Anything but Lonely in the Lone Star State: Texas Photo Diary

They say “Everything is bigger in Texas!”

I’ve never doubted it, but after my February visit, I wholly believe it and I gladly confess it. From the geography to the personality, Texas left a big impression on me.

This wasn’t my first trip to Beyoncé’s home state; my most recent visit was back in 2018, when I flew in to Houston to see the world’s biggest pop star perform with her rapper beau Jay-Z in the stately NRG Stadium during their On The Run II tour. However, this was my first time having a real life Texan cowboy (turned business magnate) extend an invitation my way – with an offer to serve as a personal cicerone of sorts – and it made all the difference!

Despite a recent, minor relocation out of the District of Columbia and into a neighboring state, I’ve been entertaining the idea of moving somewhere and, incidentally, Texas was a top contender (the desire to move is a fleeting one, at the moment). So, as the stars aligned, I decided to make the visit into a “road trip” of sorts, departing in Austin via a brief stop in Dallas – and courting a couple of new romancers along the way! 

As soon as I landed, I felt that familiar southern hospitality right away. The Delta agent welcomed deplaning passengers into the expansive halls of George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). It’s no wonder that IAH was the first airport in the U.S. to have non-stop flights available to every inhabited continent in the world. I almost got lost navigating through to baggage claim but, luckily for me, the good people at Stamax Town Car were there with a welcome sign to breezily claim my luggage and set out to the city.

Not only must I applaud the car service for their professionalism, but I feel compelled to also acknowledge the skillfulness of the driver I was assigned. Houston roadways are incredibly, fascinatingly large. It is amazing to me that even in places with five lane configurations, there can still be traffic. And the overpasses! Some of them ascend what has to be over 100 feet into the air. It feels like the climb of a roller coaster! I was amazed when my driver pointed out what could only be referred to as a civil engineering feat, which I later learned is referred to as a “Texas style stack” – a serpentine arrangement of overpasses and underpasses which weave into and between each other. Taken together with the popularity of 4x4s outfitted for speed racing and the liberal speed limit allowances, I can only assume that the cost of car insurance is quite substantial.

Surely a cowboy would allow nature to mold his hands to its rough purposes, but esteemed businessmen always seem to have the softest palms. I was amused to learn of my client’s frequent patronage of Hammer & Nails Grooming Shop, a nail salon expressly designed for men. (Perhaps I should be less amused and more impressed, seeing as this particular salon is actually a black-owned business chain. They had been featured on Shark Tank, but rejected, and then went on to raise $200,000 in investment capital afterwards to build a formidable salon franchise.) And yet, for our mutual enjoyment, he agreed to be the lone man in the palace of femininity that is Gloss Nail Bar. It was gorgeous inside, and the service was just as luxurious as the interiors.

With the matter of hand care successfully negotiated, the next task to take care of was preparing for my first golf outing. This involved an outfitting session for golf attire, followed by a private lesson with a retired PGA pro on the grounds of an exceptional country club just outside of Houston. Unfortunately, the weather was already becoming uncharacteristically displeasing. Not much progress was made for all his instructional effort except in teaching me the proper grip. But at least my nails looked nice!

I had once divulged to my client a love for Nobu and a not-so-secret goal of mine to visit every location they have in the world. It’s not that Nobu is anything special or exceptional in terms of food quality; it is more because my humble upbringing and its mainstream popularity led to me at one point thinking of it as the zenith of high-end dining experiences. This was long before I knew of my now-favored places like Sushi Nakazawa, Sushi Ginza Onodera, or jū-ni. But still, I maintain this goal and how nice of my host to advance me in it? We had a wonderful experience enjoying trademark Nobu classics like the yellowtail sashimi and the miso cod. And this visit made 11/48 locations for me! 

The lousy weather took a brief intermission for our “big day” at the recently renovated and perennially popular Memorial Park Golf Course. The course is set within a sprawling, picturesque public park, and booking a tee time is quite affordable and accessible to the general public. Although it is in extremely high demand – being visited by over 60,000 people each year – the grounds are well maintained. 

I’m sad to report that my golfing skills were still awful at this point, and my first attempt at tee was embarrassingly awful (it gets better later, keep reading!). Instead of slowing the group with my cluelessness, I resigned myself to seat-warming duties on the golf cart with one of the other women in our group. I thought she might also be a novice, but it turns out she had lots of skill and little interest in playing the game of golf with her husband: at the swing clinic we all did afterwards, she showed off her prowess while I was shuffled over to a kiddie corner with an instructor who had been booked for me.

The best thing about establishing connections with depth is learning each other – I didn’t want to admit it to my date, but my disposition had been soured at not being able to play well with the group. To right my mood after a poor performance on the course, he took me to brunch at the Bisou in the River Oaks District. And of course, we couldn’t resist a little shopping in the outdoor mall there before our farewell dinner with a Taste of Texas!

Dallas

It took a while to extract myself from the amazing company I had in Houston, but I somehow was able to get a car and get on the road to Dallas while leaving enough time to visit at a couple of landmarks on the way! I am not a fan of road trips, even short ones like the 3.5 hour drive between the two cities, so extended stops at roadside attractions are very necessary.

About an hour outside of Houston, on the left side of the road, there is a gigantic pearly white statue of Sam Houston. “Big Sam”, as its called, stands peering out over the expressway with a stern expression… surely admonishing the people driving 110 mph on the interstate!

The visitor’s center here was open and the staff was so welcoming and happy to offer some information (with complimentary pets of the office cat, who pranced and purred around the computer before curling up on top of the keyboard). Sam Houston’s life is too storied to recap here with the proper amount of regard, but he was a Texas revolutionary, a two-term President in the Texan republic, a Senator, and the only individual to serve as governor in two states. Although this statue is technically in Huntsville, TX, Sam Houston was given the honor of becoming the eponym for the city of Houston, TX.

About another hour away from the statue, I stopped at the renowned Woody’s Smokehouse (I was going to stop at a place called Buc-ee’s, but it was incredibly crowded…?). Trust me when I say this place is renowned for good reason! For 46 years, this little store has served travelers coming through Centerville, TX with an incredible selection of quality meat, snacks, and souvenirs. I didn’t have any dinner plans on my first night in Dallas, so I helped myself to a generous plate of insanely tender pork ribs and beef brisket. It was buttery and melt-in-your mouth good!

It was such a surprise to wake up in Dallas to snow the next day, and also hard not to notice how ill-equipped the hotel HVAC system was for heating a suite during cold weather. I did not want to waste the golf lesson that my Houston lover had booked for me, so I somehow made it over to the course and, in fact, achieved some impressive progress in my swing! The weather was so miserable, but we did the bulk of our work using an inside set-up before moving out to the practice range.

I was fortunate enough to have a man who I affectionately referred to as “Mr. Dallas” to keep me warm that evening – and as a treat, he brought champagne for our dinner! As we dined, he pointed out a few local landmarks for me to visit and explained the symbolism of Pegasus: the mythical creature made a perfect representation of a city which flourished in a location where it was least expected to. The original neon sign was put up in 1934. It sat atop the headquarters of Magnolia Oil Co. (now Exxon Mobil), once the tallest building in Dallas, before being removed and replaced by a newer version while the original went in for restoration. After our date, I bundled up and walked a few blocks down to where the original now sits in view of Reunion Tower. 

It got to be so cold in Dallas that I had to visit the shops at Highland Park Village to buy warmer clothes than what I had packed in my luggage. My date remarked that the such weather was unusual, but not altogether a rare occurrence – it goes without saying that neither of us expected it to mark the beginning of a week-long episode of exceptionally severe weather marked by a precipitous drop in temperature.

Before it had gotten dark on the day I arrived, I went over to the John F. Kennedy Memorial near the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza thinking that was where JFK had been assassinated. 

“I went to where JFK got shot, but I didn’t see any grass. I thought there was supposed to be a grassy knoll?” I recounted to my date, genuinely puzzled. When I showed him a picture of where I had been, he let out the heartiest laugh before insisting we go visit the actual location. It is a bit confusing – a block away from Dealey Plaza and near the entrance of a freeway is where the grassy knoll sits. Two white “X” marks denote the spots where Kennedy’s motorcade had been located as the two gunshots hit him. We had a brief chatter with another couple there, who confessed to holding suspicions about who was involved and their motives. I had no idea there were so many conspiracy theories surrounding his death!

On the way back, we stopped to see the giant eyeball that had been installed as an extension of my hotel’s art collection. In front of it sits an installation by Carlos Ramirez entitled Altar to a Dream. A 1951 Studebaker is encased among various momentos and decorations, all scattered atop makeshift altars. Taken together, these objects capture the hopes, fears, and dreams of Latino farmworker immigrants. A big blue eye gazes over: it’s the work of Tony Tassett, a Cincinnati, OH native who now lives and works in Chicago. He’s never attached any meaning to it, so you must ascribe your own. I thought of it as a reminder that someone is always watching – a sentiment which could infer opportunity or something more ominous.

That night, we had an outstanding meal at Paradisio. This airy, bohemian restaurant is nestled in the Bishop Arts District and serves up European-inspired fare alongside inventive garden cocktails. The wood-fired house pita bread is delicate and as fluffy as a cloud; I almost levitated after one bite into the white wine-sauced sausage spaghetti, with shaved truffles added for earthy flavor. Their sesame romesco salmon was proclaimed by my date to be perfectly flakey. Sensing the opportunity to further entrance us into a state of food-induced bliss, the chef sent over an extra plate for us to try: fork tender short rib stroganoff. For dessert: pineapple cake, with Fluellen Cupcakes back at the room (LITERALLY the best cupcakes I’ve ever had in my life)…. plus me, of course! And so, I must say that my visit to Dallas was chiefly a pleasurable, indulgent edible exercise!

Austin

I’m not sure if the road from Dallas to Austin is a road less traveled, but it sure felt like it – there was little to see or do on the way down. I was able to power through the drive in the wake of gloomy weather primarily because I had an exciting date awaiting me on arrival.

There is something so sensual about dark, velvet curtained speakeasy bars that I just love. At a time when most bars are struggling to retain their spirits – literally and figuratively – The Roosevelt Room has nailed the pivot. It put me in the mind of Little Red Door in Paris, France or The Columbia Room in Washington, D.C., although the interior is substantially roomier than both. The drinks are as inventive as they are delicious and, in keeping compliance with local food and beverage regulations, you choose a small gastronomic delight to accompany your drink (the drinks and bites are cleverly priced to reflect what would have been the prices on the regular, drink-only menu).

The Texas State Capitol Building sits formidably in the center of Austin, a majestic complex with historic memorials scattered about the grounds. It’s some 15 feet higher than the U.S. Capitol Building and the largest state capitol in the country. I didn’t have much time, and many rooms were closed due to the state legislature being session, but I did get a chance to peak around inside for about an hour while waiting on a complimentary COVID-19 test they offered outside. 

For a late afternoon date, we went to Terry Black’s BBQ. The location – which I expect I would’ve been able to see across Lady Bird Lake from my hotel window, had it been a clear day – is quite new. Considering myself something of a barbecue connoisseur, I was skeptical of his claim that it could be on par with some of the best barbecue I’ve had (Kansas City’s Q39, or The Commissary in Memphis, TN); after tasting it, all I have to say is this – I’ll allow the case. Indeed, the brisket was juicy, readily fell apart, and had the most buttery fat. I was perplexed at there being no baked beans on the menu and didn’t care for the sides, but the peach cobbler more than made up for that! 

I am still disappointed in myself for only scheduling two days in Austin, which really amounted to only a day and a half to enjoy due to the drive, but it turned out to be a fortuitous circumstance given the weather that came into town afterwards. Late at night on my last day, I walked over to the Texas State Capitol Building to take a couple of pictures for this blog. As I walked up, I saw an eclectic pack of about 20 people on bicycles. The rode up and came to a stop just in front of the main gate. Most of them were outfitted bizarrely, some as if they were prepared for an apocalypse while others were dressed like school teachers who hoped to amuse their students with flashing, mechanical trinkets. I stood there, puzzled and waiting, until one of them genially walked over and asked if I’d take a photo of them. We had a short conversation, which sparked an incredible debate between two of the bicyclists about whether Terry Black’s could compare to Stiles Switch BBQ & Brew, another local favorite. The two rode off into the night, still arguing the merits of each as the group departed. I couldn’t help but giggle a bit at the peculiar encounter with this group.

The next day, while waiting for my flight to depart from the Austin, TX airport, I walked into the women’s restroom of the Delta SkyClub and passed a sign that read, “Keep Austin Weird”.

After a year stuck inside, it’s time to start living again.

Let’s plan our next date! I’m vaccinated and once again available in the D.C. area for dates 2 hours or longer. I don’t tour, but I’ll gladly come to you or with you via exclusive date travel, domestic or international!

Stumped on where to go first? I have plenty of ideas… and I’m happy to take the task of planning off your hands!