Exploring Midland, Texas With the Nerdy Unicorn!

Midland, Texas was nothing like I'd expect it to be. While being a decent-sized town, and perhaps comparable to Waco, it has a different topography and style. We have been exploring little by little, when we can.  I thought that I'd share some of our favorite places around this town. Whether you are just visiting or if you are considering moving, here is a little insight.

Readers need books!

Since first coming to Midland, we started to explore around it. As a home schooling family, there were certain places we needed to establish ourselves with. The library is my favorite place to go to and was the first place we got hooked up for our book needs. While there are two locations, we have preferred the Downtown Plaza location for its distance from our home. The building itself is a work of art. Murals are painted on each side. One side has a metal art installation that looks reminiscent of a steampunk hot air balloon.  My daughters and I love bringing the dolls out to get some new photos. Inside this one, there are also screen walls that sometimes play movies or just have cool changing images. There are historical displays inside too. We even found the old map section in the back of the adult side. Those are so cool! To make things easy, I often just put in hold requests. They hold things for up to 3 days. If we are in a hurry, this makes it easier for us to grab and go. I love our librarians. They are always friendly! And when I have asked for recommendations on books, donut shops or even where to find a park, they were more than happy to share!

Taking time to play

We have also been to the Dennis the Menace Park. This is a large park with multiple sections for various sizes in kids to all play on. I think that is what we love most about this park -  the various sizes in the equipment. They have something for all kids. Even my teenage boys can fit as they chase around their sisters! And they aren't just the run of the mill slides and swings. They are themed to give kids more imaginative play!

Sparking the Urban Explorers in us

Across from the park, however, is some place we have been wishing we could urban explore.

I've had difficulty finding out what it was meant to be. Ever since we arrived, there has been no progress in the build. Sad really. It takes up an entire city block. The only thing I found was that it possibly was started as a housing project of some sort that has faulted on their payments and not done anything since 2019. It may have been recently sold, though. So maybe work will finally resume. It definitely makes us wish we could explore other places like it around town.

This town is in between transitions. From a booming oil town to a shift towards a tech town. They are tearing down old businesses and some new ones have moved in. That is just since we made the move.

Donuts! 

We started going to the local Shipley Donuts when my kids won free donut tickets from the library for a reading program. We were going every Saturday morning while we could. I love how they had a mural painted on the side that incorporated Midland's oil history.

They are not the only donut shop in town, however, and to be fair we had to give other places a try. We went to Jack n' Jill's, but we had gone after 10am so they had hardly any selection left. Despite that, they were the fluffiest donuts I had ever tried! I'm really hoping we can go back, earlier, to try other ones. My husbands favorites were the cinnamon rolls and long johns.  

Wall Street Antiques

I love looking for deals. And this one place has so many! I've found things for the dolls, relatives, husband and even my sons! This place is bigger than you'd expect when you look from outside. So many booths filled with antiques, vintage pieces and even some new items. You could go every week and still find new things that weren't there last week.

This vintage find was from the 90's. Remember the Sleeping Beauty dolls back then? For the entire outfit, brand new in the pack was only .99. Even better was that the corset comes separate so I can mix it with my Steampunk outfit for the dolls. But that is just one thing I've found there! And the employees are always helpful. Don't hesitate to ask questions!

Where's the meat? 

My husband and I gave up eating most meats you get at the regular grocery stores. We can't seem to handle whatever they are adding in, be it the dyes or the gases. So we had turned to farm stores or farmers markets when we could. My husbands coworker suggested Midland Meat Co. for our needs.

He swore their meat selection was not only amazing, but the best quality that could be found around here. After getting some, we are hooked! We have tried their ground beef, hamburgers, Texas antelope steak, lamb and Wagyu hotdogs so far. I would say that the hotdogs received the lowest score among our family members. But the burgers have become a family favorite. We get the ground beef in a larger pack and I split it up for shepherds pie, chili, and even taco night.

Meat isn't all they have though. They sells seasonings, produce, Volleman's milks and side fixings for your next cookout. We liked their local made cheeses too. So many flavors to choose from! 

Steak Express

Okay, so here's one I'd not have thought worthy of trying. However, we had family visit and decided to order out. After checking options and dietary needs, we all settled on Steak Express. What is it? A steak delivery company! No, seriously, they cook and deliver fully decked steak meals. They offer lots of variety in meats and sides. I wouldn't say this is my favorite place, but for the food being so good, I'm adding it the list. We definitely can't afford it often. A little too pricey for our family.

Having it delivered is a pretty cool bonus too. After all, food like this cooked to perfection after a long day is tiresome.

This is all I have for now. There are so many other places we hope to check out. (I'm keeping a list now!) And as I do, I promise I'll share my results. But I'm curious, so indulge me, if you have time. What is the first thing you would look for in a new town? Let me know and maybe that will be the next place I try to go to.

From Israel With Love

Going to Israel was amazing! It was definitely a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me. I mean that. Once in my lifetime. I'd love to go back, but that was one hard journey that I don't know I can handle doing again. I'm still feeling the effects of the trip, all that hiking and climbing. Today I was bedridden after our homeschool class meet. It has just been building. But! Worth every bit though! 

I have been slowly and painfully sorting through the over 2,000 photos my husband took. I don't know what it is about guys and cameras, but it seems like they often take the oddest photos. Photos of things that leave you scratching your head and wondering, "What was he thinking when he took this?" 

That being said, I have been reliving the trip through these photos. And what a trip! Hard to believe, but the State of Israel could actually fit inside the state of Colorado. Even so, our 10 day trip couldn't cover everything that could be visited and seen. After all, we didn't even get to visit Bethlehem! We did drive along the northern, eastern and western borders though. And to a great many spots in between. Including what we westerners know as the Gaza Strip aka the Golan Heights. Not what the locals call it over there. We had a lovely lunch in a Palestinian restaurant. But I am getting ahead of myself here... So let me walk you through some of the best parts of our trip with photos to guide you. 

When we first arrived in Tel Aviv, we had to go through a PCR test at the airport. From there were driven the scenic route and given some history as we made our way to the hotel for the night. We had to go into quarantine until the results of our tests were emailed to us. Thankfully, ours arrived before dinner time and we were able to not only eat in the dining hall, but also take a brisk stroll around outside. We stayed right on the Mediterranean. You want to talk about a beautiful sight!

Only thing that might have been better would be to have had the room next door, which was the corner of the building. But still, seeing that beautiful sea glisten was amazing. 

While on the Mediterranean, I highly suggest seeing some of the ancient Roman ruins. There are so many strewn through Israel though, so don't worry if you don't see these. But the one here that we visited had an open theater with original steps in tact. There was also the arena for horse and chariot racing. There was ruins of a palace that the sea had collected. I picked up a few shells and a stone that porous and light. Loved walking next to the Sea. Reminded me of days growing up in Florida, but the water was prettier here.

The Aqueduct amazed me. This structure is 10 miles long. It carried water to a place that had none. And is still standing over a 1,000 years later. Why can't we make things to last like this??

Don't be alarmed to see open tombs on the side of the road. Ancient practices of burial means that tombs were dug into the sides of hills and rocks everywhere. Some of them are quite noticeable.

The Sea of Galilee is nothing like I imagined it would be. When we went, the weather was beautiful. Often as we drove near it, it was smooth like glass. And tour boats like this make it seem all the more serene. If you take a tour boat, I suggest Daniel Carmel. He has 3 boats now. We took the Faith Boat. His other is the Hope Boat, but he recently purchased the Love Boat. *wink wink*

I never thought the mountains in Israel would have snow on them. I mean, they are mountains after all, but I think of Israel as Middle East. Meaning... desert. I was wrong. When we went in March, there was still snow on the mountain peaks.

I don't want to overload you in one go. After all, my husband has over 2,000 pictures! So I will leave you to ponder these and be back after I sort through some more gigabytes of photos. Israel is amazing. And I want to show you some of it. Though I would tell everyone to take the trip if they get the chance. There are some great destinations in the world worth traveling to. But nothing like the Holy Land.

New Mexico or bust!

I was about ready to bust. After all, it was a twelve hour drive each way for our family. Four kids, one being 8 months old. All of us stuck in the rental van together. You know how that goes? "Mom, her leg is touching me!", "Mom, can I have more chips?", "I have to pee!" (at which I respond, "Can you wait just a little longer? We have to find a gas station.") "No, I can't hold it. I really have to pee!" 

*deep sighs and a head slap*

Yep. That was the drive there and the drive back. We left early Friday morning and got back home Sunday night. It's been described as a "whirlwind trip" and that's exactly how it felt. Too much time in the car, not enough with the person we went to see. 

We spent time and money preparing for this trip. I wanted to make the road time as painless as possible. I wanted to keep the kids as entertained as possible. I wanted myself and my husband to feel as comfortable as we could. Sitting for 12 hours... I can barely manage 2 hours at time! But I had a goal. A very important goal. We were going to see Great Grandpa Al! 

One thing we purchased to make the trip better was the Ozark Trail cooler.

It was truly worth the nearly-$50 price tag! If you make long trips, plan to go on all-day park adventures, or otherwise need a long-lasting drink/food cooler - this is it! They boast staying cold for up to 3 days. And they aren't kidding. I had 2 ice packs and enough drinks to cover us for at least half the drive one way. We thought we needed more ice, so we filled 2 gallon-sized baggies with ice to add on the bottom and the top of the waters. After 12+ hours, the ice from one bag had melted, but was still icy cold. The other bag still had ice! The zipper on this thing is water tight. Keeps liquids from spilling out like you wouldn't believe! The carrying strap that goes over your shoulder has gel in the center to keep it comfortable. I can't stand chaffing straps. And it has a convenient zipper pocket in the front. Need I say more? My husband and I were thrilled all throughout our trip that we had decided to spend the money and get one. We have so many plans to use it. Water park, lake, road trips... Oh yeah, gonna have some ice cold water all day today and tomorrow without adding ice! If you are looking to get one for yourself, we picked ours up at the local Wal-Mart. *These opinions are strictly my own. I was not paid, given incentive, or otherwise coerced into writing this mini review!*

Most of the trip was through flatlands.

Seriously. Everything is flat and looks the same.

I even got so bored that I started playing with my sons fast food toy...

Most towns we drove through were ghost towns. People lived in shacks, but there was nothing in the form of businesses. How do they manage?! 

We did enjoy some rainbows along the way. 

We stayed at the Hyatt Place Hotel in Albuquerque, New Mexico right alongside the airport. It was affordable, we were able to book it online, in a safe part of the city, and within a 5 minute drive to Grandpa's house. Let me just say, this hotel room was perfect for our 6-person family.

There were two beds in the room, with a half wall separating the "living room" area that had a pullout couch.

Trash cans were larger than your standard hotel rooms normally carry. This is a big deal when you have kids.They even set my daughters Minecraft Ocelot stuffed toy in her pillows to greet us when we came back that afternoon. I only had 2 issues with this place. One elevator was constantly having issues. We found it quicker to take the stairs sometimes. And then we had issues with drainage being slow in the shower. Other than that, it was a wonderful stay! 

My baby girl even begged Daddy to let her "drive". I can already tell, she will be quite the troublemaker! Just like her Mommy. 

Every time we stopped, we all had to get out. Potty, food, gas, and stretching those legs. Probably why the trip took 12 hours. But the time we spent there was totally worth it. The weather is a million times better than what we have here in Texas. They actually had cool breezes! Can't tell you how refreshing it was. 
I'm looking forward to the next time we go. So much more to do!