The swamps and marshes of Louisiana were soon forgotten when the skyline of Houston came into view. The heat and humidity still remained, but the view from the car windows was something completely different: wide highways, gleaming glass buildings and more cars than would seem necessary. Dinner was had at Arby’s, known for their roast beef sandwiches, and then it was pretty much time to call it a night; eight hours had again been spent in the car.
Hattivatti goes cowboy
The following day started with a sightseeing ride around town and then continued on to shopping for boots and hats as well as random browsing at the Galleria shopping mall. For dinner, there was of course only one option: a proper steak at Taste of Texas, which lived up to its name once again. Sirloin and T-bone steaks, jumbo lump crabcakes, liters of iced tea and the fabulous salad bar were quite sufficient to fill everyone’s stomachs.
Hattivatti meets shopping and some angus beef
In the evening, an excursion was made to Sugarland to see Disney’s newest film Maleficent at a 3D IMAX theater. Well worth the drive out!
Two nights in Houston had passed and it was time to move on. The first stop was Brazos Bend State Park, known for close encounters with alligators in the wild. Hattivatti and friends managed to see two gators in addition to plenty of turtles and birds while wandering around. If it hadn’t been so hot and humid, the search for more gators would have continued, but the risk of heat stroke seemed too imminent.
Hattivatti takes a risk with alligators
Hattivatti in the wild
The trip then continued on to Lockhart, TX, a town declared by Texas Legislature as the barbecue capital of Texas and, therefore, pretty much the BBQ capital of the entire world. Great brisket at the Chisholm Trail Bar-B-Q! From there, our troop continued on to San Antonio and enjoyed a couple drinks and a late evening tex mex snack on the Riverwalk.
Hattivatti with good BBQ and exploring the Riverwalk
The following day started with a BBQ breakfast / lunch at Bill Miller Bar-B-Q: wonderful smoked brisket poor boys as well as pecan and apple pie slices. Delish! Then Six Flags Fiesta Texas in San Antonio kept everyone entertained for the next five hours. Rollercoasters like the Iron Rattler, the Kryptonite, and the Goliath gave more than enough thrills with nearly vertical drops, enormous loops and speeds up to 70 miles an hour. The temperature was in the lower nineties and the sun was merciless, so the water rides like Bugs’ White Water Rapids were welcome as well. The park was half empty (with the waterpark portion unfortunately closed), so the lines for rides were non-existant.
Hattivatti meets mad rides
After a quick cooldown at the hotel pool, Hattivatti and friends headed to Rosario’s for the best Mexican food San Antonio has to offer. This was no overstatement: fresh guacamole, creamy queso, crunchy tortilla chips and cheese-coated enchilladas, among other things, were all extremely tasty. Great frozen margaritas as well! Then one last walk along the Riverwalk and time to hit the sack to prepare for an early morning: the next day would lead to New Mexico.
Epicness of Texas on The Scale of Epicness:
The Epic Journey 
Kuulostaapa hauskan nostalgiselta matkalta Texasiin. Ihan nousi vesi kielelle kun luin barbecuesta ja tex mexistä.
Joo, Taste of Texas varsinkin toi muistoja mieleen. Oli jännittävää päästä itse ajamaan niitä katuja, joita pitkin oli kulkenut kyydissä niin monta vuotta. Hyvin oli reitit pysynyt mielessä kyllä!