The holidays are coming up and if your shopping list looks anything like mine – you might want to find some bargains and quick! Houston Premium Outlets in Cypress, Texas, is the prefect holiday shopping destination, but traveling there also makes a nice weekend getaway. Why not add rest, relaxation and good food to your holiday shopping to-do list?

Seventh Heaven Ranch Resort Bed & Breakfast

On my trip out to Seventh Heaven Ranch Resort, I was a bit dubious about how relaxing the location would be because Cypress is a typical bustling Houston suburb, but once you get off Highway 290 and get closer to the resort you can feel the city sights and sounds getting further away. The Resort is located at the end of a long country road where you will pass horses roaming in fields and beautiful trees, which is exactly what you need after a long day of holiday shopping.

The Resort has a lot to offer with great views, spacious rooms, and a peaceful setting, but one of its greatest attractions is Maria Stefanakis, the Resort’s cook. Maria is like the Greek grandma you always wanted: she is friendly, a fixture in the kitchen and always making sure that you’ve had enough to eat. Lamb Gyros with tzatziki sauce, lemon herbed potatoes, baklava and Greek salad is a typical dinner menu at the Resort and it is all made from scratch and delicious. Breakfast is even better with the biggest, fluffiest pancakes you’ve ever seen – eating them is like biting into a fluffy piece of cake.

Cypress Station Grill

If Maria’s great resort cooking didn’t fill you up or you are looking for some typical fare, Cypress Station Grill should be on your list. The restaurant’s menu is extensive, so there is definitely something for everyone, including the kids. During my visit, I started out with their famous Queso and Chips and wasn’t disappointed – the blend of white cheese was creamy and delicious. I also tried the Coconut Shrimp and the newest addition to the menu, the Chorizo Burger. The Coconut Shrimp were large in size and battered with a nice amount of tasty coconut.  The Chorizo Burger is big enough to feed a small army, but the meat patty, chorizo and cheese are the perfect combination of savory flavors.

Don’t forget to order one of their large margaritas and dessert. The house made Ice Cream Delight is an ice-cream sandwich covered with even more ice-cream and toppings which makes it the perfect sweet end to any meal. The kids or train enthusiasts in your group will enjoy the inside of the restaurant which was designed to look like an old railway station, complete with wooden beams, railroad signs and historic photos.

Cypress Top Historic Park

If you are looking to walk off some of the meal you just ate at Cypress Station Grill, just take a short walk down the street to Cypress Top Historic Park and learn a bit about the rich history of Cypress. Tour an old general store, barber shop, service station, gristmill, dance hall and a one room house that will give you an idea of what life was like in Cypress decades ago. The park is open seven days a week from dawn until dusk and the museum is open on Tuesdays from 9am until 4pm. Tours are free and open to the public.

Cypress offers the perfect opportunity to not only get your holiday shopping done, but also to get in some much deserved rest and relaxation, as well as good food and fun.