12 Day Trips in Houston You Should Take

By Alice Ross | NORTH AMERICA

Mar 27
Day trips in Houston

The Southeast part of Texas is home to some of the most exciting and interesting places in the whole state. From historical attractions to natural wonders, there are a lot of things to explore. But aside from being a beautiful place itself, there are a lot of day trips in Houston you can add to your itinerary. Below is a list of day trip destinations you can take if you are planning to go to Houston but want to see more.

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Austin

austin

As the capital of Texas, Austin is well-connected to the other major cities in the state. By taking just a 2-hour drive from Houston, you can already have what Austin has to offer.
Famous for its unique and exotic music scene, there are many live music events to experience in this city. With its rich musical history, Austin offers a jumpstart for some of the most famous music artists in the world.

If you are visiting Texas to relax, then you may want to take a slower pace and rent a boat around the Lady Bird Lake in Zilker Park or swim at the Barton Spring Pool.

Dallas

As Texas’ most populated city, you can expect for Dallas to be a colorful and busy city. Home to 1.3 million people, Dallas is filled with many historical places and cultures events for everyone to enjoy.

dallas

If you are into museums, then go to The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. This place shares a wide-raging exhibit of the late John F. Kennedy’s presidency where you can learn what happened during his assassination. The Dallas Museum of Art exhibits artistic creations from past and today’s modern arts.

With artworks dating back 5,000 years, the Dallas Museum of Art carries some of the most impressive collections located in the south.

San Antonio

With a rich colonial history, San Antonio is one of state’s developing cities. This is where you can find Alamo, which is the 18th-Century Spanish mission building, which has been preserved for everyone to enjoy and know about what happened in the past.

The Alamo is the remnant of the1836’s bloody battle where Texas fought for their freedom from Mexico. On top of the historical features, you can go to San Antonio where you can also explore many modern culture and nature to enjoy. This includes the Natural Bridge Caverns, The San Antonio Riverwalk, and Six Flags Fiesta Texas.

San Antonio

Blessington Farms

Regardless of what the weather is and what time of the year you are planning to visit Blessington Farms, it’s one of the best day trips in Houston there are. You will have a chance to pick your own food, learn how to farm, and just discover the beauty of the farm itself.

If you’re visiting in the time of fall, you can pick your pumpkins and there’s a great range to choose from. On the other hand, if you are visiting in summer, you can pick up strawberries that you can eat there or even take home. So, if you are visiting with your family, especially if you are with kids, then going here can be a perfect day trip.

Galveston Island

Galveston Island

Undoubtedly the most popular beach holiday destination in Texas, Galveston Island, lays only 50-miles away from the downtown Houston. Galveston Island has a gorgeous and diverse history.

With 32-miles stretch of beach to explore, many historical attractions and dozens of antique shops await you when you decide to take a trip to Galveston Island. You can go back to the Victorian era where life was slower and a lot simpler. From Galveston Island, you can ride a boat going to the Gulf of Mexico to dolphins in their natural habitats.

Mustang Island

If you love the idea of experiencing the coastal scene for your Houston day trip, then check out the Mustang Island. Going here will surely make for an unforgettable and relaxing Houston trip. Spanning throughout miles and miles coast of Gulf of Mexico, Mustang Island is where you can find 400 different bird species along with the green sea turtles of the Atlantic, which are currently endangered.

Mustang Island

Because the island is a favorite nesting site for sea turtles, local officials encourage tourists to be as careful as possible in terms of using the beaches. Of course, bird watching is another popular activity on the island, the same goes for coastal trekking and swimming.

NASA Space Centre

If you are into science, then you surely would not want to miss this one. The NASA Space Centre is a very interesting place to visit. By going to the Starship Gallery Artifact Museum, you are able to actually touch a moon rock. If you are adventurous enough, you are able to experience how it feels like to be an astronaut by taking a ride in the lunar orbiter simulator.

NASA Space Centre

The displays have been made by NASA together with Disney and it’s pretty obvious. This type of interactive learning is very unique, which makes the NASA Space Centre a captivating and educational day trip from Houston for anyone of any age.

New Orleans

Located on Louisiana’s Mississippi River is New Orleans. Also known as ‘Big Easy’, this city is the country’s musical capital. This is for its country and blue music scene. No matter where you look, you will see bars, live music settings, and the like.
New Orleans is home to huge African and French communities as well. You’ll be welcomed with an welcoming and exciting city that has to be experienced.

New Orleans

Sabine National Forest

Located between the borders of Louisiana and East Texas is the Sabine National Forest. Generally woodland of pine, Sabine boasts with laid-back and scenic hiking trails that could be a perfect day trip in Houston.

If you like to experience a relaxing boat ride, that’s a great activity to do ay Toledo Bend Reservoir. On the other hand, if you want to stay longer in the area, you can camp at Sabine National Forest for a small fee. This is also a perfect place for a picnic or dinner.

Sabine National Forest

Sam Houston National Forest

As one of four national forests in the whole state of Texas, the Sam Houston National Forest is probably the most popular one. This place and situated only 50 miles away from the city center of Houston.

The most popular activity here is hiking and mountain biking. The Lone Star Hiking Trail is accessible any time of the year and is hardly overcrowded. As you go the trail, you will pass through rivers, creeks, and streams and swing through many different types of vegetation that makes the place relaxing and beautiful.

Sam Houston National Forest

Stark Museum of Art

For art and anthropology lovers, the Stark Museum of Art is a place you should visit if you’re going to be in Houston. This museum is home to one of the biggest collections of Western American art in the world. It means that there is a lifetime of knowledge kept within its walls.

The artworks revolve around dramatic landscapes, realistic portrayals of people and the amusing and diverse wildlife you can find in the Wild West. Along with Western American art, Stark also houses a great collection of Native American Indian artwork, costumes, manuscripts, and books.

Stark Museum of Art

USS Lexington

Also known as ‘Lady Lex’, the USS Lexington CV-2 has a big role in the US Navy from 1925 to 1942 when it sunk down during the Battle of the Coral Sea. The USS Lexington comes with a tour of real US Navy ships and educational exhibitions regarding the influence the US Navy had on the modern war. Taking this tour, you will enjoy exploring more than 11 ship decks of USS Lexington.

USS Lexington

Throughout the visit, you can try flying a plane through a flight simulator or even fly out a simulated battle station.

What listed above are only some of our favorite day trips in Houston. We are sure that there are more to discover! But hopefully, the information we shared above is enough for you to plan your upcoming trip in Texas. If you have other question regarding this topic, don’t hesitate to let us know. Make sure to help us out by sharing this article on your social media pages.

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About the Author

Hi, I’m Alice Ross, a long-term traveler who left the corporate world to travel the world. I chose to live life on my own phase and live day by day while immersing myself in new experiences, new knowledge, and new people in a different walk of life I met along the way.

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