Wanderlust World Wanderlust World The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center, Discovery Green, Hermann Park and The Heritage Society---an interactive museum that's part of the 10-acre Sam Houston Park are all located inside Houston.
Spend a quiet afternoon walking the five miles of trails in the 155-acre arboretum. This nature preserve, which welcomes dogs on leashes, is inside Interstate Loop 610 on the west. It includes three different habitats---pond, meadow and forest as well as a wildlife garden, a special area for butterflies and hummingbirds and a sensory garden that emphasizes plants to see and smell. Parking is limited but a satellite lot a quarter of a mile away is available. A paved sidewalk leads to the arboretum.
Discovery Green opened in 2008 and is a 12-acre downtown park in the shadow of the George R. Brown Convention Center and Minute Maid Park, home to the Houston Astros baseball team. Enjoy outdoor art exhibits, listen to live music, play on the playground and let Rover use the dog runs. Most of the year you also can rent remote-controlled sailboats at the model boat basin for $5 per half hour as of 2010; it becomes an ice rink from Thanksgiving until mid January. Cost to skate is $10 per session.
Ten of Houston's 17 museums charge no admission, and most others offer regular free admission times. Many are accessible using the Houston MetroRail system, but check with specific museums about parking availability and cost.
The Contemporary Arts Museum and Holocaust Museum are always free. The Buffalo Soldiers National Museum, the only U.S. museum dedicated to African-American soldiers, is free on Mondays. The Houston Museum of Natural Science is free every Tuesday after 2 p.m. and the Houston Zoo is free after 2 p.m. the first Tuesday of each month. Both are located in 445-acre Hermann Park. In this huge park you can stroll trails along Brays Bayou and in the Japanese Garden or play with your child on the handicap-accessible playground. On weekends rent a pedal boat to traverse the 8-acre lake. Boat rentals are $9 per 30-minute ride as of 2010 prices. The park also is home to Miller Outdoor Theatre where all performances---ranging from music and dance to children's theatre---are free and family friendly. A few museums offer limited dining options, or you can plan a picnic in Hermann Park.
After a free 90-minute boat tour---reservations needed 24 hours in advance---of the busy Houston Ship Channel, try one of Houston's best inexpensive restaurants. If it's just dessert you want, sample a slice of homemade pie at the family-owned Flying Saucer Pie Company. For authentic Mexican food, stop at Irma's Restaurant, open only during the week for breakfast and lunch.
Other top spots to eat for less than $10--minus drinks, tax and tip--per person, according to "Houston Dining on the Cheap" by Mike Riccetti, are Jasmine Asian Cuisine, 9938 Bellaire or Shawarma King.