Local, Near and Far: Our journey of exploring the world.

Category: Day Trips (Page 2 of 4)

fun trips that are possible to do in a day

Hiking at Palmetto State Park

Central Texas is filled with countless little-known gems. Palmetto State Park is one of these places.

On a recent trip to Rebekah’s parent’s house, the excellent weather called us outside, as it often does. Instead of spending time at our go-to outdoor venue, the family pecan farm, we ventured out. Her parents had recently visited Palmetto State Park, the setting for a church picnic. Even living only a few miles away, this had been their first visit to this little-known park.

When they recommended we hike at Palmetto for the afternoon, I was excited to visit a new state park, grabbing my camera on the way out the door.

Palmetto State Park - View of the San Marcos River

View of the San Marcos River

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Method Coffee

The last leg of our day trip to Deep Ellum took us just north of the neighborhood to Method Coffee.

Method Coffee 6

Matt and I have gotten into a habit of trying to explore new coffee shops or bakeries when we have some down time. With the baby in tow, it is the perfect way to get out of the house and try something new. Needing a final stop for our day in Dallas, Matt suggested Method Coffee. We hadn’t been before, but had heard about it and driven by, so we were excited to add it to the agenda.

Even after a long day of standing in line for BBQ at Pecan Lodge, enjoying the brews at Deep Ellum Brewing Co., and generally being in the heat, Method was a welcome haven for tasty drinks, air conditioning, and great conversation about the direction of From Texas to Beyond.

Method Coffee 8Method Coffee is nestled in between Deep Ellum, Bryan Place, and Old East Dallas neighborhoods at the intersection of Ross Ave. and Hall Street. With a large sign on the side of the building, it isn’t easily missed. Inside, the cozy atmosphere seats about 20 people. The seating arrangements aren’t meant for larger groups, but it seemed a popular place for individuals to be productive whether they were there to read, work, or visit with a friend.

Don’t expect to see the menu overhead, instead you’ll take in the ambiance of the brick wall with neat shelving that features some of the various methods they use to make coffee. The baristas were exceptional–they were attuned to the various methods of coffee making and explained very clearly the tasting notes that you might get should you choose to order your coffee via Chemex or Kyoto cold brew. A very small menu is available on the counter where you can select your coffee, chat with the barista, and pay for your item(s). As patrons, we were very impressed with their knowledge, passion, and dedication to delicious coffee, a hallmark you don’t usually see unless you’re in a specialty shop.

Method Coffee 12

Coffee Flight

Noticing the option for a “coffee flight”, Matt and I chose our standard cappuccino and the flight with the options for an espresso, the Yama (or Kyoto–a Japanese method for brewing coffee), house brewed kombucha, and the traditional drip coffee. Yeah, we knew we’d be loaded up with caffeine, but one thing is for certain, we take advantage of the offerings when we’re at a coffee house! David and Rebekah shared a chai tea latte and obviously, their hearts weren’t racing as much on the ride home.

Chai Tea Latte

Chai Tea Latte

Of the options we chose, my favorite by far was the kombucha–yeah–not even the coffee! I’ve only recently started to enjoy kombucha so I was surprised I enjoyed it as much as I did, but with the tastes of basil, citrus, and cucumber infused into the fermented tea, it was the most refreshing drink. Matt enjoyed the cappuccino the best: it was simple, smooth, and well made with beautiful artwork. David and Rebekah had samples of our drinks as well, but really loved the chai’s fullness of flavor, including the extra hints of cardamom.

If you’re in the neighborhood, and interested in trying a craft coffee house, we completely recommend Method Coffee.

Cappuccino

Cappuccino

Pecan Lodge – Deep Ellum

Pecan Lodge 7I am so excited to share my first barbecue post with y’all.  The tasting was a collaborative effort from all of the writers at From Texas To Beyond.  We had a little outing over to Deep Ellum Dallas and knew we needed to try Pecan Lodge.  We had heard a lot of good things and we were not disappointed.

Coming from Central Texas, my standards for barbeque is quite high.  I love the traditional German meat market style where the pits are visible to all and the walls are stained in smoke.   Many places you have to go through two lines to get your meal: one line for meat and one line for everything else.  I even grew up eating my cousin’s homemade deer and pork sausage which will always be my favorite.  When I moved up to North Texas, we found some good BBQ joints, but Pecan Lodge has come the closest to Central Texas BBQ!  I would go quite often if it wasn’t an hour away from my home.  Maybe that is a good thing. Continue reading

Deep Ellum Fun: Our Day Trip Overview

From Texas to Beyond was about to publish our 100th article, and the four of us were looking for an excuse to celebrate a bit. Well, what better way to celebrate than a trip! Since we didn’t have an all-inclusive trip to an international resort in the budget this year, we decided on a day trip to Deep Ellum.

"Welcome

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In Case You Missed It…Denton, TX

Every couple weeks we’ll be collecting links from past posts grouped together by location; we thought it handy to have everything in one convenient location as you plan your upcoming travels. We just finished a couple different series featuring Denton, TX, so here’s your recap:

Denton County Courthouse and SquareA Day Trip to Denton Overview: With so many options, a day trip to Denton from the DFW area is a perfect way to spend a day.

 

 

Hiking at Ray Roberts Lake State Park: One of Texas Monthly’s 30 best hikes in Texas, we celebrated Valentine’s Day with a hike on the Greenbelt Corridor Trail at Ray Roberts Lake State Park.

Hiking the Greenbelt at Ray Roberts

Hiking the Greenbelt at Ray Roberts

An Evening at the Denton Square: Rebekah and I celebrated Valentine’s Day under the festive white lights of the Denton Square while enjoying the atmosphere, food, ice cream and shops.

J&J's Pizza 3J&J’s Pizza on the Square: If you’re on the Denton County Courthouse Square, you must stop at J&J’s Pizza and enjoy their delicious homemade sauce and sausage.

 

Beth Marie’s Old Fashioned Ice Cream: For a refreshing homemade treat, stop by Beth Marie’s Ice Cream on the Denton County Courthouse Square. It is sure to please!Beth Marie's Ice Cream 8 - Raspberry Truffle

 

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