The paper backpacker

– a gloomy sweet day ~ Dec 2023

Today was appropriately December. Already the city seemed to be painted in grays and blues but remove the usual heat and the cool winter aesthetic really sets in. I invited a friend out on a whim to explore with me. A product of a wine night and a sad girl FaceTime.

The day began normally enough. Thick black eyeliner and getting my tires checked. We started our day by heading to The Contemporary Arts Museum. It had been many many years since I’d visited. It was a quick trip as it was then. But this little place always has something cool going on.

The draw today was from an artist I discovered in the art museum in Corpus Christi – JooYoung Choi (IG: @jooyoungchoiwow). Her work was happy and fun. Seeing her work itself would always be worth the trip. The accompanying artists were awesome too. Def checking out if you’re in the area. Admission is free.

Afterward we were in an artsy mood. So we stopped by the Cullen Sculpture Garden right down the street. It had been years since I’ve been here too. They’ve added more over the recent years and it looks urban serene. I love the long bean sculpture they added by the same artist who created the one in Chicago. We climbed up to the rooftop and looked over the city. It was a gray gloomy day and the views were such a vibe. 

The art continued from there. My friend mentioned something called Project row houses. She is big into community art and had found it researching. A short drive later we found a little row of blue and white matching houses. They appeared locked but after a few minutes in the car debating whether we should go in, we tried a house.

And wow, inside was just an empty home filled with art. It is such a cool concept. I loved the fun house aspect of it. Just opening doors and not knowing what’s inside. The art was unique and felt meaningful. I had never been to an art installation quite like it too. It felt intrusive as walking into someone’s home but private in the best way. Private enough to sit with the art.

Since we were exploring, we thought something unique would be fitting for dinner. I always have Google Maps filled with pins and bookmarked places so I picked one from the list. The choice was The Hobbit’s Cafe which apparently had been around close to about 50 years.

I regretfully did not take any photos. Well actually, except for this one …

Yeah, this photo brings me all the emotions. My friend tried the black bean burger and I, of course, had the Smeagol shrimp enchiladas. If you’re wondering what it tasted like, just imagine LOTR tex-mex. A little strange but still Texas.

Lastly and since we’re both readers, we visited Brazos Bookstore nearby. For a local book store, it felt very polished. They had a pretty good selection. The staff descriptions and recommendations were all over the shelves and were actually super helpful. 

That’s where our day ended. It came to a natural stop. We’d seen enough and with the darkening sky, we decided to head out. But we did both agree to return to check out the antique shops and other bookstores in the area.

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