Please suggest some sites I can travel to within 2 to 2 and 1/2 hours of Houston.?

Question

I've just moved to Houston. This spring and summer I would like to see some of the great things about Texas within 2 to 2 1/2 hours of here. I know about the blue bonnets. I love plants, nature, art, and great views to paint.Thank you.

Answer 1

If you go NW on 290 this spring, not only will you see all the Texas wildflowers in bloom, there is also very cute and quaint towns along the way. There is the old town of Chappell Hill (home to a great sausage factory!). There usually is a BirdFest in April. The town of Brenham is really neat. Not only is it home to the Blue Bell Creameries, the town center is so much fun to walk around. There are some neat antique shops in town as well.
If you go N on I-45 there is a town called Old Town Spring. It is a neat place will all sorts of shops and things to do. I usually see people set up with easels painting in the area. There are also some cute little art shops in the area. There are also a lot of antique shops as well.
In the areas of Seabrook and Kemah, there are some neat places to go and enjoy beautiful views of the water. There are also alot of cute little stores and antique shops.
Galveston has some spectacular views as well. Nothing beats watching a sunrise or sunset over the water. There are a ton of cute stores on the Strand.
League City has cute little parks that are full of beautiful flowers and gazebos. Many people go there to paint or take photographs.
There is the George Ranch. The ranch takes you through about 100 years or so of ranching history. It is fun and it truely is a working farm, so there is a chance to get some really awesome photographs that could turn into an awesome painting. The ranch is just outside of the Richmond area.
There are several state parks in the general area:
Brazos Bend SP (Just outside of Rosharon)
Bryan Beach SP (Just outside of Freeport)
San Jacinto SP (Just outside of Deer Park)
Huntsville SP
Washington-on-the-Brazos SP
There are also too many area parks to list, but there are signs for them all over the place. Here are a few that I enjoy: Armand Bayou Park, Memorial Park, George Bush Park, and Katy Park (also known as Mary Jo Peckham Park).
There is a book called DayTrips from Houston. It can help you figure out where to go for whatever interests you at that moment. (Mileage and approx. drive times are included!) We bought the book for my in-laws when they came for a visit this summer. They had a blast. They saw more than they had hoped by using the book.

Answer 2

Two and a half hours?

See Galveston and its Strand district, which is a grouping of 1890s era buildings mostly converted to shopping. Very picturesque.
Got just outside Navasota to Washington-on-the-Brazos, the first capitol of the Republic of Texas.
Go to San Felipe (the town, not the street) and see Stephen F. Austin's original settlement and land grant.
Go just south of Huntsville and visit the enormous statue of Sam Houston. It is right along I-45 north.
Go to Brenham and visit the Bluebell Creamery (caution, there isn't a whole lot else to do in Brenham, so you might also go antiquing in Hempstead.
Go to Montgomery and see its historical district (and you can go antiquing there too... my wife is from there).
Visit the George Ranch, down in the Brazos Bend area. It is a working ranch that has been around since the 1830s, and has a history of ranching in Texas.

Everything I have listed is less than an hour and a half from any part of Houston.

Come to think of it, Austin is 2-1/2 hours away and it is the state capitol.

EDIT: I'm getting DOWNCHECKS here? (Baffling)

Answer 3

There are a lot of really neat places to go. Really too many to list, but there is a really good book that we bought (eventhough we have lived here forever because it is easy to just stick with what you know) It is called Day Trips from Houston and it has all the little towns and things within about 2 hours, what they have to do there, and recommended places to eat. We have to go to Livingston (N on 59) this weekend for something in the morning, but after about that area in the book we are going to the Alabama Coushotta Indian Reservation and a few other places, and plan to go back in June to the blueberry farms. I think it might be a value for you. Here is a barnes and noble link for it. http://search.barnesandnoble.com/booksearch/isbnInquiry.asp?z=y&EAN=9780762738670&itm=1

Have fun!!

Answer 4

Armand Bayou Nature Center in Clear Lake City
Mercer Arboretum inside the loop.
Houston Zoological Gardens near Downtown
Waterwall near Galleria
Galveston and its historic district and San Louis Pass

Answer 5

The Texas Hill Country between Austin and San Antonio is beautiful and full of interesting places to visit (no matter what your preferences are).

It'll take you between 2 1/2 and 3 hours to reach the area.

Answer 6

try river walk in san antonio or 6th street in austin or go to galveston beach by the way i just moved from nc about 6 months ago and i am 25 email me if you are over 18 wadenc2bkk@yahoo have fun and good luck

Answer 7

This is a little more than your time frame,but it's worth it.
Take 290 west to the hwy 6 exit northbound and go to 105 west.Go to FM 390 (Scenic route designation).Turn right on 390 and enjoy!
You should purchase a copy of "The Roads of Texas" I think Barnes and Noble has it.

Answer 8

The Chamber of Commerce should hire all 3 of you guys. That is a compliment by the way.

Answer 9

Traveling in Houston just the round the city takes so long almost every single day. The traffic is so bad and most the time you bring your time sitting in the car.

Answer 10

GALVESTON ISLAND.