Our Purpose and How It All Started

Several years ago, with a strong desire to find great places to eat in Houston and fun places to go on weekends, coupled with a lack of reliable information on restaurants and attractions, we began discovering a great deal of excellent eateries and fun things to do. Then, after hearing our friends often lament "There's nothing to do in Houston," or say "We go to the same few restaurants over and over so we don't risk getting a bad meal," we decided to transform the information that we had discovered into written form so that others could benefit too. With that, we started writing, and are now turning the invaluable information into maps, books, and monthly e-newsletters. We do some traveling, mostly within a 200 mile radius, and therefore decided to extend the scope of our newsletter' articles to include other places as well.

About the Newsletter

Our first e-newsletter was written in January 2007. Thereafter, each season, or four times a year, we publish a new one, available by e-mail by requesting a free subscription on our Home page. All of our previous articles go into the "Other Articles" section and we have set up an archive system that makes them easy to find.

Who We Are:

As editor of Fun, Food and Outdoor News I have a great job; Diana and Donny do all the work, and I simply make suggestions every now and then. But the best part is that I get to go with them to new restaurants and attractions that they have already

screened in order to give my opinion - lucky for me since I love to eat, and would starve if I had to cook for myself.

    Since the three of us are all restaurant and attraction critics, it is important that we remain anonymous when visiting these establishments. Knowing most people like to put a face to the articles, yet needing anonymity, we came up with the idea of using real photos of ourselves, but from a time that we looked quite different than we do today - childhood photos. This is a picture of me in the second grade.

My first map was the Galveston Fun Map, published in 2000. I have updated and republished it every year since then. I am developing a fun map of Houston, but since a ton of research is involved to produce a reliable, first-rate map, it will probably be 2010 before it will be

ready to market. I'm married to the editor so fortunately I can take my time and do a great job.

    I received my nursing license about 20 years ago, and so I write the health pieces in the newsletter, but I am no longer employed as a nurse. There are too many other fun things to do in life, such as map making, exploring new restaurants and fun places to tell you about, and wildlife rehabilitation.

    Unlike the other two kitchen-handicapped fellas that are part of this newsletter team, I am a fairly good cook and eating out has actually improved my cooking skills. I often try to replicate what I have eaten in a restaurant, and eventually I get it right. Here I am at age five.

Years ago I discovered that I absolutely loved to eat out when I discovered I couldn't cook. Seriously, dining out is truly an educational experience when you try as many places and cuisines as I do.

    I was born in northeast Texas and grew up eating my mother's and grandmother's southern cooking. I thought the only cuisine different from theirs was Mexican or Italian food. Having lived in Houston, I have come to realize that this truly is an international city with cuisines from all over the world.

    Welcome to our newsletter. The three of us will do our best to inform and inspire you to sample the best Houston (and the surrounding areas) has to offer.

    As my photo shows, I really was a Boy Scout, long ago.

Mission Statement

To write such interesting, helpful and accurate newsletters, and to produce the greatest maps and consumer-based booklets on the market, that the reader can't wait to tell their friends what they've discovered.