You guys gave me some great tips on sightseeing in Austin so I'm going to the well again. What's fun to do/see in Houston?

I’m not into sports, bars or crowds. I enjoy nature “stuff” and sightseeing. Any idea’s?

Thanks

Drive to Austin.

/ducks

Actually that is the plan. There are no direct flights for me into Austin so I'm thinking about driving to Austin instead of hanging out at the airport in Houston and then taking another 45 minute plane flight to Austin. Since it’s about a three hour drive (according to Google) I’d rather be driving than sitting at an airport.

It looks like there aren’t any good beaches in Houston, darn. I like the "big water."

I was last there 13 years ago, so I don't remember much. I always thought Memorial Park was pretty nice. I only ever biked through it so I don't recall what else is in there. The zoo has a white alligator, which I thought was interesting. Then of course there is Johnson Space Center at the south end, not much nature there though.

The space center sounds really interesting but I read some bad review. Basically saying it's a kid's amusement park. The command center would be nice to see.

On the fence about stopping here

I went to the Kennedy space center in Florida and I thought that was way cool. Walking through the shuttle they had on display was the highlight.

If you are doing the drive, the Bastrop state park might be worth a visit. The park did suffer major damage from the wildfires last year, but is still open and has some undamaged lost pines trees.

Thanks, I'll stop by. Looks like I'm also going through La Grange. Maybe I'll see why ZZ Top wrote a song about it.

If you want a beach, Galveston is only a one hour drive from Houston. It's even closer if you fly into Hobby and go from there.

I grew up in Houston and I loved living there- but it's just not a great place for sight seeing. I do like the Tex-Mex and BBQ, so there are some good restaurants I can recommend along those lines (though I haven't been there in a while).

As for La Grange, the reason they wrote the song is no longer there

In terms of nature stuff and sightseeing, Houston isn't really the place for you. Houston is really all about eating. The food here is spectacular. Tell me what you're into and I'll give you a list of restaurants as long as your arm.

Still, there some really interesting things to go see, but they're out of the way. One cool destination is Brazos Bend State Park, where you can see alligators hanging out all over the place. Lots of awesome wading birds. Very nice. If you like to see massive industry, you might be able to arrange a boat tour of the shipping channel. Photography is forbidden, but you can see lots of refineries and industrial stuff. To borrow a phrase from Jamie Zawinski, it's the grim meathook future.

I agree that Spacecenter Houston is pretty much a kid playground, not an adult destination. What you really want is to have a friend who works at NASA JSC to give you an inside tour.

Thanks! That stuff sounds right up my alley! Unfortunately I’m in Austin now and have to work. I will definitely do both those things if I come this away again. Big ships and big lizards, what’s not to like! Plus free on the boat tour. Like I always say – if it’s free it’s for me.

This trip was very short notice. I just found out last Wednesday (2/29) I had to come down.

What I did do was head down to Galveston and drove the beach to Freeport. And for part of it I actually did drive one the beach. I love beaches that allow car access. Fortunately I didn’t burry the car in sand to the frame like I did in Pismo beach . I was a little more careful this time.

In Galveston I stopped at a very cool old cemetery that looked right out of a horror move. I also drove by Bishop’s Palace that looked way cool from the outside. I was in a hurry to get to the beach so I didn’t take a tour.