Things to do while Social Distancing
In this time of a global pandemic I change my masks more then I change my clothes and staying home has become the only real past time. Going from planned outings every weekend to hoping you have to buy groceries just for a reason to get out of the house, I’m finally starting to get restless at home.
While still practicing social distancing, here are 3 fun ideas that you can do outside of the home. The activities do vary in price but I had a great time with the very few people that I hung out with. Let’s be smart with the people that we are around!
1. Surf Side Beach
The first get away was Surf Side Beach. It is completely free and was so much fun! Some friends of mine convinced me to take a trip with them to Surf Side Beach. That particular beach is about an hour away from me, but I love a good drive! When getting to Surf Side the first section of the beach does require a seasonal permit of $12 per car but if you keep driving down there are signs where the free beach starts.
I know beaches have been a touchy subject matter due to the spread of Covid-19 but what I loved about Surf Side was that we were able to find a spot and park our cars right next to the water. We left enough space between our parked cars to set up a canopy and our grill. No one got close and we got enough space to dance around and have a great time! Surf Side allows people to pull in RVs and camp on the beach for the night. On my birthday we even stayed really late and had a bonfires too.
2. Drive-In at Sawyer Yards
Houston has had drive-in movies for a while, but I had never actually gone to one and they were never on the top of my to-do list. Now that we are locked up and all movie theaters were closed, I jumped at the opportunity to go to the new Drive-In at Sawyer Yards. They show movies for all ages, from Disney to classics, 90s to 2000s. I’ve gone twice so far and saw Rocky Horror Picture Show the first time and Grease the second time. Singing my little heart out without a care in the world in the comfort of my car just brought all the nostalgia!! Tickets range from $28-$35 per vehicle, so the more people in your car the cheaper your tickets can get per person, technically…but remember to practice social distancing!
They had a food truck and snacks available for purchase but we just loaded the car before getting there to make the experience more affordable. We sat in the air conditioned car but some people sat in the back of their truck beds or popped their trunks with pillows in the back.
https://rooftopcinemaclub.com/houston/venue/the-drive-in-sawyer-yards/
3. Franklin Drive Thru Safari
OK! Going to this drive thru zoo was one of the coolest things I have done this whole quarantine! I’ve experienced a drive thru zoo about 5 years ago with my niece and cousin so i knew it would be fun, but the Franklin location blew the experience out of the park! I got there about an hour after they opened and glad that I did because when leaving there was a long line of cars waiting to get in.
Adult tickets for the drive thru were about $18 per person and we paid a bit extra for food to feed the animals thru the safari. While there we also visited the baby animal room, $20 per person extra and got to feed some cool animals. With all the add ons, we spent the most here, about $100 for 2 people, maybe a bit more.
You stay in your car for the main experience and drive on a trail following other cars. There are animals the whole way and they come right up to your car from the very beginning. The animals are so use to the cars they they come right up to the window and just stick their heads in. There were camels, different types of deer, goats, lamas, emus and even ZEBRAS!!
After the drive, we got out the car and experienced the baby room that had baby lemurs and monkeys. I heard from other people that had experienced the room that the trick to have the babies play with you was to buy cheerios from the gift shop that was meant for other animals on the property. I came in with a cup of plain Cheerios and one the babies noticed they hung around.
I also got to fed giraffes!! So cool seeing the giraffes up close and actually getting to pet them (if you’re quick enough). The trick for the giraffes is iceberg lettuce. You can buy a few leaves from their gift shop and its the only way they will get close to you.
There were other types of animals outside of the drive, the babies and the giraffes. They had kangaroos which were AWESOME to see up-close, along with a reptile house, petting zoo with baby goats and emus and larger monkeys and birds.
With everything slowly opening back up, I’m sure there are plenty of new things becoming available to do in Houston and surrounding areas but these were my 3 favorite! I hope everyone gets to experience them and if you do, let me know if you liked it!
