Brenham is a little town (pop. 13,507) about halfway between Houston and Austin on US 290 and Texas 36. And while it may be small, Brenham offers a gigantic treat for your taste buds. Brenham is home to a Texas favorite – Blue Bell Creameries. If you’ve never had Blue Bell ice cream, boy are you are missing out!
You can take a tour of the Creamery or visit the Blue Bell Country Store. Although Blue Bell is only available in about 20% of the nation’s supermarkets, it ranks as one of the top three best selling ice creams in the country. One taste and you will understand why (and probably start demanding that your area carry it if they don’t already!

Of course while you’re in town you will want to check out the Blue Bell Aquatic Center and burn off some of that ice cream, which features a large outdoor recreation pool with an area for babies, an Olympic-sized indoor pool, and an indoor therapy pool. Other area attractions include the Brenham Heritage Museum, Monastery of St. Clare Miniature Horse Farm, and the Nueces Canyon Equestrian Center and Resort not to mention the area wineries.

Have a story to share or a favorite Blue Bell flavor? Let me know!

Until next time . . .

Paige aka PJsTravelinTexas

For some excellent additional information on Brenham, see these blogs:

1. Cream of the Crop – Destination: Brenham by Elaine Robbins
2. iPhone Road Trip To Brenham – Katie’s iPhone experience in Brenham
3. Where Texas Was Born by Larry D. Hodge

Note: Time sensitive if you want to earn a free trip to Iceland!

Via Hjortur Smarason at Marketing Safari I learned of an opportunity for one lucky travel blogger to go on an all-expenses paid cruise of West-Iceland. UPDATE: including airfare to get there! Hjortur explains the opportunity:

They are inviting journalists on their first tour on the 26th of May 2008. I have suggested they invite at least one blogger as well and now I am searching for that one blogger. If you are interested in a four day adventure cruise in Iceland on the 26th of May and are available from May 25th until June 1st, send me an email and convince me you’re the blogger we are looking for. I will need information about you, your network and the readers to your blog (who, how many, where from, age, status etc). My email address is hjortur.smarason (at) gmail (dot) com. Please send me your info no later than midnight Thursday night (May 8th).

Here’s more information about the Breidafjordur Nature Cruise itself:

Duration: 4 days

Schedule 2008:
26th May
2nd June
15th & 22nd September.
More departures are planned for 2009.

Price: 168.000 ISK per person.
Single supplement: 3.000 ISK per night.

Included:
4 days of sailing, 3 nights accommodation at Hotel Flatey, full board (breakfast, lunch, dinner, nonalcoholic drinks & afternoon snack), professional guiding throughout the tour, entrance to Bjarnarhöfn Shark Musuem, and bus transfer to/from Reykjavik.

Language: English
Group Size: 15 – 25 persons

What is Iceland like? I have no idea. But here are some photos from the cruise provider’s site.

Are you in the mood for a little peek into some of China’s major historic scenes but not in a position to actually visit China? Well you don’t have to look any further than the Forbidden Gardens in Katy, Texas (right outside of Houston).

This is an outdoor museum you don’t want to miss with guided tours where you can view intricately detailed miniatures of the famous Forbidden City in Beijing which boasts nearly 500 years of Imperial rule. Another must-see is the first Emperor’s 6,000 piece terra-cotta army replicated in 1/3 scale. The mystery of China in the third century BC unfolds before you in this magical museum.

When you are ready to relax and marvel at all you have seen then it’s time to visit the Calming of the Heart Lodge (or the Summer Palace) area of the museum. This black-roofed palace was a vacation getaway for those who lived and worked in the Forbidden City and was the ideal location for scholars and guests to rest, reflect, and get back to nature. Take a walk around the Lodge and I guarantee you will feel the relaxing sensation that it brought the Emperors and Empresses throughout the years. You might even begin to feel like an Emperor (or Empress, as the case may be) yourself!

This is an especially great trip for families with children 4-10 (old enough to understand the “you break it, you buy it” rule and still young enough to imagine walking and living in the miniature replica palace).

Until next time . . .

Paige aka PJsTravelinTexas

For some other reviews of the Forbidden Garden and Katy see these blogs:

1. Forbidden Gardens: A Chinatown Tiny Town by Wesley Treat
2. Things to do in Houston Chinatown by Chinatown Connection.Com
3. Only Katy: The Voice Of Katy Texas by OnlyKaty

Since March is National Women’s History Month, I thought I would throw a little trivia into this week’s travel blog. Today we’re going to talk about the cozy little ocean-front city of Corpus Christi, which gave birth to a woman whose invention is still in use today.

Anyone who has ever used a typewriter knows and loves this Texas lady’s brainstorm – Liquid Paper. I’m talking about Bette Nesmith Graham, (23 March 1924 – 12 May 1980) who was born Bette Clair McMurray in Corpus Christi, Texas. In 1946 she found herself a divorced, single mother and to support herself she went to work as a bank secretary. Eventually she rose to the position of executive secretary, the highest position available to women in that industry at the time. In order to make extra money, Bette had a side job painting holiday windows. She combined these two talents to create her product, which she originally called “Mistake Out” in 1956 and created her own company. In 1979 she sold Liquid Paper to the Gillette Corporation for a whopping US $47.5 million. Sadly she died a year later at the young age of 56.

To celebrate this feisty Texas entrepreneur, why not take a trip to Corpus Christi? You can visit the Texas State Aquarium, transport yourself back in time on the USS LEXINGTON, or just relax and unwind in the Corpus Christi Bay area on the beach. While you’re there, take a moment to think about and thank Bette for her courage, foresight, and indomitable Texas spirit.

Until next time . . .

Paige aka PJsTravelinTexas

For more to do in Corpus Christi, see these blogs:

1. Corpus Christi Travel Guide by Virtual Tourist
2. The 10 Best Things To Do In Corpus Christi by 10 Best
3. Corpus Christi Vacation Deals by Trip Advisor