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Hierve El Agua – Oaxaca, Mexico

Hierve El Agua is located in Oaxaca, Mexico. It is a beautiful mountain oasis. Visitors hike through the mountains on a level path and arrive at the swimming sites. Hierve El Agua is tranquil, peaceful and refreshingly cold. It is one of two geographical sites featuring calcite pools. The other is located in Pummukale, Turkey. I have visited both. Each of them offer a wonderful experience.

Hierve El Agua in Oaxaca, Mexico by Mandy Seymour, Best Rated Reviews

Visitors enjoy swimming in the spring-fed waters among the mountains of Oaxaca, Mexico and surrounding areas.

Travelers can hike, explore the pristine waters, and enjoy the fresh mountain air at Hierve El Agua in Oaxaca, Mexico and surrounding areas.

The trails surrounding Hierve El Agua in Oaxaca, Mexico. Mandy Seymour, Best Rated Reviews

Hierve El Agua by Mandy Seymour, Best Rated Reviews

Ragin Cajun Zydeco Night Thursday Night

Are you ready for Le Bon Temps? We recently discovered our favorite Cajun restaurant in Houston, Texas, Ragin Cajun. (www.ragin-cajun.com) Their motto is “Family Serving Family” and boy, do they live up to it! We gave them a Best of The Best 5-Star Review. They have great food, a comprehensively Cajun ambiance, and wonderful service. We visited on a Thursday night and enjoyed a great live Zydeco band. This restaurant is also kid-friendly, and even the little ones had a Ragin good time!

PC Table Tote

Have you ever wanted to work on your laptop on-the-go, but got tired of trying to balance it on your lap? A great solution is here! The PC Table Tote. The Table Tote truly lives up to its name. It’s a table that you can tote. When disassembled, it becomes its own storage case. The top even slides out to the side so you can use it for your mouse pad or coffee cup. We liked the compact design. You can even use it to hold your materials or a projector stand if you need an extra table at a business presentation.

Website: www.pctabletote.com

Greek Festival in Houston, Texas

This year, the Greek Festival is enjoying its stature as one of America’s best Greek Festivals in the nation! (www.greekfestival.org) The Greek Festival began in 1966 as a church fundraiser for the local Greek Orthodox Church in Houston, Texas and still continues today. (www.agoc.org) This year, 40,000 people will visit the festival. Festival goers describe it as a “very pure” festival because everything about the festival is in-house. The food is all authentic, hand-made food based on recipes that the grandmas’ grandmas have passed down through the years.

Highlights include the homemade Greek food, children’s dancing, a film all about Greece, and Annunciation Greek Orthodox Cathedral tours. The festival provides free parking at Lamar High School. Opa!

Flat Foot Insole

I recently tried on my “10 Second Flat Foot Insole” for review. (www.tenseconds.com) I am very active and athletic, yet I have very flat feet and have never been able to walk or run for long distances. I have also had knee surgery and my feet cramp up when I go on long walks.

I tried the insoles in my everyday shoes first and could tell the difference immediately. It felt a little awkward at first because they made my feet tilt outward. But it did not take long however, to feel what the package described as “the solution” to my problem.

It felt like I was walking barefoot on good carpet with a thick pad.

I went to a local shoe store to have my feet analyzed. (www.allaboutfeettx.com) The first thing the lady told me is that I need wider shoes. Also, she recommended that I not tie them so tight. I have always wanted my shoes to be very snug, so I tie them fairly tight.

After loosening my shoes, I discovered that I could insert my “10 second flat foot insole” and feel the difference immediately.

Getting these insoles will definitely help, but only if your shoes fit properly. The pads fit comfortably in shoes that are less contoured to your foot, such as boots rather than form-fitting tennis shoes. So take them with you when you’re going to buy a new pair. ~ Keith Lee

Ragin Cajun in Houston, Texas

Everyone knows that Southern hospitality is a special quality displayed for the world to see. However, Southern hospitality is only the tip of the iceberg when you reach into the heart of Louisiana and discover “Cajun Country”. The French ancestry intertwined with southern hospitality creates the unique experience of life in Southern Louisiana. Being called Cajun is a badge of honor for those unique and friendly people that wear it. Great food, family, and festivities and a deep sense of religious conviction are what make the Cajuns a joy to be around. They work hard and they play hard.

This Cajun experience is proudly on display at Ragin Cajun restaurant. With four locations in the Houston area, Ragin Cajun offers real Cajun cooking and the Cajun lifestyle. Recently, we visited the Westheimer location, where we were warmly greeted by the staff.

If you are not familiar with Cajun cooking, be prepared for food that is seasoned like no other. Though many restaurants claim to have authentic Cajun food, we find that outside of Louisiana, most only dream of having that unique flavor that only a true Cajun can prepare. Ragin Cajun offers authentic Cajun fare. Ragin Cajun is not only authentic. It is a Cajun family proudly serving the Houston market with family recipes steeped in the authentic world of the Cajun. Family traditions and family pride run deep in the heart of the Cajun people. The food was plentiful. The portions were generous

With a packed house and live zydeco music, the old, familiar festive Cajun atmosphere electrified the room with excitement. Whether two people at a table or ten, everyone was laughing, enjoying the music, singing, or dancing. The expression of “Let the good times roll” was alive and well at Ragin Cajuns.

Not only is the atmosphere festive, it is also wholesome and family oriented. You can feel free to bring children or mom and dad. Everyone will love the party you’ll experience when you go to Ragin Cajun. Let the good times roll!

We Recommend: the boiled crabs, bread pudding, the authenticity of Cajun food, and live zydeco music.

Best Time To Visit: Zydeco night on Thursday evenings or any time live music is available.

Contact Info: Ragin Cajun 9600 Westheimer Rd, Houston – (832) 251-7171

Related Links: http://www.ragin-cajun.com

Alexander The Great Greek in Houston, Texas

Located in Houston’s Galleria area, Alexander The Great Greek has great food and people, is easy to find and offers valet parking.  Although unassuming on the outside, it is a world apart on the inside.  Upon entering, we stepped into the festive nature of Greek culture.  We were transported into the very heart of Greece and were met as though we were family as we were ushered to our table.  We were seated near the bandstand and were immediately greeted by an enthusiastic and completely knowledgeable server.We had just settled in when the band appeared and began to play authentic  Greek music that completed transporting us back to the Old Country.

As we sat and enjoyed the atmosphere, I closed my eyes for just a moment and fully expected that when I opened them again, I would be staring out into the Mediterranean.  It felt just like we had traveled thousands of miles  and we were sitting with a large family overlooking the azure sea. The festive word “Opa!” was constantly being shouted out by someone having a good time, enjoying the festivities.  Opa is a term used for happiness and joy, like “hooray” in English, but better! As our food began to arrive, one sumptuous dish after another continued to amaze us with the quality, presentation, and incredible taste.

The staff at Alexander The Great Greek was so proud of every dish they served us, their enthusiasm made eating a delight.  From salad to desert, everything was brought to us as if it were an expensive gift and carefully presented to show the absolute pride in what they serve and are. As we dined at this feast, we were suddenly entertained by a professional belly dancer.  Not only did she perform perfectly, the authentic music played by the band completed the transformation and left us thinking that we were thousands of miles away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Before we realized it, over two hours had passed.  And it was time to go back to the world as we know it.  But for just over two hours, we got to see the heart of Greece  and made a new family of friends that will remain in our hearts for a long time.  Do not miss an opportunity to visit Alexander The Great Greek.

We especially enjoyed the Grilled Red Snapper (which was so fresh and delicious, it seemed as if someone had just come in from the seashore and delivered the catch of the day and wanted us to have their best).  Mousakka, the live music, and the bellydancer.

Visit Alexander The Great Greek  on Friday or Saturday night for live music and bellydancing from 8-10 p.m.

Website: www.alexanderthegreat.cc

Best Rated Reviews

Best Rated Reviews was founded in 2008 by photojournalist and writer Mandy Seymour. Mandy realized the need for reliable reviews on products and services. Travel and leisure consumers want to spend their money on the “best of the best” in travel and leisure. No one who is serious about travel and leisure ever says, “I want to go on a mediocre trip” or “I want to buy a mediocre product.”

Houston Museum of Natural Science

Houston, Texas

A visit to Houston is not complete without a visit to the Houston Museum of Natural Science and the Houston Zoo. The Houston Museum of Natural Science contains exhibits, imax, planetarium, and interactive exhibits which provide memorable fun, learning, and enjoyment for all ages.

The Cockrell Butterfly Museum – If you have ever wanted to walk through an enchanted tropical garden abounding with butterflies, you can find one at the Cockrell Butterfly Museum. The Cockrell Butterfly Museum in the Houston Museum of Natural Science has butterflies of various colors and species. They gracefully glide through the skies, feed on beautiful flowers, and sometimes even alight on your shoulder. The museum also contains a fascinating array of some of the world’s most interesting insects, including several camouflaged ones such as praying mantis, to bees to scorpions and tarantulas. At the end of the exhibit, the museum offers a bug snax vending machine where patrons can enjoy cheese-flavored larvettes, candy with worms, and other international entomological delicacies (which are not for the faint of heart but really are worth a try if you’re curious). The site even has Madagascar hissing cockroaches. (We visited a pet store once and asked why anyone would have a Madagascar hissing cockroach as a pet. The lady proceeded to get the roaches out and showed us how much like Velcro their legs are and how friendly they can be…to each his own, I suppose!)

IMAX – The Houston Museum of Natural Science features 3 to 4 shows on IMAX with an array of learning opportunities. During Summer 2019, the museum features Apollo 11, Superpower Dogs, and The Great Barrier Reef. Experiencing a film in a 4-story screen is a sight and experience to behold. Each IMAX has its own fascinating topic and journey. Kids especially enjoy Superpower Dogs, which is about heroic rescue canines.

Schedule for Houston Museum of Natural Science Summer 2019:

Houston Museum of Natural Science

Flower Power – 9 a.m. Cockrell Butterfly Center

Apollo 11 – 10 a.m., 2 p.m., 5 p.m. Timed for release on the 50th anniversary of the first lunar landing, First Steps is a direct-cinema historical experience of the dramatic Apollo 11 mission. With the assistance of NASA and the National Archives, and a global team of researchers and archivists, the film uses never-before–seen footage from 1969 and tells the story entirely through archival materials; giving audiences a thrilling firsthand experience of humanity’s first trip to another world. From the Emmy Award-winning filmmakers of Dino13 and CNN Films. https://www.firststepsmovie.com/

Superpower dogs – 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 4 p.m.

Great Barrier Reef – 12 p.m., 3 p.m. Every year millions of visitors travel by way of fins, flippers and feet to see one of the seven wonders of the natural world: The Great Barrier Reef – a living treasure trove of biodiversity

Website: HMNS.org

Rating: 5 Stars! Best of the best!

Featuring the best of Houston weekend in Houston, TX by Best Rated Reviews

Candytopia

Candytopia is a colorful world of sweet delight for the eyes and tastebuds! It is an unforgettable, interactive photo journey through a literal candyland. We marveled at the artistic creations made of candy, such as portraits of pop stars and animal sculptures made entirely of candy. Kids love Candytopia! They took an abundance of multicolor selfies amidst larger-than-life lollipops and confetti falling from the sky. They jumped for joy into the marshmallow pit. Candytopia curators handed out delicious candy along the way and candy souvenirs are available for purchase at the end of the exhibit. Candytopia is fun for all ages!

For current locations and schedule for Candytopia, visit Candytopia.com.

Rating: 5 Stars! Best of the best!