A day in aggieland
Every year we visit College Station and the Texas A&M campus for at least one day of tailgating and football. In the last few years, we’ve been able to take our kids, and it bring us so much joy to share one of our favorite places with them. With the busyness during game days, it can be challenging to do and see all the things College Station has to offer, so we opted for a kid-friendly day trip to explore and enjoy some of the less traditional parts of town. This trip did not disappoint! With some guidance from a long-time friend and College Station local (@MrsAndreaBuck), we were able to fill and organize our kid-friendly day to maximize our time and fun!
Our first stop was the Aggieland Safari (located about 20 minutes northeast of College Station). This place was an absolute blast. We started our safari with the walkable portion to stretch our legs after the drive from Houston. To be honest, I was not sure what to expect and could not have been more impressed with the walkable area. There is a wide variety of animals to see, from giraffes to snakes, and many you can interact with. Some of the highlights for us were petting the llamas, goats and pigs and the animal feeding opportunities, we fed the giraffes, turtles, and birds. I highly recommend purchasing the lettuce (at least the bucket size) and bird seed sticks (at least 2 per person) for the walkable area. The kids could have stayed for hours interacting with the animals.
After we finished the walkable area, which took about one hour, we got back in our car for the drive-through portion of the safari. A totally different, yet still interactive experience. We purchased two cups of food to toss out the car windows for the animals and probably could have used one more to make it through the whole drive. From our car, we saw donkeys, zebras, ostrich, bison and goats just to name a few of the animals. The drive through portion took about twenty minutes, but could take longer if there are a lot of cars or the animals are not cooperating (i.e. blocking the road).
We are already looking forward to our next visit to Aggieland Safari! For more information and to purchase tickets (that are good for one year), visit the Aggieland Safari website HERE.
After working up quite an appetite at the safari, we decided to stop for lunch at one of my all-time favorite spots, Blue Baker. It’s a casual, cafe-style bakery with a menu that has something for everyone. I was a frequent customer of Blue Baker in college and always wish there was a similar spot in Houston (haven’t found one of the same caliber yet). With ample seating, walk-up ordering and a tasty kids’ menu, this is a spot adults and kids can enjoy. I indulged in my nostalgia and ordered my favorite college sandwich that is still on the menu, the Powder Blue, and it did not disappoint. The kids’ pizza was delicious too. Other items we did not order, but are always tasty are their bread bowls, cookies and fresh made breads. There are several Blue Baker locations in the area. We ate at the Blue Baker located on University because of its proximity to our other stops and the big fountain you can see outside. Learn more about Blue Baker’s deliciousness on their website HERE.
When we filled up on lunch, we ventured down University Dr. to Century Square, a community shopping area next to the Texas A&M campus. Century Square offers a variety of food and shopping options, including well-known spots like Hopdoddy, Velvet Taco, Kendra Scott, and Lululemon with other boutique-style spots like Galleria and Hemline. Century Square is also home to the popular George Hotel. All of these shopping and dining options are centered around a lively green space that hosts events like movie nights and live music. Our primary purpose for visiting Century Square was to try all the treats at Hey Sugar, a fully stocked candy store with ice cream. The kids absolutely loved it – I enjoyed some ice cream too. Our favorite flavor was the “Hey Sugar” flavor. It is delicious despite its blue color. A stop at Hey Sugar is highly recommended if you are looking to treat the kids (or yourself). Learn more about Century Square and all it has to offer HERE.
The last stop on our day trip to College Station was Aggieland Outfitters on University Dr. for some Aggie gear. Everything about this place was a pleasant surprise. We were expecting an overwhelming maroon t-shirt and trinket filled store, but found it to be anything but that type of store. Entering Aggieland Outfitters feels like walking into a perfectly curated Aggie party with cozy aromas, wine and snack tastings, and quality Aggie decor, clothes and accessories. We found more than enough Aggie things to stock up for the upcoming football season. Check out all that Aggieland Outfitters has to offer HERE.
We are so thankful we got to enjoy this wonderful day in Aggieland, visiting newer places and College Station staples. Our list of places to visit was too long to fit into one day trip, so we are looking forward to making another trip to Aggieland soon. Some of our must visit places will include Basecamp Farms, hopefully for their fabulous sunflower tour, Babe’s Doughnut Co., Napa Flats, and the new Bryan-area Hotel Stella and POV Coffee House. If you are an Aggie or someone who just wants to check out College Station, make it happen, you will fully enjoy it!