Rodeo Houston 2013

If you haven’t experience Rodeo Houston, you haven’t fully experience what Texas has to offer.

Every year, my family marks our calendar for Houston’s biggest celebration, the Rodeo Houston and Livestock Show. It is way more than just a reason for us to wear our cowboy boots. It embodies the heart and passion of what in means to be a Texan. It also symbolizes the spirit and adventures of every cowboy and cowgirl all over America and its surrounding neighbors.

This year, there was an added fun that I haven’t seen from the previous Rodeo shows. On its first value Wednesday, a tribute to the heroes of our Army and their families was its main highlight. It was brilliant and inspiring.

At the entrance, several military machines were on display. My son being a fan of everything Army was having a wonderful time discovering the vehicles. I saw a lot of fathers and their sons checking out the vehicles and their gadgets. My wife was way more excited than me. Can’t blame her. It was our first and yes, we did see a lot of cool stuff.

My favorite was the fighter plane simulator by the U.S. Air Forces. We sat at the farthest row. As the simulator plane swayed from left to right, so did we. It was a lot of fun.

Next stop was Fun on the Farm. Here, kids learn that food doesn’t come from groceries although that is where we buy the finished products.

My son met a lot of fascinating farm animals. He saw several chickens.

He also saw a sheep. He discovered that sweaters that keep us warm are made of sheep’s wool. He was impressed how nature creates the most amazing things. So did I.

We got to exchange all the farm goods we collected on our trip for a coupon. This coupon allows us to choose one item at the grocery. My son chose cheese crackers which he happily ate outside the farm.

Fun is never complete without a pass at the carnival. There were lots of games and rides. I was almost tempted to try High Flyn. Good thing my common sense intervened.

Rodeo ain’t rodeo without those mouth-watering BBQ. My wife had baby back ribs and corn while I savored all the goodness of smoked beef brisket sandwich. Yummy!

After the Texan feast, we headed to the Livestock Show. Check out this giant boots hanging on the ceiling. It’s true, “Everything is big in Texas!”

This cow just had a shower and had his hair blow dried. A little comfort for the inconvenience of being inside a cramped stadium instead of its home in a real farm at the country.

One of the most beautiful creature I’d ever seen, the Texas Longhorn.

One of the most amazing spectacle of mother nature is seeing a chick hatch inside an egg. One chick is trying to break from the inside of its shell. To a child’s eye, it was the perfect, simple example of the miracle of life.

Fun ain’t over yet. Time for the adrenaline driven Rodeo Horse Show.

Cowboys and cowgirls compete and show what they’ve got. An exciting glimpse of what life is in the country as well as the rich, pure past of the Old West.

It was truly an inspiration to see women winning several of the competitions. The crowd gave a loud cheer as this young woman won first place.

A perfect ending to a perfect day was Alan Jackson’s unforgettable concert. One of the most moving part of his performance was when he sang the songs Livin’ On Love, Remember When and the emotional tribute to the victims and their families post 9/11 terrorist attack, Where Were You When the World Stopped Turning’ which he offered to the army heroes that night. The crowd was silent as the words sank deep into everyone’s hearts.

It feels great to be a part of the vibrant and exciting Texan neighborhood. To share its culture and traditions. To walk on its path laden with rich stories that inspires you and make you proud to be a Texan. No wonder my 7-year old exudes with pride and joy when he says, “I’m a Texan!”

Thanks for sharing your day with me. It’s officially Spring and I hope you enjoyed my official first entry for this season. Have fun, go out there and explore what the country has to offer. If you’re in Texas, it’s not too late to catch up on the last several days of the Rodeo Houston. If not, see you in Rodeo’s best in 2014.

Related articles

• Time to saddle up for RodeoHouston (newsfixnow.com)
• Style And Fashion Fridays: Grip That RodeoHouston Gear! (mix965houston.cbslocal.com)
• Wellness Wednesdays: It’s RodeoHouston Food, Fit, Fun Time! (mix965houston.cbslocal.com)
• Soldiers share military experience at Houston rodeo (dvidshub.net)
• Hats Rule at Rodeo Time in Houston (voanews.com)
• Style And Fashion Fridays: Grip That RodeoHouston Gear! (houston.cbslocal.com)
• Bruno Mars Slated to Headline the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on March 7 as CheapSeatsTickets.com announces Strategy on Added Savings towards all Rodeo Event Tickets (prweb.com)