After a week on Galveston Island, I returned to Houston to do a bit of exploring. I had originally intended on hitting a few restaurants and museums, then moving on to Louisiana; but after meeting a wine broker that was tied into the local scene, my trip took an interesting turn.

Giggle all that you want on this – I had a blast playing bingo on a Tuesday night with hundreds of other Houstonians. Believe it or not, I actually won a game and seemed to bring some good luck to the group I was with – several of us went home with cash in our pockets!

I also learned about a Mexican restaurant with an outdoor stage in a seedy part of town that has live music until the wee hours of the morning. There I met some interesting characters, many of whom were there to participate in the drum circle. (from what I heard, if you bring a drum, you get in for free).

Getting to mix with the locals in Houston was awesome – so much that I wound up staying another week to see what other oddities I could uncover.

click to expand photos below: 1: Bingo in Houston 2: A Funky Mexican Restaurant 3: Drummers Gather 4: Kate, the wine broker