My goal with this Houston Highlights series is to shine some light on the best that Houston has to offer, in the hopes of showing what a great destination it can be for travelers.

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I was thrilled to see so many people, both Houstonians (Houstonites?) and non-residents, responding positively and with enthusiasm to my first Houston Highlights post.

This first post focused on what is–in my opinion–one of Houston’s most unique and unexpected sites, so I know that the rest of this series has a lot to live up to. Luckily, there really are so many other cool activities and attractions I can’t wait to share with my readers. All in due time!

This next Highlight isn’t quite as wild or “out there” as some of Houston’s other sites are, but it’s definitely quintessential Houston, and it’s worth checking out if you’re ever in town.

I’m talking, of course, about Buffalo Bayou Park.

Goin’ Down the Bayou*

_{*May or may not be a reference from The Princess and The Frog}

Simply referred to as “Buffalo Bayou” by many H-Town residents, the public park gets its name from the murky, slowly moving river that flows from the outskirts of town, through the Houston Shipping Channel and into the Gulf of Mexico.

While “beautiful” and “inspiring” are not terms you’d likely find someone using to describe this particular river, the Buffalo Bayou is deeply loved by Houston locals, and is an important part of the city’s history.

It passes through several of Houston’s parks, but thanks in part to the name, the Buffalo Bayou Park is the main green-space associated with the river.

Buffalo Bayou Park spans 160 acres, sporting plenty of green spaces and downtown skyline views. It’s quite an attractive urban park, filled with modern pedestrian bridges, massive sculptures and monuments designed by local artists, and grassy slopes stretching down to the river banks.

Explore by Water or Land

Outdoor enthusiasts flock to the park to canoe and kayak down the river, and joggers, walkers and cyclists can be found on the many paved trails and bridges looping across the park on even the most scorching summer days.

One of my personal favorite ways to explore the park is via bike. The best part is, you don’t even need to own a bike to try it!

Houston has a number of hourly bike rental stations scattered throughout popular spots in the city, such as in Midtown, Downtown, and in Buffalo Bayou Park.

I absolutely love this set-up, because renting a bike from one of these stations couldn’t be any easier!

The bikes are locked in at the station, and all you have to do to rent one is insert your credit or debit card into the machine, select the bike you want, you’re all set! Just make sure to return the bike within the rental time-frame you selected, or else you’ll be charged for each additional hour you go over your limit, even if you only miss the return time by a few minutes.

It’s completely hassle-free, and extremely affordable.

If you’d rather explore the park via the Bayou itself, canoe, kayak, and stand-up paddle-board rentals are available too.

Picnic Perfection

Derek and I visited the Bayou this past weekend, for a little afternoon Valentine’s Day picnic (and believe it or not, this was actually 100% his idea)!

In my opinion, Buffalo Bayou Park is one of Houston’s best picnic locations.

It’s scenic (I swear, even the swirling brown Bayou waters can look pretty…if you squint your eyes and tilt your head),  it’s great for people watching, and there are plenty of grassy patches that are just begging to be made into cozy picnic spots.

There was no shortage of couples who had the same idea for a V-Day picnic, but we ventured away from the crowded flat spaces and found an adorable little grassy patch right down by the water.

It was totally private and secluded, so we could talk, rest, and watch the clouds roll by overhead away from the other picnickers.

Between the view of Houston’s impressive skyline situated over the park’s horizon, the sound of the Bayou bubbling past, and the rare (for Houston) flawless weather, it was the perfect Sunday afternoon outing.

The grass in the park is soft and perfect for snoozing in the sun, and I love watching the pups being walked by their owners, the kayakers and joggers working up a sweat, and the ducks swimming along the banks of the Bayou looking for kind souls to throw them bits of bread.

In true Texas fashion, our picnic lunch was composed of 100% HEB-purchased goodies (if you’re not familiar with this much-loved Texas grocery chain, make it a point to visit while you’re in town. And if you’re interested, check out this super interesting Forbes article about why exactly Texans are so HEB obsessed).

We feasted on prosciutto and cheese sandwiches on baguettes, buttery Brie cheese on multi-grain crackers, fresh berries and kiwi slices, and pulpy fresh-squeezed raspberry lemonade.

At one point, as I was spreading a deliciously creamy glob of cheese onto a cracker, I looked up at Derek and recognized a mischievous look on his face. I raised an eyebrow, and his face broke into a full grin as he said slyly, ” Babe…will you Brie my Valentine?”

Naturally, I snapped this picture to immortalize his shame:

All in all, Buffalo Bayou Park is definitely worth squeezing in to a weekend visit to Houston, especially if the weather is nice.

Whether you come to picnic, exercise, sight-see, or simply escape the urban sprawl, it’s a great way to spend a few hours and get a feel for Houston’s vibe.

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In addition to Buffalo Bayou, Houston is home to an abundance of public parks such as Hermann Park, Memorial Park, Discovery Green, and others. In fact, the Trust for Public Land indicated that of the nation’s 10 most populous cities, none had more total park space than Houston with 56,405 acres. Who knew?!