Houston’s Town and Country City Centre Spring Market and Eco-Farmer’s Market

Posted on April 11, 2011 by Bridget Batson

Nested in between the fabulous restaurants of Town and Country City Centre: Ruggles Green, Red Mango, RA Sushi, Bistro Alex, and Yard House, is an open air plaza which hosts live entertainment and market events including the Spring Market and Eco-Farmer’s Market.

The Spring Market is filled with talented artists exhibiting handcrafted jewelry, mosaics, fused glass, paintings, photography, plants, metals, and clay. Each tent we visited was unique and we truly never saw the same thing twice. Children were running around on the turf, music was playing, people were eating on the patio at the restaurants surrounding the area, and the weather was gorgeous.

Angelika Millmaker in Front of Her Artwork

Some of our favorites were crosses made of stones, wine racks out of tree stumps, whimiscal paintings from Angelika Millmaker and colorful fused glass/mosaics/tiles from Lisa Bonin and Susie Curry.

Mosaic Art by Lisa Bonin and Susie Curry

The Eco-Farmer’s market hosts vendors who sell locally grown fruits and vegetables plus a wide variety of other items including baked goods, meats and cheeses, plants and eco-friendly products.

City Centre is located at: 800 Town & Country Boulevard, Houston, TX 77024. Events and garage parking are free. For a full listing of events/shopping/restaurants visit:  ‎ citycentrehouston.com

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Texas Art Asylum – Mecca of Art Classes and Recycled Products for Creative Reuse

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Bridget Batson

Houston may be known for our oil and gas firms, but it also has a THRIVING art community. Texas Art Asylum, which opened its doors last year, provides cost efficient and enviromentally friendly products for creation. Did you know you can make bowls out of record players, wreaths out of old sheet music, mirrors out of old soda cans, and furniture out of cigar boxes? I had no idea! But Ramona Brady and Jennifer McCormick , the owners of this store, did. They sell doll parts, cigar boxes, and too many unique items to list for both artists and novices to grab and put to use! I actually picked up a garden statue for $2, 1970 ornaments for less than $1 each, and a few cigar boxes.

Texas Art Asylum also offers a variety of art classes including: Altered Tin Assembly, Mixed Media, Power Tool Basics, Hot Stuff (Soldering/Blow Torching/Welding), Faux Finishes, Handmade Paper, Steampunk Jewelry, Crochet, and even classes for kids (coming this summer!).

Texas Art Asylum is open every day but Monday and is located at 1230 Houston Avenue, Houston, TX 77007. For a full class listing visit their website: http://www.texasartasylum.com/index.html

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Oil Ranch: A Bit of YeeHaw

Posted on April 5, 2011 by Bridget Batson

 

Nothing says “Texas” like a Ranch – and our big city of Houston has our own version of one right off 290. The Oil Ranch is a mecca of primative fun for kids of all ages. You have probably visited the oil ranch on a school field trip as a child if you grew up   

here in Houston and forgot all about it. Families can actually visit the oil ranch without being a part of a group. They are open Thurs-Friday 10am-3pm and Saturday 10am-5pm.

The Oil Ranch is filled with multiple playgrounds, putt putt golf, petting zoos, a dairy farm where you can milk a cow, pony rides, a hay barn, a train ride, a hay ride where you can feed cows, fish (catch and release), softball, volleyball, and basketball fields, horeshoe areas, moonwalk jumps, mazes, mining areas, and a swimming pool. Everything but the mining is included in the admission price of $12.95. Group rates and coupons are available on the site: http://www.oilranch.com/ 

The Oil Ranch is great for family reunions, birthday parties, family outings, and beautiful days.

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Bayou Wildlife Park in Alvin, TX

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Bridget Batson

 Love animals and pissed because you can’t feed all of them at the zoo? Try Bayou Wildlife Park at 5050 FM 517 Rd, Alvin, TX 77511. Here, you can see, pet, and feed camels, ostriches, llamas, cattle, and a bunch of other vermin as you ride a tram through 80 wooded acres . No, really, it is fun.

After you buy your ticket and feed, you enter through the gates and are greeted by hungry and somewhat obnoxious animals (but if they weren’t obnoxious we wouldn’t love this would we?). Spend some time with them. This is one of the best parts of the tour. Then, you park and board the tram which takes you on about a 30-45 minute tour where you can feed all of the animals. Tip: get there early. Once the animals are full they just sort of stand there and look at the tram - wont’ come over.  

You’ll get some history along the way and parts of the ride are bumpy and steep (but safe for all you mother hens out there). The best part of the ride is the end where you can feed the camels. They are huge, stinky, and loveable.

When you are done, you can walk around the facility to find deer roaming, visit the goats, and feed cattle. There are alligators and a rhino to view as well (can’t feed them). Save some food for the way out to feed the animals at the gate again. Makes for great pictures!

Bayou Wildlife Park is open

March through August: 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM
August through February: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM

Pony rides available anytime March – July.
Weekends only August – February.

http://www.bayouwildlifepark.com/

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