The Woodlands

Robin and I spent the weekend in The Woodlands, a plush, woodsy area just north of Houston. Robin's sister and brother-in-law, Kate and Joseph, were there visiting his daughter and her family. The trip was a last minute decision and we forgot to pack the camera, along with a clip for my hair while bathing.

We drove along Woodlands Parkway for awhile looking for a hotel. When we didn't find one, we headed back to I-45 and booked a room. The following morning as we got more into The Woodlands, we noticed two hotels. I'm sure our room rate on I-45 was more affordable - with the added perk of interstate traffic noise.

We met the gang at Benihanna's for dinner. The chef who prepared our food at our table was very good and his juggling acts were fabulous. The small small boys in our group were fascinated. Robin was happy to get my portion of shrimp and I was delighted to get his share of the grilled zuchinni. The fried rice, salad, and onion soup were wonderful, but my filet mignon lacked flavor. However, it was a wonderful evening and we thoroughly enjoyed the company.

After Benihanna's we met on Market Street at Cold Stone ice cream. The aromas that fill the nostrils when walking in make you want to indulge in all of it. They serve ice cream in three cup sizes: small is "I like it", medium is "I love it", and large is "I gotta have it". My taste buds were yelling gotta have it, but my common sense settled for I like it. Truthfully, had my common sense been alert, I wouldn't have stepped foot in there.

We ate our ice cream in the square while watching the boys play in the grass and the beautiful colors of the lighted fountain. We browsed a few shops before they locked their doors for the night.

Robin and I slept in Sunday morning while Kate and Joseph went to church with their kids. We met up for sandwiches at Potbelly. Later, we sat on a patio and sipped our Starbucks coffee before boarding a boat for a tour of the canal. The area and architecture are beautiful. Robin and I shopped in Tommy Bahamas and he bought me their signature fragrance (I think that makes 121 bottles that have to be dusted on my vanity).

We headed home using back roads until we arrived in Waco. Then, it was bumper to bumper all the way past Hillsboro. The gridlock was a combination of road construction and hungover Spring Breakers heading home. I overheard one young woman on her phone while waiting in a long line for a bathroom, that she planned to take a cruise next time, that she was so tired of drunks falling all over her. Sounds like fun, huh?

It was well after 10:00 pm when we got home and I still had to put a load of clothes in the washing machine. So I'm behind on my laundry? We still had a great weekend!