Brenham, TX Outdoor Activities

Though you're free to take the machine on a pub crawl or bring your own under-21 drinks, alcoholic drinks are only allowed onboard for very specific routes. Check the FAQ page for drinking restrictions and other information. You can keep the afternoon clean and family oriented too, which is especially easy if you have multiple wives and enough children to fill all the seats. This centipedal device has the distinction of being one of only two activities perfect for both bachelorette parties and church outings, the other being barbecue wrestling. And since the cruiser never tops eight miles per hour, you'll be safe from accidents and, if not every chupacabra, at least the fat ones.

With hands gripped to the wheels of karts capable of cresting 45 miles per hour, up to 12 racers hum around the hairpin turns and straightaways of K1 Speed's indoor track during adrenaline-spiking sprints toward the podium. This brand of excitement can be found at all 15 locations, where racers eschew the fumes and inflammatory skywriting of gas kart exhaust for European, eco-friendly electric karts designed to instantly accelerate out of curves, which are bordered by safety barriers that absorb impacts. To keep everyone in the chase, dialed-down junior karts (available at select locations) safely carry tiny drivers between the height of 48" and 58".

Since its asphalt cooled in 1968, Texas World Speedway has hosted races big and small, gaining renown as “the world’s fastest speedway” in 1973 when Mario Andretti set his closed-course speed record there. The racing mecca continues to expand its repertoire with a performance driving school, which couples classroom learning with on-road experience, as well as through a work-drive program that lets young racers exchange a day of toil for everyday practice on the track. Frequent visitors can reap the rewards of the speedway‘s membership program, which grants holders access to benefits such as gear, discounts, exclusive events, and secret handshakes that produce motor oil.

With horrifying haunts designed to elicit new shrieks each year, House of Torment Haunted House keeps bones chilled well below room temperature. HauntWorld.com ranked House of Torment in its Top 13 Haunts in 2011, praising it as a "Dynamic and ultra-creative attraction" that is "widely considered to be one of the most innovated haunted houses in the country." Other rave reviewers include the Travel Channel and the Wall Street Journal, who call the haunted house, "20,000 square feet of terror." Though House of Torment's attractions change annually, its wall of shame exists as an immortal photo catalog of all those who have squealed in fright or received bunny ears on its premises.

Lady Bird Lake beckons with calm waters and wide-open views, welcoming visitors to leave the shore and all the stresses of dry land behind. Paddle Zen is there to help. Like a catapult aimed at a pile of pillows, it gives people the means to reach relaxation, with paddleboards located right at the water’s edge, guests can glide away across the lake's surface, navigating the waters or simply enjoying the calm. Additionally, Paddle Zen offers a variety of other classes at competitive prices such as yoga, Pilates, and fitness sessions on the water, letting students use their paddleboard as a mat throughout the class or workout.

For eight weekends in the fall, a troupe of performing fairies, knights, royal personas, and jugging fools set up camp on the 55-acre grounds of the Texas Renaissance Faire. For 38 years, the Festival has re-created the 16th century’s appealing combination of simplicity and grandeur with more than 200 daily performances of live music, acrobatic comedies, and jousting. Actors portraying different levels of society—such as the English court and the pirates—roam the lolling landscape in character while performing comedic and informative bits including “Sound and Fury,” a Shakespearean vaudeville. At noon the Grande Marche parade catapults performers from the Globe Stage for a stroll throughout the park as they advertise their acts in a high-toned procession.

On a less precise schedule, craftsmen concoct tangible marvels with skills of glassblowing and blacksmithing, while food purveyors wander the beaten paths or call from their booths, selling fare that ranges from sugar-coated nuts to roasted turkey legs. At close of day, fireworks light the sky to celebrate the festival's victory over time.