Welcome back! This is the second part of the road trip blog post. If you missed the first one be sure to check it out here. This portion of the trip focuses on our sneaker events and the things we saw in Houston and New Orleans. Zack created Zastik in 2012 to sell his own clothing line and shoes on the side. That took off at sneaker events for a while but soon the trend died off. He began focusing on the shoes themselves more and hyped accessories like Supreme. He hopes to release Zastik original clothing once again but school and other business ventures get in the way. All in all, Zack is putting a lot of energy into these different sneaker events. In the two we did this weekend, we surpassed our goals. BUT before we get there, on Friday we decided to hit Houston. We saw most of Dallas on Thursday and wouldn’t be able to see any of Houston on Sunday(the day of the sneaker show in Houston).
JULY 7th, 2017
Tacos A Go Go
Another taco place, YUM! This place was pretty hipster and the price reflected that. The service was good and the food was really good as well. The only thing I would say I didn’t like was the tiny tables that would rock easily. Probably not a big deal for two people but with three it was cramped. No worries though, there was plenty more table outside and possibly larger ones around us.
Taco Platter (Steak)
Chips and Salsa (add. charge)
Taco Platter (Chicken)
so bomb…guacamole hidden under that lettuce and a secret sauce
Quesadilla
Our meal altogether. It was pretty expensive for a fast food type of restaurant but good nonetheless.
Houston Galleria
After lunch, we actually went to the Houston Galleria. I don’t have any photos from there because well, it is a mall. The mall was huge and beautiful so if you want to shop, this is the place. It has every store you can think of. We didn’t spend too much time here because we had to pay for parking and wanted to be able to see everything else.
Johnson Space Center
The outside of the center. We got discounted tickets down the street at Starport, it was called the Gilruth Center. (the first turn is a military base of some sort, don’t take that turn. You will see a soccer field) It looked like a community center in which sold discounted merchandise for the museum and tickets. At the time of year we went they closed at 7 and not 5 (don’t listen to Google, listen to the actual website). Luckily they didn’t charge us for parking, I assume because we got there at 5. We only stayed about an hour. It has mostly kid-friendly activities, still fun and informational. You can actually go inside the planes and it is like another little museum.
Kemah Boardwalk
This was about 15 minutes from the Johnson Center. It was here or Galveston Boardwalk and we just chose this one on a whim.
This was one of the booths you could pay for tickets for rides. You can buy individual rides or day passes. We decided to just buy Boardwalk Bullet. The experience was different from what I was used to at home. Regardless, it did remind me of Ghost Rider from Knott’s Berry Farm. It was a fun ride and cooled us off for a minute from the humidity.
Sadly, I thought there was sand somewhere along the pier, but there was not. It was a nice little walk around. Food was pretty expensive at all the places on the pier. I will say check the website and see what events are going on. For us, Friday fireworks were at 9:30 pm. We would have stayed but we had a 3-and-a-half-hour drive back to Dallas.
We parked down the street for free across from a little restaurant. It was about a 3-minute walk if that. About as far as the furthest paid parking lot.
JULY 8th and 9th,2017
Sneakercon Dallas and Sneaker Games Houston
So back to the sneaker shows that brought us here! So Zack runs ZastikSkate as I said before. Click here to get an idea of the different things he sells. Our first event was Sneakercon Dallas. The event was the best we have ever done. It was a huge success. He had more inventory than ever and people in Dallas were ready to spend. There were some hiccups of people stealing, which sucks but you keep pushing on.
The second event was on Sunday in Houston. Sneakergames Houston. This event was smaller but it definitely was a success in our eyes. We had way less inventory since our event the day before was a complete success. Nonetheless, both days were super successful. I am so proud of him and everything he has accomplished on his own. I am blessed to be by his side supporting and celebrating him. Be sure to follow ZastikSkate on Instagram and Twitter and check out his site.
Instagram- zastikskate
Twitter- zastikskate
Website- zastikskate.com
Popeyes
We were totally exhausted after the weekend, we needed something greasy. Surprisingly we have never had Popeyes. We do have a couple at home but KFC was always the place to go. After this, I don’t think Zack will go any place else. It was a good meal on the go. We were heading to New Orleans after our events and just wanted something quick. We were very satisfied with our food!
JULY 10th, 2017
We woke up not really sure what to do and see. We decided to get in the car drive somewhere and park. We paid for meter parking and after lunch decided to leave our car with the valet again and just walk everywhere. We didn’t realize how close everything really was.
Johnny Po Boys
You guys just don’t go here. It was busy so we thought hey maybe it’s good. It took forever to get our food and it was not good or cheap. I don’t know if the idea was to get the classic po boy with the crispy shrimp, but what we got was not good. Seating was also limited and cramped. In the back was more seating but it was hot in the back. I would just say out of all the good places to eat don’t waste your time here.
Pastrami and Meatball Sub
Chicken Tenders
Bourbon Street
From lunch, we began walking around and ended up on Bourbon Street. This was a couple of streets away from Bourbon Street.
Classic beads hanging from wires.
We ended up on Canal St. looking at a directory. A man came upon us and asked if we knew what we were trying to find. We told him we had no idea and he pulled out a map and gave us a very detailed plan for the whole day. He said he was a tour guide but city budgets cut him. He worked for tips and just wanted people to see the city. He was awesome and gave us the guidance we really needed. So our next steps were directly in guidance from this guy! We went back to the hotel dropped the car off and set off on our adventure.
Riverwalk
We were trying to find the ferry so we walked over to her but ended up in the mall because we were HOT!
We crossed these tracks and you get to the left side of the patio of the mall. Walk all the way right to get to the mall.
Inside the mall, they had a mini Cafe Du Monde. We shopped around and actually had some great finds. Don’t forget about the sales tax change here.
The view from the Riverwalk.
Ferry for the Views
Next, we walked over to the other side of the patio to get to the ferry. It seriously looked closed but it is just the place you wait. The guide told us to take the ferry, get a picture of the skyline and then go directly back. The ride is only like 5 minutes.
Unfortunately, an INSANE storm rolled in. Seriously LOUD thunder and pouring rain. So this was the shot.
On the way back it cleared up and I got a better shot.
Streetcar to French Market
We then walked to where the streetcar tracks were and waited under the covered portion. We got off at the French Market stop, supposedly the last stop. They don’t seem so worried about people paying correctly but it is supposed to be $1.25 per person or you get a pass.
French Market
This place is pretty much a little flea market. The souvenirs are cheaper here but they really don’t haggle any prices.
The view is across from the flea market section.
They were cleaning up the flea market as we got there. I’m assuming because of the major storm.
I just liked the colorful buildings 🙂
Cafe Du Monde
Ah, the famous Cafe Du Monde. We were walking home and coincidentally ran into it. We were going to wait til dinner but this worked perfectly.
The Cafe was on the corner of Decatur and St. Ann.
The way this place is set up can be sort of confusing. There is a to-go ordering place and then if you are eating in you just sit down. There are a bunch of waiters and waitresses who just come up to you and get your order. You pay cash and then they pay the cafe when they pick up your order. I’m not sure if that makes sense but basically, it isn’t your typical cafe. We got two orders of beignets, hot chocolate, and an iced coffee.
So delicious! They are most delicious and warm.
Frank’s
We finally walked back home and now we had to rush to our tour. We parked next to the legendary walking tour building and the meter was free after 7. We had to grab a quick bite to go. This place was next door and whipped a meal together. They were expensive but we had to rush.
Chicken Alfredo-$20
Hamburger $12
Haunted Tours-Legendary Walking Tours
Online there was a 5-dollar promo (5OFF). We had 2 adults and 1 child. Tickets came out to about $20 a person. I believe the coupon takes $5 off each adult ticket.
I don’t want to reveal all the fun secrets on this ghost tour but OMG it was so interesting and totally worth the money. I wouldn’t say it is scary but a little creepy for sure.
Our tour guide was Ray Glass. I would definitely recommend him. He was super cool and had his information straight. He was dedicated to getting the facts for his groups. He got us all the information and then some. I really admired the way he told the stories and brought them full circle. The stories themselves were fascinating and he made them all the more real. He was kind to everyone and made everyone feel like a group. He even gave us a little extra time on the tour to make sure he gave us all the information. He wasn’t like some tour guide who acted better than us but more like a friend telling us creepy and awesome stories. 5/5 stars!
JULY 11th,2017
Whataburger
Chicken Bites Meal and Double Whatburger
My meal was a total deal for the price. I got so much food for like $7.99. I got a drink with this too! Like what? We had seen this all along the trip and had no idea what they were. They were totally delicious.
This was a successful meal on the road for sure.
The Alamo
This was a last-minute stop to break up the 16-hour drive back to New Mexico. It was an incredible sight to see. Such an old building being refurbished and kept nice. The history is amazing.
JULY 12th, 2017
We woke up at 4 am and drove straight home! We had to get home in time to return our rental car and head out to Lake Havasu. That is a whole different post my friends so stay tuned for that one. This trip was a total success. We went a little over on expenses but it was worth all the memories and experiences we made. More travel posts are coming soon! Don’t miss out and subscribe to my blog via email down at the bottom of the page! Thank you guys for being here.
Comment down below if you have any other fun experiences or yummy food we missed out on.
Catch the Wave with me next time. 🙂
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