check into country charm

Bucket-list country getaway serves up farm-to-table feasts and rustic romance just 2 hours from Houston

While visiting new cities is always fun, there is something to be said for sticking close to home and seeking out quiet spaces. Leaving the noise and fast pace of everyday life behind and settling in for a leisurely night or two away is sometimes exactly what is needed.

Ronin Farm & Restaurant provides an only-in-Texas feel with delicious food and wine offerings and beautiful details, including gorgeous thrifted tableware and ingenious floating tables. Diners can enjoy a wonderful meal at the restaurant — but why not make an event out of it by getting a tour of the farm and then falling into a comfy bed at night with a stay at Ronin's Guesthouse?

From getting a glimpse of a working Texas farm to tasting the best chicken fried steak and farm fresh produce, here are several reasons why a visit to Ronin Farm & Restaurant needs to be on any Texas trip bucket list.

Romantic Ronin

Less than two hours from Houston, Ronin Restaurant is tucked away in downtown Bryan. Owned by husband and wife team Amanda and Brian Light, the restaurant is housed in an old Ice House built in 1912. Details of the original century-old building are still visible throughout as the Lights worked hard to keep as much of the historic infrastructure intact as possible.

The menu at Ronin is seasonal and fueled by what is growing 15 minutes down the road in the fields at Ronin Farm. Tomatoes or squash picked that morning are likely on the menu that night. The Lights have made it their mission to create a farm-to-table atmosphere that goes beyond the buzzwords. What isn't grown on their land is sourced as close to Bryan as possible from other farmers, ranchers, and fishermen the Lights have worked with for years.

Guests can look forward to outstanding menu items, including Farmhouse Bread, Ronin Farm Tomato Salad, and Blistered Farm Shishito Peppers. The Texas Wagyu Chicken Fried Steak is an absolute must, as is the Gulf Coast Shrimp Pasta, made with house-made fettuccine, farm vegetables, and freshly caught shrimp. Each dish has a recommended pairing, but Ronin also offers a robust wine and cocktail list as well as sake and mead.

Ronin restaurant is located in a historic building that is more than a century old. Photo by Ryan Price

Farm-to-table, full-moon dinners

Full Moon Dinners on Ronin Farm started it all for the Lights. The couple initially bought the farm, converted an old barn into a commercial kitchen, and began hosting weddings, special events, and Full Moon Dinners.

While the Texas weather cooperates from fall through spring each year, guests can enjoy a nine-course dinner in the forest at Ronin Farm. Each full moon brings a new menu showcasing the month's harvest. Guests can begin the evening with a farm tour and end the night with a walk down a candle-lit path into the herb garden for dessert. Pairings from the restaurant are available for purchase, or guests are welcome to bring something that suits their taste. Full Moon Dinners at Ronin Farm are extremely popular, with diners driving in from all over to get a taste of the delicious farm-fresh menu. They sell out quickly, so those interested are encouraged to make a reservation when the dates are announced.

Guests can enjoy a 9 course tasting menu in the forest, complete with intermezzo and dessert. Photo by Ryan Price

A charming stay

After the heady feeling that only too many glasses of perfectly paired wine and a multi-course meal can bring, driving up the gravel road to Ronin Farm Guesthouse offers a close respite. Nestled on 15 acres, the guest house draws people in and exemplifies the Ronin way of life – it's quietly luxurious and comfortable with meticulous attention to detail.

Originally owned by Don Ganter of College Station's Dixie Chicken fame, the guesthouse is an excellent choice for friends on a wine weekend or couples seeking a weekend away from the city. There is abundant open space, a wraparound porch, and every extra amenity needed for a fantastic stay. During the spring months, wildflowers bloom across the property, and at night it is a great place to sit back and enjoy Texas' starry skies. Oh, and get ready to meet the cutest roaming farm dogs who never met a stranger and love a good back scratch.

The Ronin Guesthouse is located on 15 acres adjacent to Ronin Farm. Photo by Ryan Price

Ronin Farm & Restaurant longhorn skull on fence

Photo by Ryan Price

Ronin Farm's vision is to preserve the gastronomic and cultural traditions of Texas by sharing sustainable foods and genuine experiences with the community.

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Amusement Park Fun

Six Flags Over Texas launches new roller coaster with a 285-foot drop

Riders on Tormenta Rampaging Run at Six Flags Over Texas

Photo courtesy of Six Flags Over Texas

CultureMap took a ride on Tormenta before it opens to the public.

Six Flags Over Texas will officially open its anticipated new roller coaster, Tormenta Rampaging Run, on Thursday, July 9, and CultureMap and other media and VIPs were given early access to experience the ride's intense thrills before its public debut.

The new coaster boasts several records — as the tallest, fastest, longest, and first-ever giga (300+-foot-tall) dive coaster in the world, topping out at 309 feet just before it sends riders plunging into a beyond-vertical, 95-degree, 285-foot drop. We take you along for the ride in the following video:

Each car of the coaster features three rows of seats with eight seats per row, servicing 24 riders at a time. During the preview event, two cars were sent out in staggered sessions, but a third car sat close by to be used if needed.

The ride's rodeo theme is strong, with multiple posters advertising fictional rodeos and a metallic gate swinging open at the start to let the ~~bull~~ car pass through.

To paraphrase Ned Ryerson in Groundhog Day, the first part is a doozy, as riders are click-clacked up a steep stretch forcing them to look straight up into the sky.

The ever-so-brief pause at top affords a view of the surrounding city, the rest of Six Flags, and, in the distance, the downtown Dallas skyline. The angle feels like you're above those towering skyscrapers even though logic tells you that you aren't.

The initial plunge tests the mettle of even hardcore roller coaster fans, sending riders through the extreme drop before hurtling them into two large loops and a corkscrew before coming to another brief stop.

The 95-degree, 285-foot drop of Tormenta Rampaging Run. Photo courtesy of Six Flags Over Texas

That stop gives riders only a small reprieve before they're shot through two smaller loops and a sharp right curve before — mercifully — coming to a jolting halt as the coaster car is shuttled back into the loading station.

From start to finish, the ride lasts around 2 minutes and 45 seconds, but the first 75 seconds is spent just getting to the start of the main portion of the coaster.

All told, the drops, loops, and other elements lasts exactly one minute, which is not that long, but the time-to-thrill ratio is still high.

Misting fans and pergolas at Tormenta Rampaging Run at Six Flags Over Texas. Misting fans and pergolas will help keep riders cool while waiting in line for Tormenta.Photo by Alex Bentley

Even during the brutal heat of the Texas summer, visitors should expect lines to be long for the hot new ride. The corrals close to the ride have scattered pergolas and umbrellas for shade, as well as oscillating fans with misters. Once you reach the completely covered top platform, there are a number of ceiling fans, although they do little to stave off the high humidity.

Opinions will differ as to whether a long wait time for a short ride is worth it, but for those who get their kicks trying out the latest and greatest roller coasters, Tormenta Rampaging Run is a great new addition to the 65-year-old amusement park.

The grand opening for Tormenta is Thursday, July 9 at Six Flags Over Texas. The park is open daily through August 16.

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