Spectator Sports

September 25, 2015 WoodlandsReloGroup

This is Texas, and football is a big deal! From little league to the NFL, Houston takes its football seriously. The Houston Texans play at NRG stadium for home games. It’s a quick trip down I45 and around the loop to catch a live game. Check out their web site for more information or tickets: www.houstontexans.com

In addition to the Houston Texans, Houston boasts their MLB team, the Astros. Their home is Minute Maid Park downtown. They’ve had a few good runs, but as of late, have been shut out of the playoffs. Reaching the 2005 World Series and getting shut out by the White Sox, we’re due for a title soon!
www.houston.astros.mlb.com

For the soccer fans, The Dynamos play at BBVA Compass Stadium. The Dynamos have won two titles, 2006 and 2007. Additionally, the Houston Dash, the female equivalent, play in the same location. The games draw enthusiastic fans and are great fun!

www.houstondynamo.com
www.houstondynamo.com/houstondash

For the basketball fans, the Houston Rockets round out the major sports teams. As the season approaches, you will notice t-shirts emblazoned with “Fear The Beard.” This refers to James Hardin, #13 at the shooting guard position. The Rockets play at the Toyota Center and also boast two titles, 1994 and 1995 with many playoff appearances as well. They face-off against the Dallas Mavericks their first game of the pre-season on October 7th.

www.nba.com/rockets

Houston also offers quite a few minor league and semi-pro sports. The Houston Energy, H-Town Texas Cyclones and Houston Power are all women’s football teams. The Sugar Land Skeeters and The Woodlands Strykers are minor league baseball teams in the area, and the Houston Ducks are a minor league football team. You can take a look at the Sugar Land Skeeters venue in our OnLocation video, woodlandsrelogroup.com/on_location/view/24.

There are also a number of annual sporting events that may be of interest to you. For the runners, the Houston Marathon is held each January. This event begins at the George R. Brown Convention Center and winds through the streets of Houston. More information can be found at: www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com

The US Men’s Clay Court Tennis Championship has been held in Houston since 2001. It’s the only ATP world event held on clay courts. You can catch this action in July each year.

http://www.atpworldtour.com/en/tournaments

Baseball fans will want to put The Houston College Classic on their calendar. This is a college baseball event that is held in February at Minute Maid Park: www.theadvertiser.com/story/sports/college/baseball/2015/03/09/cajuns-play-houston-college-classic/24669069

The Rodeo is something that you will want to put on your list of things to do as well. This event is held during February and March at NRG Stadium. Save this website as it gets closer – www.rodeohouston.com. This an amazing event that hosts some wonderful concerts, but make sure you go early to see the actual rodeo too! The lineup will be announced and tickets will go on sale in January.

Lastly, for the golfers, the Shell Houston Open is held each year in March/April (March 28-April 3, this coming year) at the Golf Club of Houston. It’s the warm up round for the Masters each year as that is held the following week at the famed Augusta National. www.shellhoustonopen.com. If spectator golf is your thing, you can also catch the seniors play a major tour stop in The Woodlands – The Insperity Invitational, May 2-8, 2016.
www.insperityinvitational.com

Please let us know how we can be of service to you and your family as you settle in your new home. Have a great week, and enjoy the fall weather!

Amy McLaughlin
Personal Concierge and
Blog Contributor

Helpful Relocation Information

Tex Mex in The Woodlands

September 17, 2015 WoodlandsReloGroup

One of the important life lessons I have learned in relocating multiple times is to really embrace the new area that we call home. It is easier to do when there are things around that get you excited. For me, moving to Texas meant that I was going to get to eat good Mexican food whenever I wanted. I love Mexican food and anytime the area has fresh-made tortillas in the grocery store, you know there are going to be some winners! I have taken it as a personal challenge to try as much of the local fare as I can stand. Most of the restaurants have an option for outdoor seating, which is lovely this time of year. Below are some of my favorites, as well as few new restaurants to open:

Chuy’s

They may have the best chips and salsa around. Their chips are super thin, very salty and their creamy jalapeno sauce will have you coming back for more. They have a fun & eclectic atmosphere. My kids love that they can watch as the tortillas are made by hand. They feature Mexican cuisine done slightly different than normal, but it is really delicious.
www.chuys.com

Lupe Tortilla

I am a big fan of their fajitas and the taco salad. I have lots of friends that swear by their menu. This place is a favorite for lunch or while running errands on the weekend. They feature seasonal margaritas that you can’t get anywhere else, like the Blood Orange Margarita. This has quickly risen to the top of our family’s list of staple restaurants to enjoy.

www.lupetortilla.com

Rico’s Mexican Grill

There are multiple locations in the area. I have been to the one in Alden Bridge Village Center and they serve a wonderful margaritas. On Fridays, the Alden Bridge restaurant has live music. The last artist we saw did covers of Elton John, Billy Joel and the like. I have also been when they have Mariachi/Tejano music, too. Some visits have been great, others less than fantastic.

www.ricosgrill.com

El Chaparro Mexican Bar & Grill

Located in Magnolia, I think it is one of the best kept secrets around. Except on Friday nights! The place is packed. Kids eat free on Sunday too. I order the enchiladas every time I am there, with charro beans. We have always had fantastic service, no matter how large our party.

www.elchaparro.net

Caffe de Fiore

The Mexican restaurant with the Italian name. The owner shared their story the last time we were there. They took over the space from an Italian restaurant, but before they could change the name, they had already had 2 newspaper write-ups and a spot on the local news. So the name stuck, as well as a few of the items from the original restaurant, such as pizza and gelato! Their mole sauce is fabulous and you must save room for the

Tres Leches Cake.

www.caffe-di-fiore.com

Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen

This restaurant recently opened on the Waterway where La Lupita Mexican Cuisine & Bar was previously. This is a great restaurant for date night or weekend people watching. They have a very nice patio that hugs the open concert space at the Waterway. The chain was recently awarded OpenTable’s Diner’s Choice Award for 2015 and they even serve brunch!

www.cycloneanaya.com

Hello Taco

This family owned & operated business opened in March 2014 and has taken off with The Woodlands crowd. Recently, there was a feature article in The Woodlands Community Impact Newspaper highlighting the owners’ journey from Southern California to Texas. They feature handmade tortillas and homemade sauces. This is on my short-list in the near future!

www.hellotaco.com

Escalante’s

This restaurant is a Houston-based chain that features fine Tex-Mex and tequila. They feature family recipes that are made fresh daily, which includes desserts. Additionally, they serve Sunday Brunch from 11am to 3pm. The Woodlands local branch of this Houston favorite has recently opened

in Hughes Landing.

www.escalantes.net

Torchy Tacos

And coming soon, the Austin based chain, Torchy Tacos, will be opening a restaurant in The Woodlands in the Cochran Crossing Shopping Center.
torchystacos.com

Amy McLaughlin
Personal Concierge and
Blog Contributor

Announcement Posts, Just Because

September is…

September 9, 2015 WoodlandsReloGroup

September is here! While it is still warm during the day, I can definitely tell there is an ever so slight chill in the air in the evenings. As the weather cools down, The Woodlands celebrates with lots of great outdoor activities. There are so many lovely parks in the area and these are just a few of the offerings this month:

Concert in the Park Series at Northshore Park- 5:30-7:30pm

September 13th – The Spicolis (80s Rock)

September 20th -Matt Mason (Texas Country)

October 4th – Russell Boyd (Variety Piano Man)

October 11th – Gary Michael Dahl Band (Jazz)

Live at Night concerts at Waterway Square

Saturdays through September – 6-8pm

Arts in the Park at Rob Fleming Park

September 12th – 3-7pm

The Woodlands Wildflower Festival at Town Green Park

September 26th – 10am-2pm

September 22nd is National Voter’s Registration Day. With quite an important election coming soon, you will want to make sure you are on the books! Visit www.mctx.org/election today to make sure you are registered before the Joint Election on November 3rd.

While these events are over a month away, registration will fill up quickly. For the avid runners out there, you will not want to miss the 10th Annual 10 for Texas Run on October 10th. This event usually sells out, but there are still registration spots open. This is a 10-mile run event, but they also have a 1-mile event for children. If you want to volunteer for the event, there are openings for that too! The event ends with a Texas-sized post-race party in Market Street’s beautiful Central Park! Runners and volunteers can sign up at www.thewoodlandstownship-tx.gov/index.aspx?NID=298.

If you are a walker, you might enjoy a different event. The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society sponsor and event titled Light the Night Walk. These events start at 5:30pm. There is one at NRG Park in Houston on October 10th and another at Market Street on October 18th. For more information, visit www.lightthenight.org/txg.

Amy McLaughlin
Personal Concierge and
Blog Contributor

Announcement Posts, Just Because, Special Occasions

Round Top Antiques Fair

September 5, 2015 WoodlandsReloGroup

There is a unique event coming up next month that I wanted to bring to your attention. The Original Round Top Antiques Fair will run from September 28-October 3. Usually the event is only open to the public for the weekend, but they have extended the dates this year. This is an event that has been featured on HGTV on several shows, including the current hit, Fixer Upper.

The Antiques Fair runs every spring and fall and is headquartered in Round Top, TX. However, the event has grown so much, it actually spreads over 3 counties. I’ve been twice and I have probably only seen 10% of what this event can offer.

There are several reasons to make the pilgrimage to Round Top. The town boasts a population of 90 residents, but the town is teeming with several thousand people over the course of the event. If you are looking for something special and unusual, but won’t know it until you see it, this is the event for you. The event has some of the most wonderful antique dealers around. Also, the weather is usually wonderful and sometimes you need a destination to get out of the house. Depending on which location(s) you want to visit, the drive is 2-3 hours from The Woodlands.

If you are just going up for the day, try to park in Round Top and just walk around. The streets are lined with dealers of all sorts, as well as store fronts that are there year round. As you radiate out from the town center, some stops will have free parking and some will charge. Marburger Farm did charge, per adult, but had over 300 vendors who had some wonderful, high quality items. Other locations did not charge for parking and had great options too. I will encourage you to do your research so that you know what you are getting into.

For the official word in all things Round Top, visit the official website:

http://www.roundtoptexasantiques.com/

This is a great site that gives you the skinny on what you need to know and how to navigate the area:

http://www.thevintageroundtop.com/guide-to-round-top-antiques-week/

Some publications have guides to help you navigate the show:

This is a fantastic event in the greater area and not informing you of the possibilities would be a crime. Please let us know when you go and how you enjoyed it. Feel free to post on our social media sites as well to let others know what you thought!

Amy McLaughlin
Personal Concierge and
Blog Contributor

Woodlands Relo Group

Monthly Archives: September 2015

Spectator Sports

Tex Mex in The Woodlands

Chuy’s

Lupe Tortilla

Rico’s Mexican Grill

El Chaparro Mexican Bar & Grill

Caffe de Fiore

Cyclone Anaya’s Mexican Kitchen

Hello Taco

Escalante’s

Torchy Tacos

September is…

Round Top Antiques Fair

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