Prove To Me I'm a Moron for Thinking TX is Bad for Outdoor Rec (Houston: school, university)

[west_2_east]

Hi all,

I've been thinking about where I want to move and I really think Texas is the best option for me. I've lived in Austin for 1.5 months (I was staying with a friend while doing an internship) and I don't think I've liked any place more than I liked Texas. I'm not sure I want to move to Austin and am more thinking Houston because it's the energy capital of the US (world maybe?) and I'm interested in working within the O&G sector.

The only hang up I have is that I'm a huge outdoors person and enjoy all sorts of activities such as hiking, white-water rafting, skiing/snowboarding, etc. and I'm worried that my preconceived notions about Texas being stereotypically "flat, boring, and arid" is getting in the way of me eventually making that move.

Does anyone have examples of good places for outdoor rec, particularly near the Houston area, they can give me to prove to me that I'm ignorant and not capitalize on moving somewhere I would probably otherwise love?

Thanks in advance!

[joqua]

Originally Posted by west_2_east

Hi all,

...I'm a huge outdoors person and enjoy all sorts of activities such as hiking, white-water rafting, skiing/snowboarding, etc....
Does anyone have examples of good places for outdoor rec, particularly near the Houston area...

If you've been living in Austin for 1.5 months, surely you must have realized that not only are you looking at the wrong location in Texas, but you're in the wrong state! You need to be looking at somewhere in the Rockies for the kinds of outdoor sports you mention. You'll have to settle for totally different sporting venues than those requiring snow and steep terrain. The nearest skiing/snow boarding to Houston is where I live in New Mexico, and northward.

[west_2_east]

Originally Posted by joqua

If you've been living in Austin for 1.5 months, surely you must have realized that not only are you looking at the wrong location in Texas, but you're in the wrong state! You need to be looking at somewhere in the Rockies for the kinds of outdoor sports you mention. You'll have to settle for totally different sporting venues than those requiring snow and steep terrain. The nearest skiing/snow boarding to Houston is where I live in New Mexico, and northward.

To clarify, I haven't "lived" in Austin for a long time. I "lived" there the summer of my freshman year of school. Even then, it wasn't "living" per se. I was working with the university and didn't have a car, etc. to explore the state. The only part of Austin I even saw was 6th street and I know there's more to that city than this, excluding the other mega-metros in the state even.

I'm only slightly aware of the Texas topography. I know hill country is the place to be for the natural beauty and Houston isn't where that is. Also, and I didn't post this clearly enough, I don't need ALL of those activities. It's not practical for someone like me to go skiing all the time. Same with white-water rafting. If a state has access to those, then all the better, but it's not a must-have, particularly for the more cumbersome/expensive activities (skiing, rafting, boating, etc.). I do, however, like spending time in state parks, playing sports outdoors, etc. so I was checking on those aspects.

My impression, based again on stereotypes, is that there isn't much in the way of hiking, nature, etc. in Texas and I wanted to prove to myself that this is a misconception I have, particuarly given how large the state is in terms of land mass.

[lonestar2007]

Plenty of outdoor sport/activities in Texas, but just like Joqua said, you should already know white-water rafting, skiing/snowboarding isn't exactly common here.

[Westerntraveler]

you could also fish on bays on the coast near Houston or deep sea fishing or start hunting.Lots of hunting in Texas although the kind of stuff you like to do are not found typically here but you could hike at Enchanted Rock.The only truly arid part of Texas is the Trans-Pecos.

[lonestar2007]

There's plenty of state parks as well as corp of engineer parks with hiking trails. Google them. Rivers you can raft or tube down, lakes to boat, swim or fish in. If you look for outdoor sports or activities on the internet, you'll have lots to check out.

[bluescreen73]

I wouldn't say you're a moron. There are nice pockets in Texas. Overall, though, I wouldn't call Texas an outdoorsy state, especially not during the dog days of summer when it's either ungodly hot or humid depending on where you are. The Hill Country is nice, but when you've had the Rockies in your backyard it's a bit underwhelming.

[love roses]

I've lived in Denver and still find plenty to do in Texas. Trade the snow skis for water skis. Even in Houston you can get into sailing, kayaking, jet skiing, etc...Even mountain or street biking. I don't think you'll find white water rafting along the coast, but canoing and kayaking are gaining in popularity. I live North of Austin, and there are lots of outdoor activities too. Hiking, biking, almost any watersport, archery/shooting, motorcycling....The list goes on and on.

[dexter14]

Originally Posted by west_2_east

Hi all,

I've been thinking about where I want to move and I really think Texas is the best option for me. I've lived in Austin for 1.5 months (I was staying with a friend while doing an internship) and I don't think I've liked any place more than I liked Texas. I'm not sure I want to move to Austin and am more thinking Houston because it's the energy capital of the US (world maybe?) and I'm interested in working within the O&G sector.

The only hang up I have is that I'm a huge outdoors person and enjoy all sorts of activities such as hiking, white-water rafting, skiing/snowboarding, etc. and I'm worried that my preconceived notions about Texas being stereotypically "flat, boring, and arid" is getting in the way of me eventually making that move.

Does anyone have examples of good places for outdoor rec, particularly near the Houston area, they can give me to prove to me that I'm ignorant and not capitalize on moving somewhere I would probably otherwise love?

Thanks in advance!

You can do all that in southern California plus surfing too and in much nicer weather. It comes at a price though.

[TexasTallest]

there are places around Houston you can wakeboard. not quite the same as snowboarding, but ive found that its a great alternative during the summer time.

and tons of hiking/biking in Texas. as someone mentioned, Enchanted Rock is a great place (second largest rock in the world.. like an hour west of San Antonio). but if you are looking for something a little closer to Houston, Memorial Park has plenty of trails through the 1,000+ acre park, right in the city. the terrain is surprisingly diverse through there too. great for hiking or biking away from the hustle and bustle of city life. if you dont mind being immersed with the urban city though, most of the bayous through Houston have hiking/biking trails along both sides and connecting into other city trail systems. there are also a few very large parks on the west side of Houston like George Bush Park and Eldridge Park with trails and what not. there is somewhere near there thats great for biking on some dirt trails, though i cant remember it. maybe around Terry Hershey Park?

and as someone mentioned, you can pick up fishing. kayaking/boating/sailing on the numerous bodies of water. surfing is also an option even though the beaches arent super awesome.