[slowcamaro]

So im in Magnolia. My sister keeps asking me what I want to do while im here and I have no idea what the area even has to offer. Send me some ideas of things I should check out...cars...music...

[Manic Mechanic]

Ha, had to do it because it's basically true, we have a Reinessance Festival every November but that's about it. When I was a teen in the late 80's you had to make sure you had enough gas to last you the night before 8:50PM around here. Since then it's become the place for the folks with money to esape to the countryside and it's over 10x bigger population but just catching up with ammenities and social stuff. Well for anything interesting you'll have to go into nearby larger towns. As for cars there's the North American auto show (new stuff) that's currently in Houston at Reliant Park (Astrodome). This is a bit early for the Magnolia car show (cool stuff), it will be a couple more months. There are several weekend hang outs for the LS1tech crowd, look in the Texas section for the 2920 and 45 post, it's less than 20 miles and about 30 minutes away depending on where in Magnolia you are and the traffic. Check out a site called Htownracing.com and www.houstonperformancedriving.com for other open make meets in the area. Areas close to us that have meets, and interesting stuff include Conroe, The Woodlands, Spring, Cypress, and Willowbrook (N. Houston). These areas are somewhat safe, the further south you travel the more dangerous the people can be.

For music the closest, and it's good, is The Centhia Woods Mitchell Pavilian, pavilion.woodlandscenter.org, this is an outdoor concert theater and they have the biggest names in music playing shows all the time. This is in The Woodlands TX on the eastern border of the Magnolia area. It's a very upscale community and has everything money can buy. They don't cut down any trees so the whole town is invisible from it's roads. Take a good map or experienced guide with you or you will get lost for hours. The mall is next to the Pavillian. We go about twice a year for concerts. Look it up and see the current schedule. For other events in Houston look at www.livenation.com. There's a ton of live musice venues in Houston with many clubs that rock into the night. Use the newspaper's web site of the Houston Chronicle, it's www.chron.com. Goto the entertainment page and use the search engine there, it's good for finding a band to go see on the spur of a moment. Fitzgeralds on White Oak is a nice live music club I've gone to a few times and not had anyone mess with my cars. Get there early for a space though. Be very freaking careful were you park in downtown Houston. I came out of a club once to find the full parking lot I used across the street empty with all the cars in storage lots. Call a cab, pay that, pay the lot, go home 2 weeks before Christmas about $250 bucks lighter because the first jack off parked in front of the no parking you will be towed sign. The guys at the door don't say shit since you didn't pay for valet parking. I think there's still a small cafe in Old Town Spring that has live country music on Weds nights. The food is good and the place is built in an old train depot, it's as laid back as you can still feel comfortable eating in. It's named Puffabelly's.

There's many tourist attractions in the area that can be considered day or weekend trips. Such as going south on I-45 to Webster and seeing NASA (Space Center Houston), then onto Kema Board Walk for dinner. Galveston Island is just another 20-30 miles further south and makes a good weekend trip. Stuff on the island is numerous. Use the Chronicle site for stuff to see do there also. For a niteclub night you should look into Richmond Ave. in the Galleria area of Houston. Lots of nice cars, beautiful women, and bars. Bring a designated driver, the cops are thick and that's a long haul coming back home to Magnolia.

Tomball is the nearest place with lot's of restraunt and a few bars etc. It's 15 minutes due south on 249, watch the cops especially in the constuction area. I don't know what type of music you're into or your personallity but Molley's Pub on hwy 249 going less than a mile south of main (2920) is a good place to play pool, shoot darts, watch the games, and throw back some beers. That's where we watch the football games. Gary's Spot in Tomball is a little rougher but many times has rock bands and pool. There's a club on main in front of the post office named Deb-A-Roe's that's a country bar with pool. Another Tomball/Magnolia area attraction is a brand new, old style, drive-in movie theater. It's a cool thing to experience and relive the 50's-70's Americana. They have two screens and play two movies a night on each starting at dark. Very affordable and fun for everyone, lots of familys and couples. To reach it you'll have to get to 2920 going out to Waller TX. This is due W. of downtown Tomball for about 10+ miles (easyest route) or through the back roads of extreme SW Magnolia (bring a good map and flashlight or an experience old Magnolia guide). www.theshowboatdrivein.com is the site to see showings, make plans, and get directions etc. Sometimes there's cool musclecars there but nothing regular.

Good restruants (I tell about the local places not the chains) in Magnolia area include 7 Leguas on 1488 and 2978 for Mexican, I know the owners and they are some young brothers who run a damn nice place and the Margarita's and food are good. The blue iguana in Magnolia is good. For steak it's Pecos Grille in Tomball next to Autozone. Goodson's Cafe in Tomball is a good ol' fashioned cooking place that's been in Tomball for over 50 years and excellent. Seafood is ok at Kehma's (Key=ma's) in Magnolia (not the real Kehma TX that I mentioned earlier) but not so great, a great place with excellent Mexican Style seafood is in Pinehurst (about 10 minutes south towards Tomball) right across Hwy 249 from the Pinehurst post office, I forget the name as they're new but it has a small lighthouse in front and is painted white. The food is extravagant and so is the price but it's worth the money for a treat. The Magnolia Diner is a good spot for meals that come on a plate.

Lake Conroe is just to the north of us and there's a lot of boating and fishing going on up there. Many restuants in Montgomery (our side of the lake). There may be some car meets there from time to time but nothing major. Conroe has several car shows and swap meets at the county fair grounds during the year but I don't know of anthing right now.

My shop is on 1488 going towards I-45 (Conroe and The Woodlands) this is the "New" Magnolia as the city limits are at 1488 and 1774 (like the north end of 249). We are a general auto shop but if you need something done while you're here come over and see me. It's Gersitz & Son Auto at 5319 F.M. 1488, Magnolia. We're M-F 8-5 and in the book.

If you see a red 99 Firehawk t-top car around town that's most likey me or my GF, feel free to say hi to me but stay the hell away from her. LOL-joke, she's cool. I usuall am driving my 01 Chevy Silverado 2500HD. It's all blacked out with big bumpers and a SS style cowl hood with Vortec badges on the scoop. I run a 496 on E85 so if you aren't in a fast car you may not catch upto me. They are the only ones like themselfs in the area.

Right now the weather has been very miserable, it's usually not so bad. That means going to mostly indoor stuff.

I hope this helps you out, as you can see I type fast. You're lucky I saw this as I've been only an occasional lurker on this site and was looking here this morning with insomnia. I came back to finish and when I saw your post I was like, (WTH???) somebody saw me.

Vernon
ManicV6Mechanic@hotmail.com