Return of the Curls natural hair expo went down July 23-24 in Houston, TX, and I was excited to take the trip as a brand ambassador for EDEN BodyWorks. I’ve been to Dallas before, but never Houston so I was looking forward to seeing what Houston had to offer during my quick trip.

I was supposed to arrive in Houston on Friday evening, but thanks to Delta Airlines doing maintenance, my flight was delayed. Delayed to the point that I would miss my connecting flight in Detroit. So I opted to just fly out to Houston super early on Saturday morning. Because of those Biscoff cookies Delta gives out on morning flights, I will not complain.

Day 1 in Houston

Once I landed, I headed over to The Parking Spot to pick up the 2016 Mazda3 that DriveShop left for me to drive during my stay in Houston. I loved the blue reflex mica color, and black leather interior. This car was the perfect size for 3-4 adults, 2 adults with 2 kids, or 1-2 adults. The trunk was pretty spacious; I definitely could’ve fit a few more suitcases in there.

Since I was heading straight from the airport to the hotel, I had to make moves quickly. Fortunately, there was a dashboard display screen with satellite radio and navigation built right in. I plugged in the hotel address, found a hip-hop radio station, and got on the road.

As soon as I arrived at the JW Marriott hotel, located in the Galleria area (so I’m told), I had to head right into the conference center and get to work. It’s always a great time representing EDEN BodyWorks, and getting to meet people who are a part of the Naturally Glam Fam. The expo wasn’t super busy, so I really got a chance to chat with people, which I love.

Once the expo was over, we packed up everything to ship back to the warehouse, and the staff was so kind to make sure it got shipped out. Then I was able to get checked in and go to my room. Let me take a moment to just say how amazing helpful and accommodating the staff at the JW Marriott is. Everyone I came across during my staff went above and beyond to assist us.

And can we talk about this melon water in the lobby? They seriously should bottle and sell this. So delicious and refreshing.

I received a complimentary upgrade on my room, and when I finally got inside, I fell in love. The room was fairly spacious, and the king sized bed was uber comfy. I also loved that the room had a huge bathroom, and two windows. There was also a nice sofa, and a desk area in the room. If I’m ever in Houston again, I’d stay at this hotel.

My homegirl Shanon was working the same event, so we decided to head out to get some Texas BBQ and hit a bar or two. Goode Company BBQ was recommended to use by several people, so we scooted over in the Mazda3. The Mazda3 definitely lives up to its sporty look, and had some get up and go on the interstate.

We got to Goode, grabbed some ribs and beef brisket and a couple of Coronas, and sat outside with the locals. Without anything to compare it to, I have to say Goode Company BBQ was really tasty. The brisket was very tender, the ribs were seasoned really well, and their house BBQ sauce was great as well. We ended up skipping the bar idea, and headed back to the hotel. I slept like a baby.

Day 2 in Houston

As my body is trained to do at this point, against my will, I was up at 5:15am the next day. I knew I wanted to head to the gym early before it got too crowded, but I wanted to take a moment to just watch the sun rise. I had a great view from one of the windows in my room.

Then I headed down to the gym to workout. The gym and pool area at the JW Marriott is epic. There were a couple of areas to do floor work, one large weight room, and 2-3 areas with cardio machines that had window views of the city. The gentleman that was assigned to the area not only applauded Shanon and I for getting our workout on, but he also bought us water and towels, and even showed Shanon an arm workout routine to do. See what I mean – the staff really go above and beyond to help.

After our workout, we got freshened up and headed out for brunch with our new found friend Myzha. We decided to try out The Breakfast Klub, another highly recommended spot in Houston for breakfast. Myzha has only been living in Houston for a year, so she had not been yet, so we were all excited to try it out.

Just as the reviews stated, there was a line outside. But in about 20 minutes, we were inside placing our orders. Before we could find a table, our food was coming out pipping hot and smelling divine.

Myzha and I ordered the fish and grits, and Shanon got wings and waffles. I’m not normally a fan of catfish, but this was seasoned and fried to perfection. Shanon let us taste her chicken and waffles, and I have to say both were equally on point. We ate, talked, laughed, made friends at the table next to us, and then headed out to do some mural hunting.

Shanon found a website that featured tons of dope graffiti and murals around Houston, so we hopped in the Mazda3 to see how many we could find before I had to head back to the airport.

We all fit in pretty comfortably, got the air conditioning flowing, and plugged in the locations in the navigation system. Here are some of the amazing street art we found. There was such a variety – it was a style or lifestyle blogger’s dream!

I wish we could’ve seen more, but it was time for me to head on to the airport. Overall, I had an amazing time in Houston. I can’t wait to go back again and explore more of what this city has to offer. It was bittersweet to leave that 2016 Mazda3 behind at the airport but I enjoyed her as long as I could.

Have you been to Houston recently? Or do you live there? What’s the one thing I missed that is a must-see the next time I’m in town? I’d love to hear about it.