6 Things to Do this Summer in

Pflugerville, Texas

 

It’s almost officially summertime, and like usual, I started looking for places to visit. Then I realized that I haven’t really fully experienced Pflugerville yet, though we’ve lived here for almost 4 years. So, I went on the hunt for fun and relaxing things to do inn Pflugerville before looking elsewhere, and thanks to the City of Pflugerville, I got some great ideas to add to my list.

 

Pfarmer’s Market

Pflugerville’s Pfarmer’s Market is every Tuesday, 3pm-7pm, ,from May 11 to October 26. Due to construction, it’s currently located at Pflugerville First United Methodist Church.

You can expect tons of fresh produce (of course) from local farmers, as well as baked goods, honey, plants, eggs, Find new small businesses to support while enjoying some time outdoors. Pro tip: while cards are accepted by most vendors, bring cash just in case.

 

Music in the Park

Music in the Park is a good time for the whole family! It’s an outdoor concert series held on select Friday nights, 7:30pm-9:30pm, all summer long, starting next Friday, June 25. The first musical guest will be Royal Velvetee, a classic soul and jazz band who put on an amazing show!

Music in the Park is a free event in Pfluger Park, located at 515 City Park Rd. Alcohol is allowed, but no glass containers. For more info and a list of all the concerts this year, check out Pflugerville’s site here.

 

Typhoon Texas

If you’re trying to beat the Texas summer heat, aside from all the natural water holes, my first recommendation would be Typhoon Texas. They have rides and attractions for  every age range, from Buckaroo Bayou, which is made for toddlers, to the Snake Pit, where you must be 48″ or taller to ride the intertwining water slides.

For Independence Day weekend, Typhoon Texas will have its annual Red, White, and Boom festival, which will have carnival themed attractions, live entertainment, a hot air balloon ride, fireworks, and a Saluting our Heroes event. There’s also several food and beverage options at the park. Read more about Typhoon Texas here.

 

ILY Nails & Beauty Bar

Tired from running around to all the different events this summer? Treat yourself to a day of pampering at ILY Nails & Beauty Bar, Pflugerville’s first and only Black owned nail salon. They currently offer nail services and pedicures, with facials, brow services, and waxes coming soon. You literally sit on a throne while receiving a relaxing, stress relieving pedicure from one of the licensed technicians. For pricing or to book an appointment, head to ILY Nails’s website.

 

Spirit of Texas Independent Distillery

Do you like supporting local distilleries and breweries or maybe touring them? Well, Spirit of Texas Independent Distillery is located right here in Pflugerville! Their tasting room is open Thursday through Saturday. You can also book group tours or private events outside of these hours.

Something really cool to me about this distillery is that their spirits have local related names, like Pfluger single malt whiskey, Spirit of Texas straight silver rum, and Pecan Street rum. You can support them by visiting the actual distillery or by using their store locator to purchase these spirits at your neighborhood liquor store.

 

Down South Cajjun Eats

My favorite, somewhat new, restaurant in Pflugerville is Down South Cajjun Eats, located at 15630 Vision Drive. As the name suggests, they specialize in Cajun dishes. They also have the best fried catfish in town, in my opinion.

This restaurant is owned by twin brothers and has turned into an awesome gathering place for great food and music. It’s located in a food court, but has definitely become the anchor site for the venue. Besides the catfish, they offer gumbo, pasta, wings, and several specialty items. Check out the full menu here.

Thank you for reading! To find even more things to do this summer in Pflugerville, visit the city’s event calendar.

 

WHAT TO PACK FOR A CAMPING TRIP

 

Last October, William and I went camping together for the first time at Big Bend Ranch State Park. We each had different camping experiences when we were younger, but this was our first time doing primitive camping. So we wanted to make sure we had everything we needed since we’d be basically in the middle of nowhere with zero cell service.

 We’re super excited to be going back to Big Bend Ranch very soon. So, I thought I’d bring you all along as we prep for the trip in case you decide to visit the great outdoors this spring or summer.

 

 

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The Necessities

I’ll start with what you’ll definitely need for your trip. Then, we can talk about things that are nice to bring along, just in case. So, the necessities are:

• a tent with stakes
• sleeping bag or several blankets
• lantern or flashlight
• batteries
• portable charger
• first-aid kit
• sunscreen
• deep woods insect repellent
• 1 gallon of water per person per day
• a separate gallon or more of water for cleaning and misc.
• knife
• firewood and kindling
• matches or other fire starter
• cooler
• pots, skillet, cooking utensils, and eating utensils
• plates, bowls, cups, or mugs (depending on what you plan to eat or drink)
• towels
• hand sanitizer
• toilet paper
• a spade or small shovel (if there’s no bathroom nearby)
• washcloths
• toothbrush, toothpaste
• unscented biodegradable soap
• canned goods and easy to cook foods
• can opener
• tape
• trash bags

 

Nice to Have Items

These next items aren’t necessary for your trip, but they may make it more enjoyable.

• lawn chairs
• plastic tablecloth (if a picnic table is available at the campsite. Trust me!)
• a small grill
• sleeping pad
• headlamp
• small folding table (if a picnic table isn’t nearby)
• hammock
• cord or rope
• grill rack
• cards and board games 
• binoculars
• reading material
• action camera (like a GoPro)
• baby wipes

 

 

Clothing

Something to remember when camping is that the weather can change at any time, especially when camping somewhere like Big Bend Ranch. The nights are waaay colder than the day. So try bringing multiple options such as:

• short sleeve and long sleeve shirts
• a sweatshirt
• a jacket
• socks
• thick socks
• pants
• shorts
• underwear (of course)
• bandana or sweat band
• sneakers
• maybe hiking boots
• flip flops
• stretchy pants, like leggings or yoga pants
• swimsuit
• warm pajamas (a MUST)
• rain gear
• maybe long johns

 

 

These are all great items to have, some less necessary than others, but it’s a nice list to help you realize what you may want or need to pack for your camping trip. Did I forget anything? Let me know in the comments if you have any additional suggestions.

 

 

 

21+ Glamping Retreat in Central Texas

We recently had the opportunity to visit the new Serana Glamping Retreat, which is a 21+ glamping experience located in Paige, TX. That’s about 30 minutes from both Bastrop and Smithville, TX, and about an hour from Austin. Here’s what went down and everything you can expect.

 

Accommodations

There’s three options for accommodations, one of three kampinas (small cabins), the Little Bluestem (luxury tent), and the Big Bluestem (bigger luxury tent).

The kampinas now have full electricity and provide heat/AC, electrical outlets, etc. The Bluestems do not have electricity, but Serana provides a portable charger for you to use during your stay, and each tent has a wood burning stove for those colder nights.

We stayed in the Little Bluestem, and it was beautiful! It felt like we were in an upscale hotel. Walking up to the tent, you first arrive at the gravel patio with 2 separate sitting areas and a gas firepit. The view from both sitting areas is a pond that was breathtaking at sunset. The front of the tent has a netted enclosure. So you can leave the tent open in the day (and night if you choose) to enjoy the views of the property while keeping a bit of privacy and stopping critters from getting in. There are also 3 windows that you can zip closed if you’d like.

 

There is a queen sized bed with a memory foam mattress (very comfortable), plush white bedding and sheets, a coat rack, just enough decor to make you feel at home, and another sitting area inside the tent, as well as the aforementioned wood burning stove. They also provide Turkish bath towels, and boy were we naïve. We thought it was an extra throw lol. Firewood is also provided for the stove, but I advise you to bring your own kindling to easier light the fire. Maybe watch a few Youtube tutorials like this one also.

 

Amenities

Since this is a true glamping retreat, several amenities are provided for your comfort, such as an outdoor kitchen and bath house. In the kitchen you’ll find  a refrigerator, a cooktop, sink, coffee and tea makers, cookware, dishes, flatware, a barbecue grill, and a Traeger grill.

The bath house has 2 bath stalls and a sink right outside them. There are also 2 outdoor showers with rain shower heads. Toiletries were also available in the showers.

Lastly in the communal section are a big firepit for lounging and a Quonset hut for dining. We loved the rustic yet modern look of the common areas. It really made you feel like you were having an elevated retreat experience.

 

Around the Property

Serana is set on a 53 acre property with 4 ponds, chickens, ducks, coming soon, an outdoor gym, and wide open spaces to roam and explore. I was literally frolicking through the fields at one point!

Serana also does something very cool. They have mobile chicken coops that they move periodically. This allows the chickens to naturally fertilize and turn the soil, resulting in beautiful, bright green grass. We unfortunately couldn’t find the ducks while we were there.

The property itself is full of photo ops, but you may get too caught up in enjoying it so much that you forget to “do it for the Gram”. All in all, this was a very enjoyable stay, and I would definitely do it again. If you’d like the best of both worlds, the great outdoors and being in town, read my previous blog post here, giving tips on things to do in downtown Bastrop.

 

 

Visit www.seranatx.com to book your stay and get away from it all for a few days. For even more pictures of our stay, click here to see my Instagram post. Thank you Serana Glamping Retreat for the awesome experience! 

Things to Do in Downtown Bastrop, TX

 

We were recently able to visit Serana, a new 21+ glamping destination in Paige, TX (blog post coming soon), which is about 30 minutes away from Bastrop. So, we decided to take a day trip to Bastrop and see what all it had to offer. Spoiler alert, the answer is EVERYTHING!

 

Where to Eat

My number 1 question when traveling is “Where are we eating?” So, of course, that was the first thing I checked when we decided to head to downtown Bastrop.

First, before we even get to the food, let me just say how beautiful it is downtown! We were in the historic district. So all the buildings are preserved from waaay back in the day! Then downtown sits on the banks of the Colorado River. So, you can take a nice stroll along the riverbanks on the way to your next destination. ( I love these kinds of things.)

 

Neighbor’s Kitchen & Yard

Now, back to the food! We were glamping Saturday night, then spent all day Sunday in Bastrop. Saturday evening, however, we also went into town for dinner at Neighbor’s Kitchen & Yard. This restaurant sits right on the Colorado River bank with a huge multi-level patio overlooking the river and a stage downstairs in “The Yard” for live performances (which, by the way, just started back).

 

For a starter, we tried the Comeback Dip, which is rightfully named because it’ll definitely have you coming back to order more! We both ordered calzones.. I had the current featured flavor, The Brooklynite. William had the Hot Li’l Honey. We traded half of our calzones with each other, and I loved them both. The Brooklynite was more traditional with red sauce, mozzarella, pepperoni, mushroom, and oregano.

The Hot Li’l Honey contains olive oil, mozzarella, tomato, salami, and cherry peppers. Then the calzone is drizzled with habanero infused hot honey. The sweet, spicy, and savory flavor combo was perfect!

Lastly, for drinks, I had the moonshine margarita, and William had the Geometric Rye-No by Iron Bridge Icehouse, which is located right next door to Neighbor’s! We thoroughly enjoyed our food and time at Neighbor’s and will definitely be back!

After our awesome dining experience, we headed back to our campsite to relax and rest up for the next day.

 

Paw-Paw’s Catfish House

For dinner on Sunday, we visited Paw-Paw’s Catfish House located on Main Street. This restaurant, which was started by Cheri Rice in honor of her grandparents, already pulled at our heartstrings before stepping foot inside the restaurant because it made us think of our Paw Paw (William’s grandpa). Both of my grandfathers were gone before I was born. So, I never had the chance to experience a grandfather’s love. Upon meeting William’s grandpa, lovingly called Paw Paw, he immediately took me in as one of his own. He passed away in 2019, and we love and miss him dearly.

So with that backstory, of course when we saw a catfish house with that name, we had to go! I’m happy to say they did not disappoint. William and I agreed it’s some of the best catfish we’ve had since moving to Texas in 2013.

At Paw-Paw’s, we started with a basket of onion rings, which were THE BEST onion rings I’ve ever had anywhere! That says a lot, by the way, because I consider myself an onion ring connoisseur. I also had the sweet tea, which is served in a mason jar and is refilled regularly. It was perfect, with just the right amount of sugar.

 

For our main courses, William had the fried catfish platter, which came with 6 pieces of fish, fries, pinto beans, coleslaw, hushpuppies, and tarter sauce or cocktail sauce. Then I had Paw Paw’s platter, which came 3 pieces of catfish, 3 HUGE jumbo shrimp, and all the sides from the catfish platter. I had the tarter sauce and cocktail sauce though. 

We were both stuffed and had to get to-go boxes. I wanted to try the banana pudding couldn’t bring myself to order it. So, that’s on my list next time because believe me, there will be a next time.

 

 

Things To Do

Now, you may be thinking, “She told about dinner Saturday night then skipped to dinner Sunday. What happened in between?” Don’t worry! We’re getting to that right now. So, Sunday, we got up relatively early to enjoy the campsite more before leaving. Then, we headed downtown around 11am. We were supposed to get breakfast at Maxine’s Café but ended up eating before leaving Serana. So we didn’t have an appetite quite yet. Because of this, we started our downtown adventure a bit early. 

We got there as church was letting out, but businesses weren’t open just yet. So we walked around for a while taking in the views. That’s when we were able to see the Colorado River in all its glory. It looks a lot different in the daytime. We walked up and down the riverbank, taking in the sights and seeing what we could see. William spotted a log with what we thought were 3 turtles, but upon further investigating, ended up being 7! They’re pictured below in the slide.

So now, it was noon, and downtown was open for business. So we made our way to Astro Record Store. This store was previously a saloon and is really cool to see. They also had a really good selection of records. We left with 3 new records for our collection. After Astro, we wondered around a bit more, stopping at Colorado River Winery as well as Cripple Creek Wine & Gifts. We then headed to Copper Shot Distillery. Here, we each had a flight, trying 2 of their infused moonshines and 2 whiskeys. Let me just say, those infused moonshines are DANGEROUS! They’re so good, you may forget you’re drinking alcohol. The whiskeys were smooth, but they will definitely make sure you take your time drinking them. We also discovered Copper Shot has a Bloody Mary bar on Sunday’s that are pretty popular.

After our flights, we decided to walk them off a bit. So we headed back to the river to walk the other direction. After some time, we realized we still had time to spare before our dinner reservation (due to our changed schedule). So, we ventured off to Walmart. On our way, though, we ran into a Goodwill. So we had to stop. There were some great furniture pieces for amazing prices. (I think our neighborhood Goodwill jacks up the prices some.) We found a classic movie that we needed in our lives, The Adventures of Babysitting. So, we got that. Then, we were again off to Walmart. Once that store trip was over, it was time for dinner. So, we headed back to Downtown Bastrop for our Paw-Paw’s fix.

 

 

Everywhere we visited followed COVID protocol, requiring masks, unless you were eating or drinking, and we didn’t witness anyone trying to defy the rules.

All in all, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in Downtown Bastrop and are already making plans to return, this time with friends. There’s plenty to see and do, such as the museum and visitor’s center, a movie theater (not quite downtown), plenty of restaurants and bars, and a lot of history to learn. I’d highly recommend taking a day trip to visit, and next time we’ll venture out from downtown to experience even more of the city.