I have such fond memories from Schlitterbahn New Braunfels. As a lifelong Texan, many of my childhood summers included a trip to the park, and I recall splashing around under the Hill Country sun like it was yesterday. Excitingly, Schlitterbahn has unveiled a brand new children’s attraction for 2024, featuring the world’s first water coaster for kids! If you have little ones, you’ll definitely want to bring them before summer ends.
Ever since it first opened in 1979, Schlitterbahn New Braunfels has been a can’t-miss summer activity for families from all over the world. The sprawling park features lazy rivers, thrilling speed slides, and interactive kids’ areas, making it the perfect place to cool off on a hot day.
This year is a particularly exciting one for Schlitterbahn New Braunfels, as the flagship park has unveiled a brand new children’s section called Schatze’s Storybrook Park. Located in Schlitterbahn West, this fanciful attraction brings classic fairytales to live in new, innovative ways.
Kids can enjoy six body slides, more than 70 hands-on water features, and a massive, 1,200-gallon tipping bucket. There are also plenty of shaded areas for relaxing under the summer sun.
By far the most anticipated ride within Schatze’s Storybrook Park, however, is the Bow Wow Blaster. A riff on the park’s world-famous Master Blaster, it’s the world’s very first water coaster designed just for kids.
Not only are the rides themselves fun as can be, but the attention to detail is immaculate. Fairytales like Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel have been reimagined with a dog-themed twist, and kids (and parents, too!) are transported into a world of whimsy.
I was speechless but couldn’t help but smile from ear to ear as I left the Meow Wolf art exhibit in Grapevine Texas. I didn’t even really know how to reconcile what I just had experienced but it certainly was the most unique attraction I have ever been to. You could almost describe Meow Wolf as an art exhibit that meets a hands-on museum, but even that does not quite adequately describe the experience. I have always had a deep appreciation for artistic expression in many forms. I was the weird kid in art class that my teacher assigned me to paint a picture of a flower because I had painted too many “Dark and disturbing pieces” her words, not mine. So I get it, but what I saw in Meow Wolf took it to a whole new level.
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Meow Wolf’s origin got its name randomly, which is exactly what you would expect while visiting. They put a bunch of words in a hat and then pulled out two of them to create the name, Meow Wolf. There are now a few of them across our country, but it remains one of the most unique things to do in the Fort Worth and Dallas area. Once we saw a video for a Meow Wolf my girls have been begging for us to go to one. On our trip out west which we called our dream trip, and if it was in fact going to be a dream come true for all of us then this attraction was going to be a must. We stepped up to the entrance which is actually located inside a mall and our girls couldn’t have been more excited.
The whole attraction is a mind-blowing experience from the second you step into the moment you leave. Opening the door you are greeted with a scene of a normal-looking home with a garden outside, stars up above, and the sound of crickets chirping. It felt very standard for what we knew was waiting for us inside.
Things quickly took an unexpected turn once we stepped inside of the home. As we crouched into the large fireplace we noticed it was actually a secret passageway that led to a forest of neon trees and colorful statues. The washer and dryer were actually swirling portals you could climb through to get to new and exciting places. We quickly realized that nothing in this home was as it seemed. That expectation had us opening every cabinet, pressing every button, and opening every door. One corridor led to another and pretty soon we were lost in the disorienting swirl of strangeness.
The fridge in particular was one of our favorites. Opening the large door you would typically find containers of leftovers, milk, eggs, cheese, and standard cold items, but not in this home. The fridge opens up into a hallway that leads to a big room filled with other fridge doors that all lead to different places from a desert landscape, to a plant-like alien taking over the room, to even a popsicle-themed room. We walked through a fish tank, explored an old RV, and the whole time it kept us guessing what could come next. There was even a way to activate a dance party with a descending disco ball, lights, and loud thumping music. The interactive nature of Meow Wolf was so immersive you couldn’t help but get sucked into the weirdness.
Meow Wolf is a multi-sensory experience and certainly appeals to my odd side and imagination. Some of the rooms were closed off and small leading to a dead end, others were massive with multiple entrances and exits. One of those massive rooms had a large tree twisting up through the ceiling with a hollowed-out fort and bridges that connected the branches. The roof was covered in hanging white with glittering lights and storm clouds, which also oddly enough included a fat flying cat. I feel like you could go through this place hundreds of times and still find something new.
I loved the different themes of each section that perfectly bleed seamlessly from one place to another. We certainly got lost but I was rather fond of the grimy post-apocalyptic cyber-punk style city section. We found our way in through a door which was a vending machine on the other side. There was a LED face on the screen and the robot vending machine was both sarcastic and funny with its comments on the people coming and going. The arcade had a few interactive games, but like everything else in Meow Wolf didn’t really make sense and continued with the bizarre context of the attraction.
After thoroughly exploring I have to say this has got to be one of the best art exhibits near Fort Worth and Dallas. Forget everything you know about the natural world and prepare yourself to have everything you think you know get challenged, because this odd attraction will certainly take you on a journey. If you want to adventure to this incredible place I would highly recommend it so make sure you head to the Meow Wolf art exhibit in Grapevine website to get your tickets.
For yet another taste of Meow Wolf make sure to watch our Adventuring in the Moment video, and enjoy this weird and wonderful place.
Some people put sriracha on everything (hello, it's me), while others hit up the hot sauce for some extra heat. Ketchup, too, is one of those all-purpose condiments that works for, well, all purposes. If you live in Texas, though, you might add BBQ sauce to that list -- and certainly salsa. Texas is known for its many popular salsas which are a key part of the state's cuisine. Many, many, a salsa company can be found headquartered in the Lone Star State, including big name players like Mrs. Renfro's and Clint's. But you know what they say about Texas -- the bigger, the better -- and this certainly applies to the state's salsa market, which supports just as many sole proprietors as big businesses.
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John Gallegos is one such sole (salsa) proprietor. Gallegos, who calls himself the Head Salsa Slinger of his namesake company, Johnny G's, has a lifelong passion for salsa that began in childhood. "My great grandfather taught me how to make our authentic hand-crafted salsa when I was just eight years old," he says, adding that this knowledge gave him a taste for high-quality, well-made salsa.
Fast forward to 2019. "We had just moved back home from the DFW area [...] jobs were getting scarce and I couldn't find anyone able to pay what I was needing, so I 'gave myself a job' with the goal just being able to make ends meet and pay some bills," he says. Texas had other plans, however.
After Gallegos decided to go "Facebook official" by starting a business page for Johnny G's: "I started sharing it with friends and family," he says, and from here, word quickly spread about his tiny-but-mighty salsa company in Texas. So Gallegos went all in on his namesake company, "eventually selling on shelves and online at johnnysalsas.myshopify.com," thanks to articles and local TV spots that gave his salsas coverage. "Johnny G's took on a life of its own and now here we are selling out every weekend online and local farmer's markets," he muses.
Folks come for the salsa, of course, but also the Head Salsa Slinger himself. "We're on a first-name basis with an unfathomable amount of our customers -- it's a rare instance where people know the person behind what they're getting," says Gallegos, who says he's especially proud of the cult following his little salsa business has garnered.
"In Texas, people are fiercely loyal to their favorite brand of salsa the way 'car people' are loyal to a car brand [...] we'd like to think we're at the tip of that spear when it comes to a high-tier product," says Gallegos, who says his favorite part of being a small business owner is meeting new people and "seeing the look on their face the first they have a proper salsa in the form of Johnny G's Salsa Co."
Speaking of which, if you're trying Johnny G's salsa for the first time, you might want to start with either his mild Verde or Rojo options... at the other end of the spectrum is the Full Send Extra Hot, a "special salsa for a special type of person" that's "a nuked version of our delicious smokey, salsa rojo turned up to 11 with Carolina reaper chiles." Whew. Keep a glass of milk handy for this one!
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This tongue-and-cheek description is what you can expect from Johnny G's, a salsa company with an owner with a big, bold, doesn't-take-himself-too-seriously personality. The kind of happiness that comes with finding your purpose in life is, frankly, infectious and immensely inspiring.
"I came from the corporate world where life tends to feel like a dead machine with no end or meaning in sight. I think I finally got fed up and pushed to the proverbial edge of the waterfall where I was either going to be eaten by the tiger chasing me to that point or jump and see what happens."
We're so glad you jumped, John Gallegos. Our tacos, breakfast scrambles, and late-night chip raids thank you, too.
Many thanks to John Gallegos, Head Salsa Slinger, for sharing the story of his inspiring Texas business. Learn more about Johnny G's Salsa Co. at its Shopify site and Facebook page.
Of course, Johnny G's is one of the many amazing small businesses in Texas; please nominate your favorite attractions and businesses for a chance to be featured in an upcoming Only In Texas article. And be sure to follow Only In Texas on Facebook and Instagram to learn about this region of the Lone Star State’s most incredible places, attractions, and events.
