Just Do It!!

Posted in: Guest View
Tags: family, getaway, close to home, houston, woodlands resort, travel, vacation, waterslides, pools

We were looking for a quick cozy getaway for our immediate family and we could not have picked anything better! This resort is 30 minutes from our home, but when you are there you really feel like you are far away from it all!

This is a place for everyone...couples, family, friends, golfers, spa seekers, fitness fiends, wedding parties, even a "girls night (make it a weekend!) out"!

The rooms are nice and roomy and you can stay in a forest setting or by the main pool area... I emphasize MAIN pool, because there are many of them scattered on the grounds (so if you want more privacy you WILL find it!). There are shuttles to take you all over the grounds, so you don't have to walk long distances if you don't want to. Most likely you will want to walk because the grounds are so serene and beautiful.

The main pool has a great waterslide and underwater ocean murals. There is also a  dancing fountain and another large pool. The Cool Water Cafe serves great sandwiches and snacks. The kids get a HUGE chocolate chip cookie with their meal... and they are really tasty! The pool staff keeps the kids busy with games and crafts. They also bring around orange slices and frozen grapes! AND they have a poolside band on certain days and a Dive In Movie night! Too much fun!

The food in the restaurants is very good, much better than you would expect... the breakfast buffet is a must! Besides the usual, there is eggs benedict, belgian waffles, fresh omelets, delicious fresh squeezed o.j., a fresh variety of fruit... and my favorite (along with the eggs benedict!) was the serve yourself bowl of granola! Delicious!

The Woodlands Market Street and Mall is just a 5 min drive away and you can shop, hang out and eat at Cheesecake Factory, PF Chang's, Tommy Bahamas, Jasper's, Grotto, Landry's and several others.

Have I convinced you yet?! I know I am definitely going back!

And to The Woodlands Resort staff: Please don't change what you are doing! You are doing it all right, so please keep it up!

Memorial Day Weekend 2010

Posted in: Guest View
Tags: memorial day, bike trails, wildlife

The grounds were impeccably well kept. Every staff member was very accommodating and professional. Blaine offered amazing service while we were hanging out at the pool.  He even remembered our names and room number from the day before.  AMAZING.  You can compare the water slides to any water park. They were awesome. I was surprised at how well kept even the bike trails were.  The water fountains along the way were a nice surprise.  The bikes themselves were in great shape as well.  Most of the food was delicious and well priced. We enjoyed ordering from the lobby bar and eating on the patio overlooking the fountain. The wildlife affords many opportunities for great pictures at every turn. We have decided to make this our yearly destination as do many guests we talked to while we were there.

A Taste of Brooklyn In The Woodlands

Posted in: Guest View
Tags: grimaldi's, the woodlands town center, coal-fired pizza

Last summer, my husband and I spent a long weekend in the Big Apple visiting friends and took the opportunity to check out Lombardi’s.

Lombardi’s is famous for its white cheese pizza, and more importantly, for being the first pizzeria in America. The pizza was so delicious that we went back twice … and almost a third time before we caught our flight home. Lombardi’s is that good. There hasn’t been anything like it the greater Houston area ... that is until Grimaldi’s, the “best pizza in New York” opened up shop in The Woodlands Town Center last year.

It took us a whole year, but we finally made it to Grimaldi’s.

As expected on a Saturday night, the wait for a table of six was 50 minutes. No problem – especially when the friendly hostess told us we could take the table buzzer (made to look like a pizza slice) across the street, upstairs to Crush Wine Bar or to The Fountains at Waterway Square. This little pizza slice had pretty good range!

Once seated at our table with the pizzeria-style red and white plaid tablecloth, we ordered two large white cheese pizzas, a calzone (options are personal size, small and large) and a giant salad.

Let’s start with the personal-size calzone. It was HUGE. There’s no telling what the small or large looked like. This toasty treat was plenty big enough for a couple to share. No matter how you slice it, you can’t beat the creaminess of the white cheese combined with the soft crust.

Now on to the pizzas. You start with a basic pizza with either Grimaldi’s special sauce or white cheese with garlic. Then add on toppings such as grilled chicken, meatballs, sun dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts or ricotta cheese. As with the original location under the Brooklyn Bridge, the pizzas are baked to perfection in Grimalid’s signature, coal-fired oven.

Everybody left full and even with a group of six people, there were plenty of leftovers to enjoy the next day. No matter how old you get, sometimes there’s nothing like a cold slice of pizza for breakfast.
 

Crush Wine Lounge in The Woodlands

Posted in: Guest View
Tags: crush, wine, the woodlands, things to do, dining, entertainment, nightlife, going out,

On a recent Saturday night, my husband and I joined a group of friends for a birthday gathering at Crush Wine Lounge located above Grimaldi’s Pizzeria in Waterway Square.

Crush is spacious with lots of seating and there wasn’t an empty chair in the place! There's a long bar that curves along the back wall and also contemporary lounge chairs neatly arranged for closer conversation ... I thought they'd be perfect for a couple on a first date.

Crush even has an outdoor balcony which was set with cabanas and loungers like you might see in South Beach. Even more impressive are the fantastic views looking right over the Fountains at Waterway Square.

Since we were a celebrating a birthday, our group was escorted to a private room inside complete with a table set for 12 with plenty of open space for standing and mingling. (More importantly, there was a big screen television in the private room so the guys could watch college football.)

Crush has a very good selection of wines and food options ranged from artisan cheeses to beef carpaccio or flat bread pizzas. After ordering several bottles of a nice Chilean Errazuriz Cabernet, our party enjoyed the birthday celebration until well after midnight.