Last weekend, Patrick and I had no plans whatsoever. Which was lovely, but I also like to have a lot on my calendar/to-do list so it was kind of daunting at the same time.
We took the opportunity that our free weekend presented us and explored parts of the city that we had not gone out of our way to visit before.
So, early Sunday morning consisted of a bicycle adventure through beautiful Hermann Park.
It’s super hot out and naturally all of the sane Houstonians are avoiding the heat by sheltering themselves away in their AC pumping homes.
Patrick and I err on the side of insane, I’m guessing, because we seemed to have had the entire park to ourselves that hot and humid morning.
Speaking of hot temps….and brutal sun. I thought I’d take this little opportunity to share with you a wonderful new sunscreen line that I’ve recently discovered:
Sun Bum.
I first saw their brown and yellow bottle tucked away in a basket for sale at a beachside shop while we were in Florida.
The packaging intrigued me, so I picked up the bottle to smell it’s scent … and it was like I was suddenly transported to my imagination’s idea of a perfect day on the beach. But what I really mean by that is, if anything coconut scented reminds you of lying in the sand & listening to the waves, then you’re going to reallllly like this sun screen. Whether you plan on wearing it to the beach, or not.
I was able to try their entire line of sun screen products and I was seriously impressed. The sunscreen goes on smooth and you don’t feel sticky afterwards. The wonderful coconut scent only lasts for a bit, when you first put it on, and then it eventually subsides. So not to worry, you won’t be left smelling like a tropical drink all day.
This moisturizing sunscreen also feels like your applying your favorite lotion, which I definitely would not say about the typical convenience store sunscreen that I’ve used in the past.
Testing all of this out has also got me thinking, why is it that the only time I find myself applying layers and layers of sunscreen is when I’m about to spend the day on the beach? I really should be putting this stuff on every single day.
So what is the difference between a morning in the sun out on your bike than laying in the sun on a beach towel with a book? Absolutely nothing. Gotta protect that skin wherever you are!
And … I think I overestimated the amount of sunscreen needed for full facial coverage….
Once I was all covered in sweet smelling coconut, Patrick and I hopped on our bikes and set off to explore Hermann Park.
And shortly into our excursion, we stumbled upon a very interesting sculpture garden.
As soon as we got close enough, Patrick and I walked our bikes the to the top of the little “hill” where these massive bubbly organic sculptures were located and the two of us contemplated what on earth these strange things could possibly be.
In my opinion, that’s the fun part of art, not necessarily knowing what things are supposed to be and coming up with the ideas for yourself.
Our imaginations were quickly satisfied as soon as we read the sign, telling us that these forms were “wandering quintuplets?” I don’t think either of us would ever have come up with that answer, even if we stood there pondering for eternity.
After choosing a random trail, we turned a corner and our eyes feasted on a small lake, dotted with paddle boats.
I had no idea this was even here! There was also a small outdoor cafe jutting out onto the lake, that I will have to try when the temps cool down.
It’s easy to forget that Houston has all of this great outdoor space when you’re surrounded by so much concrete all the time.
At this point in our ride, I really wanted more than anything to just say heck with it and jump in the lake to cool off. What were we thinking, biking in 100+ degrees?
But at the same time, I really wasn’t in the mood to get myself kicked out of the park for swimming in unswimmable waters.
And finally, the heat had gotten the best of us, so I challenged Patrick to a race back to our car (which he most certainly won).
But before we headed home, we paused for one last look out over the park’s reflecting pool. For just a moment, I thought I was in DC. 😉
I’m so excited for cooler temps to come our way. We were joking the other day that in Houston you have two summers (fall & spring) and then you have fall (winter) and then real summer, which basically consists of staying indoors at all costs, because it’s too hot to do anything else.
So while the rest of the country is excited about scarves and boots, I’m looking forward to being able to sit outside on my back porch without melting. 😉
I hope you all had a fabulous Labor Day Weekend! I’m thrilled for the short work week, because at the end of it, my parents us will be visiting us all the way from Tennessee! It’s been such a long time since their last trip to Texas, and I have many things planned for their upcoming stay.
Here’s to hoping this short week goes by quickly!
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trendy in texas
~this post was sponsored by Sun Bum & all opinions are my own~
