Rodeo newbie…

I moved here about a year ago, want to attend the rodeo this year and have some questions. Keep in mind I come from a small town in Oregon sooo be gentle with my ignorance.

Parking: I live a little less than 2 miles from the NRG stadium. My options are walking (30ish mins), taking the bus (25 mins) (I've also never taken public transportation here), or driving and parking nearby… Could I park in one of the business parking lots nearby (think like Kroger on Kirby or the big one that has the dollar store on Main)? What do people find as the best option?

Tickets/entrance: There are literally too many things listed to do that it gives me a headache. If I just buy entrance, would that allow me to walk around, see what's up, find food and possibly ride some rides? Basically is paying for entrance alone enough to give you stuff to do or do I need to be expecting to pay more to gain access to any of the things I mentioned? Like, is there a separate entrance (and fee) for the rides? (yes, I know that rides themselves are separate expenses) I'm sorry, I'm really an idiot.

I'm not into watching any animal things or going to see a concert. I just want to walk around and chill and possibly avoid bigger crowds. Any suggestions on how to do that ("for dummies" edition) would be appreciated