Friendswood, TX Outdoor Activities

Becoming a stock car racer requires commitment and hard work, but at MSR Houston, all you have to do to ride in a stock car is open its door. Alternatively, visitors can hop aboard 9 HP Honda go-karts, rounding the 0.7-mile karting track’s 17 turns and zooming down its quarter-mile straightaway at top speeds of more than 45 mph. These drives follow a precedent set by professionals; the 383-acre center is a sanctioned test site for the Izod Indy Car Series, Firestone Indy Lights, and Formula 2000, among many others.

The Pearland Town Center Mall morphs into a communitywide celebration of food, arts, and entertainment during Pear Fair 2012. Kicking off the festivities at noon, a summer fashion show sends models strutting down the catwalk sporting warm-weather wares. At 2 p.m., Pearland Idol finalists attempt to win over the hearts of ears by belting out tunes, and at 6 p.m., Modulation Band seizes the spotlight with a lively mix of jazz and blues as audience members try to capture their favorite notes in empty soda bottles. An eclectic spread of refreshments keeps toes tappin' throughout the festival, specifically from inside the Flavors of Pearland food garden, where tasty treats from more than 40 vendors dance across tongues and reduce conversations to a chorus of "yum”s.

Spread across 5 acres of indoor and outdoor facilities, Pitch Putt & Play summons friendly competition with miniature golf, batting cages, arcade games, and a host of other all-ages attractions. During the summer months, a bumper-boat pond equips pintsize sea captains with their own water-cannoned battleship, and other outdoor attractions, such as the water-balloon launcher, keep visitors cool. Indoors, the concession stand refuels guests with fresh-baked pizzas and snacks, and arcade machines eat their own pizzas in the form of metal tokens.

The boom swings lugubriously, its shadow slicing across the sun-steeped white deck of the Alternate Latitude. Water chuckles against the double hulls of the Voyage 440 ship. In four cabins, air conditioners purr as the boat cuts towards the azure horizon, dwarfing the other catamarans on Galveston Bay.

During chartered sailing trips, Captain Steve—who holds a 50-ton United States Coast Guard Masters License—and his crew steer the vessel as passengers lounge on trampolines on the deck and sip drinks. The ship, which was built in South Africa, now makes occasional cruises to the Virgin Islands. Queen-sized berths in each cabin cradle passengers during overnight trips and after chamomile-tea-drinking contests.

Charged only by the moon, glowing costumes, and a desire to help local charities, participants in the Firefly Run take over their city streets for friendly 5K and 10K competition. During the race, runners cut through the cool night air decked out in incandescent gear, leaving little neon trails behind them like a gaggle of baby comets. Participants are encouraged to sign up in teams and coordinate outfits for the postrace costume contest, and DJs and LED dance troupes gather around the finish line to welcome them back from moonlit journeys.