pack enough swimsuits. Call me uppity if you want, but I needed a new swimsuit for each day of the vacation. It was great, because we ended up taking so many pictures while we were on the beach. I love bright, bold hues. I had a colorful set of photos for each day of our excursion. You can get browse for unique swimwear here.

beach trip essentials padre

Wet Bag

These definitely came in handy with all of the wet swimsuits that I had. Once I got done at the beach, I rinsed any residual sand my swim wear. I didn’t want it touching bathroom floors (Yes, I’m a germophobe!) or even worse risking it accidentally getting left behind in the hotel. I mean, the hotel was pristine… but you just never know. So once I was done rinsing, I placed it directly in my wet bag.

Mobile Phone Charger

The trip was great. I wanted to capture every moment. And I did, until my cell phone battery died. The battery capacity on Apple phones is a complete joke. Oh, and guess what, the Jeep that we rented didn’t have a working charging port. It was a miraculous work of God that I had my mobile phone charger with me. I was able to charge my phone just enough to upload the select few pictures I wanted showcased for that day and to navigate us to a cute little dinner spot.

south padre island trip

Beach Toys

We didn’t have any kids, so I totally didn’t think about bringing along any beach play toys or other forms of entertainment. Once we got there, I was jealous of the family next to us. They were very well prepared. From oversized beach floats to a luxury sandcastle building kit… I wanted in on the fun, but felt it would be too awkward to ask if I could play too!

Moral of the story: Don't bring sand to the beach. Do bring toys! Click To Tweet

I hope you enjoyed the list that I’ve compiled. Was there anything that I missed? If so, drop me a comment below! If you want to see video footage from the trip, be sure to check out (and subscribe to) my Youtube channel. We went horseback riding, zip lining and much more. You can find the South Padre Island vlogs here. This was definitely one for the books!