May Happenings

     Another month is almost upon us as the days keep flying by towards the summer.  At long last May holds so much fun for the whole family you will not want to miss a minute of the excitement. 

    We will start off with the North East Texas Choral Society's Spring Concert, May 7 and 8th at the High School Auditorium.  Come and hear the wonderful selection of music and the voices of your community in Endless Summer. 

    Don't forget to take in the annual Cinco De Mayo Celebration on the Square, Saturday, May 7.  This is a great time to find some delicious street food and is fun for the whole family.  

    If neither of these events is your cup of tea, be sure to check out the North East Texas Dressage Club and their show going on at the Hopkins County Civic Center.  Take in the amazing "dancing" skills of these horses as the make their way around the area.  

    Up next the Branded Ranch Rodeo will be in town on Saturday, May 14.  Come and check out the action, but watch out for the High Schoolers as they make their way to the dance floor for prom.  The Hunt County Horseman's Association will also be  hosting their monthly event at the Civic Center on Friday and Saturday May 13-14.

    VR Social will be hosting a moon viewing on Saturday, May 14. Grab your friends and head on over to see into space.

    On Thursday, May 18 VR Social will be having a glow bike ride.  Trick out your bike and join the fun with friends and ride through town with a glow.  

    On Saturday, May 21 The Spring Market opens on the Square.  The first market of the season is sure to be a great one.  With local finds of all kinds.  The Market will be every Saturday, until the end of Summer so be sure to check it out, when you visit Sulphur Springs.

    The Hopkins County Freedom ball is set to take place on Saturday, May 21 at the Hopkins County Civic Center.  Step out into the night and show your support for our local veteran community. 

    The USHR Roping Rally will also be held on Saturday, May 21.  Check out the roping skills from Cowboys all over the State at they compete to see who is the best in their arena.

    The Horseman Association of Texoma will also be hosting a show on May 21.  So there is no lack of "cowboy" action in town for May.  One might even say it will be better than the action we will see in the fall.

    The last week of May is filled with Graduation for the High School.  We wish all the best of luck to the Class of 2022 as they make their way across the stage and into the next phase of life.  No matter where they go, we  hope that they will all succeed. 

    Hill Production USA Roping will be on hand May 27-29 at the Civic center showing off their stuff.  Be sure to check out their program.  

    Sulphur Springs Center of dance will host their annual show on May 28-29.  Come see the hard work those kids have put in, as they showcase their talent.  

    

    

Let's Eat ~ Pacific Station

 

    If you have not yet been to Pacific Station while visiting or living in Sulphur Springs, then you are missing out.  They have some of the best Pacific style Mexican food in the state of Texas.  I would even say it might rival some local coastal towns in Mexico.  

    I took a group with me so we could have a variety of food to taste and enjoy when we made our stop at Backstory Brewery and Pacific Station.  Plus a lovely group of local bankers let me sneak photos of their food as well, to broaden our approach for choices.  

    A great starter if you plan to stay a while is the guacamole.  Fresh made, with home made chips, this guacamole is sure to make all avocado lovers rejoice.  It's nice and chunky, perfect for placing on those chips and devouring with a great beer.  

    Now comes the hard part, deciding what type of fish to enjoy.  The choices range from ceviche to whole fish.  Fried fish to grilled fish.  There is something for everyone to select from. We are really big fans of ceviche so we always order at least one of the options they have available.  

    The grilled tilapia is melt in your mouth delicious.  The seasoning and firmness of the fish is cooked just right, so it's not too dry but moist and delicious.

    What kind of Mexican dining experience would be complete without an option of tacos.  Fish tacos, shrimp taco and many more.  They each come with a choice of three, rice and sauce.  The homemade sauce really brings out the fish flavor. 

    If you are looking for a fried fish they have you covered.  The coconut fried shrimp is breaded and flavored just right.  The standard fried fish is well worth the wait for the time it might take to deep fry everything.  Finish it all off with some fries. 

    There are so many great choices on the menu that you could go everyday for a month and still not try it all.  Pair everything with a beer from the brewery, I'm sure they could help you come up with some amazing flavor combinations.  

    Pacific Station should absolutely be on your list for the next place to eat and drink.  Their food will not disappoint!

Travel East Texas ~ Mt. Pleasant

     

    This month in our Travel East Texas exploration, we stopped over in Mt. Pleasant, Texas for a swing around their downtown area to see what there is to do and explore, when visiting their city.  In 1993 Mount Pleasant was selected by the Texas Historical Commission to become an official Texas Main Street City, which is a designation in downtown to a nine block radius.  Mt. Pleasant boasts two large events during the year, the first ever Pinefest a celebration of outdoor recreation on April 28, and Boots and Bells a Christmas festival, held November 5 - December 23.  Through out the year, different organizations and the Chamber of Commerce also hold events for residents and visitors alike.    

    In our exploration downtown we found Laura's Cheesecake, and let us tell you, with the variety of cheesecake offered everyone in your group is sure to go home with or enjoy a tasty treat.  You can purchase cheesecake by the slice or a whole cake to eat and enjoy later.  They also offer a varied lunch menu for visitors with plenty of space in their seating area to find a spot to stop in for a meal.  

    Downtown also plays host to the court house of Titus County.  The court house sits in the center of downtown with the streets moving in a one way direction around the building.  The modern looking structure can't be missed when visiting downtown.

    As you make your way around downtown you can eat and shop for everyone on your list.  There are a variety of shops with a myriad of options to bring home with you on  your visit.  We popped into Seasons to check out what they had and just loved the variety in their store.  Plus they have a Christmas shop built right in so you can always find a new holiday décor item anytime of the year.  

    A few place to eat around downtown is Jo's and Nardello's, who happens to have a great alfresco dinning space on the side of their building.  One of our favorite places to eat happens to be off of the freeway, Thai Lanna's.  Their menu is varied and a great find for East Texas, for something a little different than Bar B Que or Tex-Mex.  Thai Lanna is always a great stop for lunch or dinner when in the area.  

    One of Mt. Pleasants real claim to fame beyond, Pilgrim's and Priefert is Sweet Shop USA.  A family owned and operated, handmade chocolatier with their factory and store serving over 7,000 retailers nationwide.  You definitely want to make the Sweet Shop one of your stops while in town to sample and purchase their delicious and mouthwatering chocolate to take back for friends and family, or maybe just as your midnight snack. 

Image from the Mt. Pleasant Chamber website

    If you are looking to explore and have a more mindful adventure, you should be sure to stop by the Mid America Flight Museum.  They are only opened on Saturday from 8-12, so plan your trip accordingly, but take flight with this location and learn about some amazing warbirds who made history in America.  

    There are plenty of things to occupy your day in Mt. Pleasant, and we hope that our little exploration can help you plan your trip.  We try to find the unique and fun experience for your travels.  Until next time travel safe and enjoy your visit.

Herb Infused Cocktail ~ Hugo Cocktail

    

    Our herb infused cocktail for this month is once again featuring St. Germain, an elderberry liquor, that is just so yummy we had to use it again.  The addition of mint, really helps to bring this drink to the top of the list for Spring time enjoyment.  We plan to make these drinks for our Easter dinner celebration later in the month. 

    I like the versatility of the Hugo Cocktail because you can make it to your taste.  If you want your drink to be a little sweeter then use a sparkling wine more in line with a Moscato.  Now if you prefer to let more of the sweetness come from the St. Germain then I would use a drier sparkling wine such as Gruet Brut NV.  This wine is made in New Mexico, but has roots in France, from where the family came from with the tradition of the Champagne families knowledge of creating sparkling wine.  The drier sparkling wine will really help to make the St. Germain flavors stand out in this drink.  Of course if you want a little bit of sweet with the dry you can never go wrong with a good Prosecco.  A good Prosecco can be used to create multiple drinks to enjoy at most any meal. 

    This cocktail is not only delicious but very simple to make.  No extra time is needed to create a simple syrup or infuse the liquor with the additional flavors of the mint.  It is best to make this cocktail as you go along instead of in a big batch.  So line those glasses up and get ready to create magic with this each drink.

Hugo Cocktail

1 oz. St. Germain

3 oz. Sparkling Wine

1 oz. Club Soda

Fill a glass with ice.  Pour in your portions for the drink, swirl the glass a bit.  Top it off with a sprig of Mint for garnish.  Then enjoy with family and friends.

    We hope you enjoy this cocktail as much as we did.  Please remember to drink responsibly and select a designated drive.  Please share your pictures of your group enjoying this cocktail with us on Social media.  Cheers!