So you’ve become an Accidental Texan thanks to Toyota and Liberty Mutual

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via Katie Kimbrough, guest blogger (fellow Californian/Texan)

When I first moved to Plano, I thought it would only be for a year . . .  but work and boy had different plans for me.  As of lately, I’ve noticed lots of folks moving in from California and now with Liberty Mutual and Toyota settling into Plano, the Californians are coming.  You will love the cheap housing (or whats left of it) but don’t expect these ‘burbs to be like an episode of Fixer Upper.

It’s different here.  And every city, every place has its Pros and Cons.  You’ll see.

Pros:

• Cheap Housing
• Dirt cheap gas
• Lots of brand new shops and restaurants, modern and clean
• Surrounded by a million things to do
• Plenty of parking
• Every kind of restaurant you could ever imagine
• Amazing couture shopping to amazing thrift shopping.  A shopping mecca!
• Urban planned communities
• Portion sizes are huge (you’ll never go hungry)
• People are super friendly (at least to your face, lol)
• Every day there is a new business or amenity setting up shop
• You can still use your Von’s and Ralph’s coupon card here

 

Cons:

Disclaimer: Before reading this con list, these are generally speaking and has been my experience, it may not be yours  =)

• Its Open Carry here now
• Neighbors seem slightly blood thirsty when it comes to protecting their property
• The weather is super hot, super cold and very minimal in between San Diego type days (see cheap housing above)
• Lots of unhealthy eating and exercise habits (people look at me like I’m an alien when I say I’ve ridden my bike to the library)
• Boredom sets in soon after the excitement of a new move
• Crosswalks are ignored so walking and riding bikes are at your own risk
• Alleys keep neighbors very separated
• House prices are on the rise and if you rent (you’ll spend just as much as Cali if not more)
• Even though your neighbors might exhibit more racism than you’ve seen in Cali (I’ve heard countless racist statements from my neighborhood on a weekly basis, including the N word on multiple occasions), they all go to church.  You’ll fit in better if you attend church. Again, I hope this is not your experience.
• Everything you want to do costs money (unless you follow me here, I’ll show you all the free outdoorsy things to try out)
• Every time I listen to James Taylor I tear up a bit thinking of my Cali days and the quality of life I used to have

Ugh.  Now before you get depressed like I feel right now.  Go back to the “Pro” list and read #1.  Cheap housing.  You can buy a house here without losing your shirt. You can ramp up your savings account to include both a long term savings plan + a 12-month emergency fund.

Even though you’ve got some challenges ahead, I have to say, that I am SOOOOO EXCITED you are here. We need you here.  We need your Cali vibe.

 

Have you seen this article on Plano?  (just click the pic, if you are resilient, you will have a little chuckle)

 

As they say, “Bloom where you are planted”

I’m gonna bloom, so I made a list of the exact things I truly loved about California.  Perhaps you might appreciate this list too.

The things I miss most about Cali = healthy food, outdoorsy activities, yoga (good yoga), spas, wineries, dog parks, water sports, a little spirituality and a lot of whimsy. Oh, and the beach!  There was nothing better than catching waves at Moonlight Beach in Encinitas.

However, there are some gems that are California-esque and will help you survive your first year or two until you can acclimate a bit.  (for me, a 5-minute conversation with the cashier at Trader Joe’s about San Diego can make my entire week).

I have put together a “California List” to help you find those places that speak to your inner Californian – – first up . . . ..

 (click on bold/italicize words to follow the link)

Food:

I only featured a handful of restaurants but they all offer flavorful, unique and healthy options.  Sooooo good!

• My Fit Foods
• Zoe’s Kitchen
• Wholesome Grub

 

• ModMarket 
• Peet’s Coffee (yup, there is one inside of the Market Street in Allen)
• Roy’s Hawaiian (if you ever popped into the one in the La Jolla/UTC area, you’ll be happy to find it here in Plano)
• reFuel Smoothie & Juice Bar
• Mellow Mushroom

• Unrefined Bakery

• Smoke
• Hash House a Go Go (check out my GIVEAWAY here)

 

 

 

Markets:

You’ll have familiar markets like Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s (they arrived about 2 years ago) and Sprouts Market.  Bonus: if you chat with the cashier at Trader Joe’s you’ll prob find out that they are a fellow Californian.

• India Bazaar
• HMart or even Super HMart (it is Texas afterall)
• 

If you take a stroll around the Carrollton H Mart, you’ll find a plethora of amazing restaurants from Korean to Japanese to Chinese from BBQ to Bakeries like the much loved Mozart Bakery. If you explore a bit more, you’ll find an indoor golf range.  Super cool!  And, just across the street is the Japanese dollar store, Daiso

 

 

Yoga Studios:

Yoga Tree Plano or Rescue Yoga will be your best bets.

 

 

Spirituality:

If that’s your thing or you need to see what it looks like in North Texas, look no further than Center for Spiritual Living at the Shops of Legacy or this interesting Meetup group Listening to Spirit (the discussions are out of this world and a place where you can come and say anything without the fear of being judged)

Also, check out the Plano Meditation Center

And if you are up for a longer trip than take a longer adventure to East Dallas to the Hare Krishna center (best vegetarian food in town along with Cosmic Cafe)

 

 

Wineries:

Huge surprise to me, there is a North Texas WIne Trail . . sort of.  Its not quite the Napa, Sonoma or even Temecula experience.  Its ALMOST.  Everything in Texas, is “ALMOST”. And since we live here now, ALMOST is good enough.

In Collin County, some of my absolute favorites are here:

Mitas Hill (McKinney)

Eden Hill Vineyard (Celina)

Carmela Winery (Celina)

Wales Manor (McKinney)

San Martino Winery & Vineyards (Rockwall)

Collin Oaks (Princeton)

 

Read more about the Texas Wine Trails here

 

 

 

 

Outdoor adventures:

Consumption seems to be the way of life here = Stonebriar Mall is packed a gorgeous sunny Spring day but the parking lot at the park is not.  The silver lining –>  you can have the entire trail all to yourself.  Here are some to check out:

Texas Paddling Trail (this one is for you kayakers and SUP’ers)

Bob Woodruff Park Trails (the once home of the Plano Balloon Festival) – awesome playground, trails, dock, picnic pavillions, sand volleyball court and walking trails.

Oak Point Preserve Treetops Course – check out more deets here

Arbor Hills has a little bit of everything from mountain biking to hiking and awesome play areas for the kiddos

Brockdale Park in Lucas is a great escape to the country AND the trail is 26 miles long

Breckenridge Park – love this hidden bridge (seen below)

Rowlett Creek Preserve Mountain Biking Trails  – quite possibly my fave nearby trail for mountain biking.  If you choose to walk it instead of bike, please walk backwards in order to see the bikers coming your way.

Erwin Park Mountain Biking Trails – see more here

Plano Bike Trail 28 (this is a trail I take from Bob Woodruff to the Library then to Downtown Plano for some coffee)

The Preserve at Maxwell Creek in Murphy

And even more parks are on the way as the Los Rios Golf Course will be turned into a beautiful park for everyone in the coming 5 years. The City of Plano will be looking for input from their citizens on how to make this a fantastic park.  Stay tuned.

 

And . . . .

If you are a mountain biker, connect with DORBA to find out where all the trails are located and if they are open for the day.  Due to the rain we receive here, which is relatively much more than Cali, DORBA will close trails to keep the integrity of the bike trail.

Kayakers and Stand Up Paddle Boarders –> I recommend searching Meetup.com to find others with a passion for the water. However, you can pop into the Texas Paddling Trail anytime.  Once you paddle under the bridge to the right, you can tie up to a tree fort in the middle of the lake.  Kinda cool.

Rowers? You are going to be a bit SOL on this (unless you are willing to drive to Dallas); however, every May at White Rock Lake the Boathouse hosts an amazing Learn to Row Day.  They’ll be announcing it soon.  Go ahead and bookmark this site http://whiterockrowing.org/ 

Swimming Pool lovers will love the new Lazy River going in at the Frisco Rough Riders stadium, go here for the scoop

 

 

 

 

 

Dog Parks:

Being parents to a 10 month old Great Labradane is a lot of work.  Thankfully, Collin County has covered with a few dog parks for our boy Dutch to run like the wind.

His favorite parks . . .

Bonnie Wenk in McKinney.  Love, love, love the mulch covering the grounds here as it helps with rainy days and the water feature made specifically for your furbaby.  Oh my gosh!!!

Central Barkway this is underneath the 75 and George Bush.  From Plano Parkway, head south on the 75 service road, then get into the right lane.  Keep an eye out for the entrance that you’ll see in about 10 seconds.

 

 

Jack Carter Dog Park we love the walking trail on the perimeter of the park, perfect for us to practice running together, especially in the morning when no one is there. 

And, Allen has one too! Canine Commons is in the middle of all those shops off Stacy.  Look between Stacy Road and Home Goods, and there it is.

 

 

Now, if none of this is helping, maybe you just need to sweat it out at the Texas Spa Castle.  Its pretty amazing and there’s an awesome outdoor pool with a bar to drink away your sadness that you’ll never see a green flash again.

 

And of course, there’s always Austin just 3.5 hours away (click the pic to see the Austin road trip deets)

 

So now that you’ve become a Texan, WELCOME!  Make the most of it!

Come talk to me anytime over here on our FACEBOOK GROUP

 

 

 

P.S. Check out this popular road tripping article

 

 

 

P.P.S. Pin for later here

 

Collin County has a lot to offer!  Let’s all make the most of it and as I like to say Carpe Diem.