So, this post was actually supposed to be about a 5k walk for mental health awareness that my family teamed up to walk in (complete with custom shoes). Unfortunately, we found out it was canceled just a few days before I was set to ride back to Houston with my family who had been vacationing in Austin during the week. I had already made plans to do a half day of work on Thursday before hitting the road and working remote on Friday. I even bought a plane ticket to fly back to Austin once the weekend was over. I decided to adapt and check out the Houston Museum District with my mom instead and that’s where this story begins.
Getting Started on a Beautiful Saturday
We left the house around 9:30am to make our way to the Houston Museum District for brunch at Mo’ Better Brews — a Black-owned 100% vegan menu restaurant that serves brunch and coffee as the primary menu items. We wanted to get there a little earlier in the day to beat the rush and so we could be done with the day’s activities, which included a visit to the Houston Museum of African American Culture, before it got too hot.
Mo’ Better Brews
Parking options were great in the area around the restaurant for the time we arrived around 10:15am. They have a small parking lot that fits maybe a dozen vehicles and there’s some paid street parking. At the end of the block is the Asia Society Texas parking lot and you can pay to park there which is what we did. As we walked up to the restaurant, we noticed some groups going on morning walking tours which is something that can be done in the Houston Museum District given the close proximity of so many of the city’s museums and the zoo in a single, concentrated part of town.
There was an estimated 30-minute wait when we walked up and we had the option to sit on benches along the sidewalk or in their seating area with cushioned outdoor couches by the DJ booth. We decided to just sit on one of the benches along the sidewalk. After about a 15-minute wait, we received the phone call to grab our table. Most of the seating is on their large, wrap around patio space. However, small parties of 2 people were mainly seated inside and that’s where we were along with a small number of other diners. The interior is quite small which worked out well (in my opinion) as a party of 2 with seasonal allergies.
We ordered a few different menu items: truffle fries, mushrooms and grits (for my mom), and a breakfast quesadilla (for me). The food arrived faster than I expected and it was all very delicious! I mentioned before that I’m not a huge fan of grits, but I had a taste of the grits my mom ordered and they were SO GOOD! The fries were perfectly crispy on the outside and pillowy on the inside. Oh, and my quesadilla was packed with delicious flavor! My mom and I left wanting to return to try more menu items. We even had the opportunity to rave about the food as we passed the parking lot on the way back to the truck when a lady stopped us as she was getting out of her vehicle to find out if we liked the food since it was her first time there and she was wary of how good the food would be as a person who isn’t vegan. We were able to give her enough perspective to help her feel confident about going in with her daughter to eat. I hope they enjoyed it as much as my mom and I did!
Houston Museum of African American Culture (HMAAC)
Once we were in the car, we drove 2 blocks over to park in the lot at the HMAAC and went inside to begin our visit. The HMAAC is a free museum, but donations are highly encouraged. This is a small museum, but they have expanded into some additional rooms since our last visit several years ago. One of the best things about this museum is that it always features new works, often from up and coming artists and there’s a variety of media and materials used in the creation of the art. Culture is fluid as time goes on and historical events or tragedies occur and I think this museum encapsulates that. In the first room we entered, there was a cool combination of sculpted masks and contemporary paintings. My mom FaceTimed my brother, Mr. Well-Travelled, who you may remember from an earlier blog post is a fan of works from Black artists. He enjoyed the art we were able to briefly show him that was on display in that particular room. We ended the call before my mom and I continued throughout the rest of the museum because more people began to arrive after having been the only visitors at first. There was an exhibition called “FOTOFEST” that was being featured across many other smaller museums in the district that focus on culture. Each museum that was participating featured images from artists of the corresponding cultural background. This particular exhibition was supposed to be featured in 2020 but was delayed 2 years because of the pandemic.
I’m glad I had the opportunity to view it while everything was still on display! My mom and I made sure to make some purchases from The Culture Shoppe (the gift shop) and I bought a cute pant set that came with a matching head wrap and mask. After spending our time at the museum, we got in the car and returned home so we could catch the end of the Texas Longhorns football game before watch the Houston Astros take on the Seattle Mariners in what ended up being a marathon Game 3 of the ALDS. Will I write a post about going to a World Series game in Houston? I hope I’ll have the opportunity to do it!
Airport Talk
Since I flew back to Austin, I have to discuss Hobby Airport briefly. It’s a small airport and the security lines go by quickly when you’re traveling in the morning during “offseason” travel. As far as food and other amenities are concerned, this airport has a lot to offer. Every Pappas brand restaurant is here along with other typical airport coffee and fast food options. With Houston being “Space City”, there’s a lot of items on display emphasizing this and there’s other work from local artists in the airport. Of course, you can also purchase items that are unique to Houston life and some Texas-themed items at various kiosks. Something that I think is super cool is the small spa that’s in the airport. Travelers can get a massage, waxes, nails, and other related services while they’re in the airport! Hobby is also the first Skytrax 5-Star airport in North America. If you like airport fun facts, check out my All About Airports post from my archives.
Wrap-Up
Even though we didn’t get to do our 5k as planned, I think this was just as enjoyable of a weekend. Now that I no longer live in the Houston area, it’s nice to be able to return for visits as more of a tourist. I’m looking forward to returning to the Houston Museum District to see what’s new at the many museums in the area — hopefully to do a full day of museum hopping. I’m also looking forward to eating more of the Mo’ Better Brews menu in the future. In the meantime, I’m going to wear my custom shoes as I continue exploring and writing my blog!
Feel free to leave comments below, tweet (@KimiThoughts), or leave a post/message on Facebook (@KimisTravelThoughts) and share your experience visiting the Houston Museum District or museums in any other location!