Todd Mission, TX
If you personally know me, you are well aware of the fact that I am a huge fan of the Texas Renaissance Festival. It has been a part of my life for six years now, and I see no chance of it ever leaving my life at any time in the future. Few places make me feel at home as well as TRF. Outside of science fiction and comic conventions, it’s one of the few places where I can be myself and have a really good time.
This year my wife and daughter tagged along for the ride to Todd Mission, TX, which is nearby Plantersville and Conroe, TX. It’s also not that far of a drive north of Houston. One of my favorite parts of TRF is getting there by taking HWY 105. Sure, I can hop on Interstate 10 and then head north on Interstate 49 to get there a bit quicker, but if I did that I would miss out on the wonderful views of the east Texas countryside. There are many beautiful homes, farms, and forests on the drive to TRF, and with autumn in full swing, the changing leaves are gorgeous.
My trip almost always includes a stop in Orange, TX, just across the state line from Louisiana, or in Conroe. This year, my wife, daughter and myself stopped in Conroe at Einstein Brothers Bagels. It was our first time to check this place out and we loved it. The coffee and bagels were delicious, and gave us just enough pep to make it to the festival. We had been up since 4:30 AM, so this stop was welcomed and much needed.
Once we arrived at the festival, my wife and daughter hit the shops and I hit the Clan Tynker Family Show. I’ve seen Clan Tynker at least once each year that I’ve attended the festival and they have never let me down. Their show is funny, exciting, and family friendly. Santiago, Sam, Rebekah, Serendipity, and Elijah combine music, dancing, juggling, fire, and all sorts of other wonderful things to deliver an excellent program. When I talk to first-timers or friends interested in going to TRF, I always tell them to enter the gates, stay to the right, and head to the Globe Theater to watch the Clan Tynker show. It’s my favorite show to watch when I first enter the kingdom.
After watching the Clan Tynker, I caught up to my wife and daughter and we headed to Sherwood Forest so that my daughter could try her hand at archery, using a crossbow, the King’s Confusion maze, multiple rides, and the Magic Garden. In the Magic Garden, we ran into some rambunctious fairies, a couple of sweet ladies that happily posed for photos with us (unfortunately I can’t post them here, as they include my daughter and for safety’s sake, I don’t post photos of my children on this blog), and St. Felix (or at least a replica of him). I also stopped to take a photo with a statue in the garden that I’ve taken a photograph with every single time I’ve been to the festival. Below are a few pictures from the garden, including my photo with the “topless Texas chick” that I love so much.
After a visit to the Magic Garden, my family made its way to watch Adam “Crack” Winrich’s excellent Fire Whip show. I’ve watched Crack’s show on many occasions, but this was the first time my wife and daughter watched him. I believe that my daughter is in love with him!
From there we attended a few more shows, ate some wonderful food, and then headed over to watch Circa Paleo, one of my favorite festival bands, do their thing. I was only turned on to this band last year, and wish that I had checked them out sooner. They are awesome! They played some great tunes and I highly recommend you look them up on the web or see them live if they are at a festival or venue near you.
I grabbed one of their CDs and listened to it all the way home. They really are an excellent band.
After listening to Circa Paleo, I naturally gravitated toward the Greek Agorah, where there were some lovely dancing ladies on the stage. Again, if you know me, you know I’m a sucker for belly dancers. Here’s a photo for your viewing pleasure:
We spent the rest of the day walking, shopping, laughing at playtrons and just generally having a fun time. I stopped at the Brigadoon Brewery to have a pint of Hadrian’s Wall Red and finished the day off with another stroll around the festival. We didn’t get to stay for the fireworks, as we had to get back home to take care of something else, but this year’s trip to the Texas Renaissance Festival was awesome as always.
See ya next year, TRF!
Be sure to check out these websites: http://www.texrenfest.com, http://www.circapaleo.com, http://www.clantynker.com.
Thanks for reading!
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