Walk Along Buffalo Bayou

• The Buffalo Bayou is a small body of water that flows through downtown Houston. Alongside is Buffalo Bayou Park, a popular green space with many hiking and biking trails. Sam Houston Park contains a few full-scale examples of 19th-century prairie wood frame houses. The contrast is noteworthy next to the downtown skyline. The address for Buffalo Bayou Park is 18-3600 Allen Parkway and Memorial Drive. Sam Houston Park is at 1000 Bagby St.
  
  

Shop at the Galleria

• Many fashion-conscious shoppers travel a long way to visit this collection of upscale stores and boutiques. Fine restaurants and taverns are also located within the three -story structure. An ice rink is on the first floor, right in the middle. You can find the Galleria, the fourth-largest mall in the country, on the west side of the city at the junction of Westheimer Street and Post Oak Boulevard. The phone is (713) 622-0663.
  
  

Tour the Houston Grand Opera Building

• One of the top opera companies is located in downtown Houston. On the outside it is a plain brick building, but the interior is a nearly exact copy of the Vienna State Opera in Austria. As a result the balconies are quite high and the acoustics are superb. Take a tour or enjoy a live performance. You can find the Houston Grand Opera at 510 Preston St. The phone is (713) 546-0200.
  
  

Visit the Menil Collection

• The Menil Collection is located in the Arts District of Houston. The museum, a recent addition to the city's arts venues, showcases some of the best contemporary art and sculpture, as well as the most extensive collection of the works of Rene Magritte, in the world. This museum and endowment of artworks come courtesy of John and Dominique de Menil, the patrons who started the collection together during the heyday of the surrealists. The museum is located at 1515 Sul Ross St. and is free to the public. The phone is (713) 525-9400.
  
  

Check out the Orange Show

• The Orange Show Center for Visionary Art is Houston's version of the Watts Towers in Los Angeles. Walk through this combination house/folk art creation or enjoy one of the fun events the organization sponsors, such as a concert. The Orange Show is located at 2402 Munger St., near the Telephone Street exit on I-45. The phone is (713) 926-6368.