There are many interesting places to visit while you are in Houston. Within a short drive from Houston, you can find:

The Texas Hill Country

• Colorful wildflowers including the Texas state flower, the Bluebonnet (Spring)
• Bluebell Ice Cream Factory in Brenham

Space Center Houston

• Visitor center for world-famous NASA (National Aeronautic and Space Administration)
• State-of-the-art educational and entertainment complex

Galveston (55 miles south of Houston)

• 32 miles of public beaches circling Galveston Island
• Moody Gardens
• Historical districts
• Texas Seaport Museum and Tall Ship Elissa

Armand Bayou Nature Center

• Largest urban wildlife and wilderness preserve in the US
• 25,000 acres of wetlands
• 360 species of animals and birds

The San Jacinto Battleground State Park

• 900-acre park situated 21 miles east of Houston
• Commemorations of the war between Texas and Mexico (1836)

Brazos Bend State Park (45-minute drive south)

• George Observatory (one of the largest telescopes in the nation open to the public on a regular basis)
• Wild alligators
• 6 lakes
• Bike trails
• Picnic areas
• Fishing

Huntsville State Park (90 miles north of Houston)

• Sam Houston statue
• 210-acre lake
• Boating
• Hiking trails
• Horseback riding
• Campgrounds