It's a Family Day in the LBK!

This blog post is sponsored by Visit Lubbock, an organization I was honored and excited to work with because of all the great things they do for our community. They work hard to be at the forefront of all things new and exciting in Lubbock and are my first go-to for news and events!

You know we love a good adventure- even if we don’t have to go far to find it! And thankfully- we don’t! When Visit Lubbock contacted me about doing a Family Day in Lubbock for National Travel and Tourism Week, I couldn’t say “yes!” fast enough.

Shawn and I grew up in a small West Texas town about 3 hours from Lubbock, and truly never expected to stay after moving here just after we were married. But, we have! And I believe we’ve stayed for many reasons:

1. The People. Truly, Lubbock is one of the friendliest places on earth. We have found wonderful friends and a church community here like none other, and we are so thankful for them.

2. The Culture. We love living in a city that has a large university (fun sports games to go to and other events, beautiful campus to walk through, camps and programs for the kids), and a thriving arts community. Being an artist myself, the arts scene here constantly inspires me.

3. The Food. We have a LOT of GREAT places to eat- driving through town, it doesn’t take long to see that! There is always something new to try and discover, plus tried-and-true faves.

4. The Size. Lubbock isn’t the biggest city in Texas, and we like it that way. “Across town” is a 20 minute drive. It’s not too big, and not too small. Coming from a smaller town, I thought I’d really made it big when I moved to a city with a Starbucks!

So, last Saturday we set off on a Family Fun Day in Lubbock- and it was so much fun, we are definitely going to be doing it again soon!

1st Stop: J&B Coffee

We are a little partial to this coffee shop because it is the one housed comfortably in our neighborhood- but if we ever were to move, we’d sure miss it! It’s a cozy study spot for many TTU students, but there are also a lot of regulars here.

Things you must try if you’ve never been:

• Red Raider Royale (so rich and delicious!)

• Lavender Cold Brew (seasonal)

• Vietnamese Iced Coffee

• Any of their locally-roasted coffees- our personal faves are Costa Rica La Minita and Governor’s Cup

Other great local coffee shops:

Sugar Brown’s

Pearl Tea

Monomyth Coffee

Yellow House Coffee

Tova Coffeehouse

Tumbleweed and Sage

He-Brews

2nd Stop: Texas Tech University’s Public Art Collection

Texas Tech has a beautiful campus sprinkled with amazing art and sculpture- and this is no accident. Through the Public Art Program, public artworks are funded using one percent of the estimated total cost of each new major capital project. I love this program and what it has done for campus and for art lovers like us!

The program has put together several free walking tracks where you can view the amazing sculptures and other art- many of which are interactive. Our kids LOVED this “scavenger hunt” and it was the perfect way to expel some extra energy they had due to the hot chocolates at J&B.

We had never done a walking track before and we are excited to invite friends to do it again- there is so much to see and did I mention it is completely free?

Other cool things to check out:

American Wind Power Center

Silent Wings Museum

Buddy Holly Statue and West Texas Walk of Fame

Buddy Holly Museum

Next Stop: Lunch @ Tom and Bingo’s

Tom and Bingo’s is a local favorite and exactly what you want in a BBQ joint. It’s got limited seating, delicious brisket, and a line out the door. We were lucky to get there while there were seats available and they hadn’t run out of food! (Yes, they run out everyday- it’s that good!)

My parent's joined us for lunch and despite our large group the employees at Tom and Bingo’s were so kind and helpful. We love their brisket sandwiches and Bingo burgers. Worth a stop and worth the wait if there is a line.

Other local lunch faves:

Dirk’s

Caprock Cafe

The Crafthouse Gastropub

Capital Pizza

Choochai

Burklee Hill Vineyards

Blue Sky

Next Stop: The National Ranching Heritage Center

If you’ve never been to the NRHC, they have something for everyone- and the perfect time to go is a beautiful West Texas day like we had! Here, there is a ton of history and they’ve gathered ranch buildings, old homes and artifacts of life on the Plains and displayed them in a city-like configuration where you can walk through them and see just how they were used.

Our kids loved looking for Jackrabbit Joe throughout the property and finally found him at the train depot. The NRHC hosts a variety of events throughout the year- like the Candlelight at the Ranch during the holidays- and it is a truly magical experience.

Other fun activities for kids in Lubbock:

Play Street Museum

YWCA Sun ‘N Fun

Prairie Dog Town

Joyland

Altitude Trampoline Park

Science Spectrum Museum

Lubbock Lake Landmark

Stars & Stripes Drive In Movie Theater

4ore Golf

Miss Megan’s Make Room

Texas Tech Sporting Events (check out their kids club!)

Frisbee Golf at Mae Simmons Park

Buffalo Springs Lake

South Plains Fair

Caprock Canyons State Park

Next Stop: The LHUCA and CASP Studios

The arts district in Lubbock is special to us and there are so many cool things to do and see there! It is full of fun, colorful murals and sculpture- worth a visit if even to just walk around. At the LHUCA, we were able to see some amazing artwork and then had the opportunity to make clay pinch pots at the clay studio! Instructor Mica was so kind and great with the kids- we had a blast!

The LHUCA hosts the First Friday Art Trail every month and is one of our favorite things to do in the “Hub City”. They also have many art classes - for kids and adults! They’re hosting youth summer camps, too- check it out here.

Other cool downtown spots to check out:

Two Docs Brewery

LBK Brewery

Buddy Holly Hall

CASP

Jux Ta Posh

The Garden

Last Stop: Dinner at Triple J Chophouse

Always a fave with us- Triple J! This restaurant has been a staple in our Lubbock life- locally brewed beer, live music, and delicious eats with a fun atmosphere. We love pretty much the entire menu, but have a few things we always order:

Raider Red Ale (brewed by Triple J)

Chilton (the local cocktail created first in Lubbock)

House salad with house dressing (lemon vinaigrette- SO good!)

Wedge salad (equally delicious!)

Any of their steaks- we love the Miss Kitty Kat and Sir Nick

Pizzas (kids always get this)

Chicken “Potted” Pie

And of course their house-made rolls and butter- you WILL leave full, I promise!

Other great dinner spots with kids:

The Plaza

Cook’s Garage

Teddy Jack’s

Picosos

And because mom and dad need a date night every now and then:

La Diosa

Stellas & Manhattan 9

Italian Garden

The West Table

Table 82

Cook’s Garage

La Diosa

The Funky Door

Burklee Hill Vineyards

The Nicolette

Lastly, I wanted to include some of our local favorites in other categories:

Snacks and Treats:

The Pie Bar

Holly Hop Ice Cream Shop

The Soda Shack

Kurbside

Shopping:

Jux Ta Posh

Odds and Ends

Barque

The Heritage Press

J Hoffman

Vibeage

Wineries:

English Newsom

McPherson Cellars

Burklee Hill

Llano Estacado Winery

Pheasant Ridge

Bolen Vineyards

Thank you to Visit Lubbock for giving us the gift of family memory making in our city! I hope this blog post has been helpful and will try to update my lists as I think of new places or places I have missed. AND- if you’d like to add to my lists, feel free to comment your local faves!

Our Trip To Monahans Sandhills State Park

Mid-December of this year, I began anticipating the stir-crazy that inevitably happens in our household when our kids are out of school for more than a week. I don’t like it, they don’t like it, and I’ve learned that if I don’t have any options, the ship can sink rather quickly.

So I started searching for some easy (and COVID/social distancing friendly) day-trip options for our city- Lubbock, TX- and friends, let me tell you- there weren’t a lot of options that we hadn’t already done- save one.

We’d never visited the sandhills outside of Monahans.

So I ordered some sleds and put it on the calendar. It’s about a 3 hour road trip for us which isn’t great, but Shawn and I did enjoy a quiet ride home while the kids were asleep after a long day.

Visiting Monahans Sandhills State Park 

For those of you who’ve never heard of this truly unique place, it is a state park located between Monahans and Odessa, Texas, which is almost the middle of nowhere. The park almost seems to pop up out of the earth with an ethereal almost moon-like feel- just huge expanses of sand dunes all around. It is beautiful and unusual- and the perfect place to take some sleds and do some Texas-style sledding!

The sand is deceptive- see those people on the hill? They were at least a half mile away!

It was early January when we visited and the weather stayed at a warm-ish 50 degrees. The wind did pick up in late afternoon- which was very unpleasant- especially if you’re facing the wrong way with your mouth open...ask me how I know, haha. I am glad, though, we visited in winter as I would suspect that summertime is brutal in the heat. 

We had a great time and it was a day trip we will likely repeat. Here are my tips if you’re planning a trip:

• There is an entrance fee to the park, but at the time we went the office was closed and there was a link to pay online listed at the entrance. The fee is $4 per person, and the park is open until 10 pm. 

• You can camp at the park if that’s your thing- I’d love to be there for sunrise/sunset to photograph the area- I am sure it is beautiful. More info on camping here.

• There were restrooms, but at the time we visited, they were locked. If you have littles, I would definitely bring a port a potty in the car- here is the one we have had for years and has saved us many times!

• Go in the fall, winter, or early spring- otherwise you will seriously risk getting sunburned and dehydrated. It’s a literal desert, y’all.

• There are many parking spaces and picnic tables with grills in easy walking distance to the dunes. There was even a volleyball net set up ready for play. 

Overall, we found it easy to get around. We found many great hills to sled down and you don’t actually go super fast unless you go down a man-made path. It’s very comparable to sledding in the snow. 

Even our 4 year old was going down the steepest hill and the sand is so soft it really cushions the fall if you do take a tumble.

That being said, it can be tough to climb back up a hill and would not be a great excursion for anyone who has difficulty walking or climbing. It’s very much like walking in powdery snow.

What to bring:

1. Sunscreen (yes, even in the winter the reflection of the sun on the sand is BRIGHT- our fave here)

2. Cooler with water and snacks (we left this in our car and just hiked back for a snack time)

3. Sunglasses

4. Case or zipper pocket for phones/cameras (the sand will easily get into these items, and you’ll want to make sure they stay protected)

5. Shoes: depending on what time of year you go, you may not even need them. The sand is very soft but there are weeds/rocks (they’re easy to avoid). Most of our crew wore tennis shoes which will need to be washed, and Shawn chose boots which were heavier and harder to walk in but more sand-proof. So shoes are really personal preference. 

6. Beach bag (with waterproof lining so you can spray sand off later)

7. Change of clothes- I brought a change of clothes for all the kids and we put all the sandy clothing in a beach bag so that my car wasn’t filled with sand. This worked really well- there are restrooms you could change in, but we just did it in the car 

8. Sleds- I didn’t see anywhere you could rent these, so we brought our own. Here are the ones we have and they worked well!

Optional:

1. Folding lawn chairs- we saw a few families using these near the picnic tables and thought it was super smart.

2. Sand toys- our girls love playing in the sand when we go to the beach and probably would have enjoyed playing with some sand toys there, too- however, none of the sand is wet so it wouldn’t stick together, but hey- worth a shot if it means a few more minutes of entertainment for the kiddos!

3. Volleyball- like I said, they had a volleyball court set up, which is fun!

4. Frisbee

5. Backup battery Phone charger- service for us wasn’t great, and our phone batteries dies quickly that day. I wish I had brought my backup charger.

6. Lightweight backpack or Camelbak- this would be especially helpful if you are going during the warmer months. Mine is much older than this one, but I have had it since college and my Camelbak Cloudwalker is frequently used by both Shawn and me (camping, hiking, Disney, soccer/baseball games), and it’s held up so well. Definitely worth the investment!

I hope this has been helpful! In a year where travel was limited, I was thankful to find some neat places not too far away to create memories with our kids. They have talked about this day trip a lot since and keep wanting to go back to sled in the sand!