I often meet people from out of town when I’m out and about downtown.  They are here for the weekend, and they are typically staying downtown.  They want to know what they should do for the weekend and I generally give them suggestions which are either downtown or close by like the Museum District.  

If they are only here for the weekend, I don’t want them spending their time in traffic driving from here to there.  My suggestions are typically in walking distance (downtown), within a short ride share or accessible by public transportation.

This conversation came about a few times recently with visiting fans during the weekend of the College Football playoffs and the first round home game playoff for the Texans.  It’s also a common conversation during the Astros baseball season with visiting fans.

I have put these into two different posts – one for favorable weather and one for not so favorable weather because that impacts the suggestions considerably.

Let’s start with the favorable weather scenario.

Downtown

Discovery Green Park (https://www.discoverygreen.com/) – we like to go to the Phoenicia right across the street (https://phoeniciafoods.com/locations/downtown-market/) and get some of their ready-made foods (i.e., salads) and have a picnic at the park.

Side note – inside the Phoenicia is a restaurant that is a good place for weekend brunch.  It’s called The Market Bar or MKT bar.

Market Square Park – check their website for special events (https://downtownhouston.org/go/market-square-park).  Separate post for Market Square Park (https://htownnative.com/i-just-arrived-now-what/).

Buffalo Bayou Park – good place for a walk on a nice day.  Start at the Sabine bridge and head west (https://buffalobayou.org/location/buffalo-bayou-park/).   There are several options for crossing the bayou and heading back to where you started.

The Cistern at Buffalo Bayou Park (https://buffalobayou.org/location/the-cistern/).  Check their calendar for special events.   Right above the Cistern is a covered area with great views of downtown.

Downtown Murals – check out (https://houstonmuralmap.com).  

Lynn Wyatt Square For the Performing Arts (https://www.posthtx.com) 

Just west of downtown about 4 miles 

Memorial Park (my all favorite Houston spot) – great place for a walk, jog, picnic or just to chill out (https://www.memorialparkconservancy.org/).  Be sure to check out the East Glades.

Hermann Park Area – South of downtown about 5 miles – accessible by the red line light rail

Hermann Park (https://www.hermannpark.org/points-of-interest/) 

Hermann Park Japanese Gardens (https://www.hermannpark.org/poi/24/) 

The Houston Zoo (https://www.houstonzoo.org/) 

Rice University Campus (https://www.rice.edu/campus-maps)

East End (EaDo) – about 3 miles east of downtown

East River 9 Golf Course and Restaurant (https://eastriver9.com/) – don’t need to play the course to enjoy this.  The restaurant has a backdrop of the downtown skyline.  Very nice.

This is a good list to start with.  I’ll add to it as I go.