Richmond, TX Outdoor Activities

If your Monday morning already has you waiting for the weekend, today's Groupon will make the anticipation taste better with a drizzle of hot sauce and hope. Today's Groupon makes your weekend plans sizzle with two tickets to the upcoming weekend of hot live music and hotter hot sauce at the ninth annual Houston Hot Sauce Festival. For just $5, you and a friend get a full day (Saturday, September 19, 11 a.m.–6 p.m., or Sunday, September 20, 12 p.m.–5 p.m.) of music, tastings, and shopping. Tickets are normally $5 each, so today's two-for-one deal gives you enough extra dough to buy your favorite salsa, wing sauce, peppers, and spices to bring home for private scorching consumption or to share with fellow tasters of the flame.

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.

A charter member of the MLS, the San Jose Earthquakes played their first four seasons as the Clash before claiming the MLS Cup in 2001 and 2003. Though the team moved to Houston in '05, the franchise was reinstated in '08, bringing professional soccer back to the Bay Area. Buck Shaw Stadium serves as the team's current home, though a new stadium will shoot skyward in 2014, complete with luxury suites for fans and exhausted referees alike.

Inside Texas Rock Gym, over 14,000 square feet of climbable surface wait to be gripped and clambered over by novice and expert climbers, who navigate routes that are regularly altered to keep things fresh. The gym’s mandatory orientation ensures that each visitor observes proper safety measures during their climb. Following orientation, climbers can strap themselves to a harness at one of more than 40 rope stations and begin top-rope climbing up lofty heights, while more advanced climbers lead trips up over complex courses or the stone faces of former presidents. Climbers can also skip the harnesses altogether and try their hand at bouldering across height-restricted surfaces, or head to one of the gym’s Tai Chi or Yoga classes.

The Katy Home & Garden Show—where expert contractor John DeSilvia, a familiar face on various DIY Network programs, will speak—inspires homeowners with access to dozens of home-improvement businesses. From fundamental services such as homebuilding and landscaping to design details including lighting, blinds, and curtains for garden-gnome homes, attendees can seek out the advice of a diverse panel of area professionals. Additional attractions include design seminars with Susan Fruit as well as a gift market and gourmet-food samples.

The Dairy Ashford Roller Rink hit the ground skating in 1974, and has sent visitors zipping across its 65'x180' wooden floor ever since. The family-owned facility uses a digital sound and light system to ramp up the revelry and lure in any hair-metal bands roaming the neighborhood. More than two-dozen strobe lights swirl over surfaces, and a library of more than 3,000 songs pumps through the speakers. Away from the rink, Dairy Ashford maintains a fully stocked snack bar, as well as a spacious and colorful dining area that hosts large groups for birthday parties, family reunions, and corporate gatherings.