Benchmark Resorts & Hotels | Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe-Houston

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The Adventurist

Way More Amazing than Shopping Amazon

From the Rancher’s Daughter to Zanny Louise Vintage Design, the city of Montgomery is an antique-hunter’s mecca, with a fun and funky twist on traditional items. Discover whimsical signs to decorate the home (“If the shoe fits, buy one in every color!”) along with Texas longhorn takeaways. Charming buildings run by equally charming proprietors make the art of antiquing even more exquisite in Montgomery.

See the Stars Under the Stars

Every year, Jimmy Buffet makes a point to attend concerts at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion, a world-class venue that hosts such bands as Chicago, The Black Crowes, and Megadeth, among others. The pretty, white-peaked pavilion in The Woodlands is the perfect place to gather friends for a unique indoor-outdoor experience.

The Best Way to Get Some Greens

What happens when root vegetables grow up? You get something like the Treehouse Café, which branches out to diners with treats served in a tree-top setting. Down-home daily specials include meatloaf, “tin-can” soup and sriracha sloppy joes. Fellow birds flock to this Magnolia, Texas eatery for made-to-order omelets, pancakes, and wondrous views of the woods.

Texas Boots Were Made for Walking

When it’s time for some downtime, Montgomery’s Memory Park offers a reflective experience among fountains, koi ponds, and rose gardens. Kids will take special delight in the StoryWalk project, where each sign is a page of a fabled children’s book. For a glimpse of true Texas history, head to Fernland Historical Park, home to some of the state’s oldest log homes and cabins.

Friday

3.p.m. | Color Yourself Intrigued

If a box of Crayola crayons were to throw a party, it might look something like the Color Factory in Houston, a 20,000 interactive museum dedicated to child-like imagination and expanding boundaries of perception and understanding. Opened in 2019 in the Upper Kirby neighborhood, the 20,000 square-foot-space is the city’s best spot for wondrous wanderings and Instagram-worthy shots.

8 p.m. | Find the 411 at 202

Friday nights light up at 202 Main, a unique venue in Conroe hosting gospel dinner-songwriter series, craft cocktail-making classes and more in an expansive and yet intimate space that draws some of the state’s best chefs, artists and musicians. With any luck, it will be an open-mic night, perfect for your rousing rendition of your favorite Lone Star State song.

Saturday

8 a.m. | Coffee Time

Forget the franchises pouring the same-old at drive-through windows and go to Galavant’s, where baristas fashion freshly-ground Amaya coffee drinks right out of a trailer stand. Warm up with a Himalayan caramel latte or cool off with an iced Smoky Mountain Mocha; a sweet tooth is easily satisfied here with homemade syrups.

10 a.m. | Space Out

You’ll be well fueled for an excursion to the Space Center Houston, the official visitor center of the NASA Johnson Space Center. Discover displays of moon rocks, the world’s only Space Shuttle replica, and a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket, among the 400-plus attractions here. Every Saturday, astronauts share their experience with visitors, who can also learn what it takes, physically and mentally, to become the next Neil Armstrong or Sally Ryde in the “Beyond Human Limits” exhibit.

4 p.m. | A Jolly Good Time

After the experience in outer space, it’s time to get back down to Earth by soaking up the sun at Jolly Mon Water Park, Margaritaville’s own 3.5-acre oasis. A private beach presents the perfect place to kick back with a paperback before hopping into one of the five swimming pools or two hot tubs. Be sure to take a daredevil ride down the slides and relax for what feels like forever in the infinity pool.

Sunday

10 a.m. | Chill Out Over Brunch

When “brunch” becomes a verb, you know it’s something to be taken seriously, and at License to Chill, the meal is elevated to an art form with build-your-own omelets, signature Bloody Marys and Sunrise Chilaquiles. It’s all island-inspired, so laid-back diners will find such touches as plantain foster sauce on the Caribbean french toast and three types of rum in the Brunch Punch.

3 p.m. | Say Farewell to Lake Conroe

But not before saying hello to high-end shopping on Market Street in The Woodlands, where Tiffany mingles with Ann Taylor; Lululemon bends over backward for customers; and Vineyard Vines meets Louis Vuitton.

Breakroom Bagels Food Truck

This section of Texas is rich with just the right soils for hops and grapes, and brewmasters and vintners welcome visitors to their beautifully located operations. Begin the day with a schmear from the Breakroom Bagels Food Truck, whose owner, Ashley McIntyre, boils and bakes New York City-style bagels. (We dare you to try the Oreo Overload.)

Bernhardt Winery

Hit the road to tour the Bernhardt Winery, part of the Texas Bluebonnet Wine Trail, and Blue Epiphany Vineyards, begun by three former police officers who’ve gone from flashing red and blue to reds and whites with a view. For something even more arresting, pull over to tour the taproom at Southern Star Brewing Company and try a taste of the Bombshell Blond or Buried Hatchet. Cornhole tournaments, trivia contests and more enliven the beer garden at B-52 Brewing while Copperhead Brewery competes with giant Jenga, foosball and fantastic flavors.

Bartlett’s Distillery

Raise your spirits at this distillery, whose craft rums and whiskeys are a true taste of Texas terroir. Finally, the Ferm Meadery buzzes with bee-derived honey wine thanks to the fermentation dedication of Cathy and Mike Rape right in downtown Conroe.

Isaac Conroe Farmers’ Market

From April through September, every first Thursday of the month means the Isaac Conroe Farmers’ Market at Heritage Park in downtown Conroe. It’s held from 5 to 8 p.m., drawing local bluegrass musicians along with vendors selling homemade baked goods, salsas and jellies—not to mention the cornucopia of freshly grown produce and handcrafted wares to wear.

HydroRockets

Jetboard. Jetovator. JetChair. Hoverboard. These may sound like futuristic inventions straight out of “The Jetsons,” but they’re actually real ways to get out on the waters of Lake Conroe, thanks to HydroRockets. Hydro-flight is the closest you can get to human-powered flight, and it’s even more adrenaline-pumping than you can imagine. Try the Jetboard, where a 50-foot hose connected to a board propels you into the air by blasting water; or the Jetovator, which riders can maneuver while reaching speeds of up to 25 miles per hour. The JetChair, meanwhile, was specially designed for veterans with disabilities for an experience similar to balancing a wheelchair. Whichever device you choose, highly experienced instructors teach lesson as short as 40 minutes or as long as 8 hours. Trust us, every second will be memorable.

Sam Houston National Forest

For something slightly more peaceful, adventurous guests can explore the Sam Houston National Forest, a 160,000 acre expanse of loblolly pines, southern oaks and sweetgums interlace with creeks and stress. The 128-mile long Lone Star Hiking Trail runs through here; one of the best sections to hit begins right at Lake Conroe; look for Trailhead No. 1.

St. Francis Wolf Sanctuary

Did somebody cry wolf? It’s time to howl at the moon (or the sun) at the St. Francis Wolf Sanctuary, which began with a rescue wolf named Mystery and now houses a pack of wolfdogs nursed back to vitality after years of neglect. Twice a month, the sanctuary hosts Howl Nights and Camp-Outs—no need for ghost stories when you’re surrounded by these mystical canines. Or check out the East Texas Elephant Experience, where Jeanie, Chrissy and Paige—rescued from African ivory poachers in the 1980s—play and interact with humans during the 90-minute tour. (No peanuts required.)

Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo

The world’s largest livestock show and rodeo is right here in Houston, next staged for February 28 to March 20, 2022. Anchoring the event is the 19-day Super Series tournament including bareback riding, barrel racing, steer wrestling, team-roping and more for a champion payout of $50,000. The surrounding attractions are just as head-spinning, from parades and rodeo round-ups, a livestock show and, in true Texas style, a Bar-B-Que Contest.

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Like a Local

Way More Amazing than Shopping Amazon

See the Stars Under the Stars

The Best Way to Get Some Greens

Texas Boots Were Made for Walking

The Weekender

Friday

3.p.m. | Color Yourself Intrigued

8 p.m. | Find the 411 at 202

Saturday

8 a.m. | Coffee Time

10 a.m. | Space Out

4 p.m. | A Jolly Good Time

Sunday

10 a.m. | Chill Out Over Brunch

3 p.m. | Say Farewell to Lake Conroe

Flavor of…

The Adventurist

At a glance...

Margaritaville Lake Resort, Lake Conroe-Houston