So, It’s October … and it’s not even cold yet. Yep, I know. Welcome to Houston, Texas y’all! Since it’s still hot we might as well make the most of it. With a few weeks (at least) of warm temperatures left to go, here are some awesome ways to spend your time here in the Houston area!
1. Miller Outdoor Theatre
If you haven’t already visited this awesome outdoor theatre, then you should! And do it quickly, because they only have events on the calendar until the beginning of November. Plus, it’s always nice sitting outdoors when the weather is favorable. I swear it’s not some lame place with boring theatre shows. In fact, they often have really current and funny plays, among many other stellar performances. Not to mention the space is great too! The theatre is this big wood structure in Hermann Park. They have covered seating in the front, and then a big grassy hill that people bring blankets/lounge chairs to sit on. Plus, it’s totally free! Who doesn’t like free stuff to do close to campus?!
2. Hermann Park
Hermann Park is this huge beautiful green space super close to campus! Being in the park is a perfect warm weather activity, and there’s so much you can do there. They have many walking trails, a beautiful reflecting pool, and a Japanese garden. One of my favorite things to do there is rent a pedal boat and just putt around on the lake. Maybe a park sounds boring to you, and if so, I’m sorry. But hey, you can at least get a some good Instagram pictures! Visiting the park is an ideal sunny day activity, and a great way to spend one of your (few) days without homework.
3. Houston Zoo
Yeah, yeah, yeah, I know… This is technically in Hermann Park also. I’m sorry this isn’t more geographically diverse. However, the Houston Zoo gets its own section for one special reason: our mascot lives there! You’re probably thinking, “Okay, so there are cougars at the zoo, cool.”, but I’m being 100% serious when I tell you there is actually a cougar there named Shasta. It gets even better too! With a valid University of Houston ID, you can get into the Houston Zoo for free! So, there’s really no excuse to not going to visit our mascot, and all the other awesome animals, while there’s still great weather to do so.
4.Buffalo Bayou
The Bayou itself isn’t exactly cool, it’s just a swampy river-thing… but there are some cool things you can do on/beside it! At a place called Bayou City Adventures, you can rent kayaks to paddle down the Bayou. Naturally, this is only fun if it’s warm, so you better go quick! If you’re scared and/or don’t know what you’re doing, they also offer tours. This is a great way to see the city of Houston in a way you never have before! But if boats and water aren’t your thing, you can also rent bikes (or even take your own) and check out the many bike trails all along the Bayou and enjoy the beautiful weather.
5.Galveston Day Trip
If the weather is hot, there’s no better place to be than Galveston!(Well… that’s within reasonable driving distance anyway). Galveston may not have the world’s prettiest beaches, but it’s a beach nonetheless, and it’s perfect for a quick day trip from school. Do a little research before heading out to find out which beach you’re interested in going to and then hit the road! Oh, and don’t forget to stop at the Buc-ee’s… you’re not a real Texan if you don’t! If you don’t like sand and ocean salt, go to Galveston anyway and spend a day at Schlitterbahn.
So, don’t sit around waiting for real fall weather to come, enjoy the extra long summer you get here in Houston, and do some fun things before it’s too late!