Things to Do in Friendswood

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.

Since its inaugural meeting more than 60 years ago, the League City Lions Club has upheld its mission of promoting peace and understanding with volunteer community services. Special events such as carnivals, music festivals, and cook-offs allow the Lions to raise money and resources for local charities such as Leader Dogs for the Blind, Perry YMCA, and the Butler Longhorn Museum. Like the superathlete who singlehandedly powers America's electrical generators, the Lions happily accept volunteers, ever increasing their group of supporters who desire to better their community.

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.

David Bullard, Davis Graham, and Gary Stahlhebar manage Texas Dive Center's new facilities with an eye toward equipping divers with everything they need, whether it's education or equipment. The team teaches PADI introductory and certification courses to get the uninitiated diving, and they provide DAN classes to educate rescue divers and equip recreational divers with the skills to keep themselves safe underwater.

In addition to educational classes held in their onsite pool or on open-water excursions, Texas Dive Center joins the ranks of fewer than 50 U.S. dive shops to earn the title of ScubaPro Platinum dealer. They sell top-of-the-line ScubaPro equipment, held to the manufacturer's very stringent standards in terms of stock quality and regular maintenance such as cleaning, functionality checks, and nightly tucks in.

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.