Houston-Laidback trip for a week

Houston

Consider Houston city pass

Sat June 26 2021

Houston space center (Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center)

Bayou Place in the evening

Sun, June 27:

Houston zoo

Mon Jun 28:

Museum of Natural Science

Downtown aquarium

Tue June 29:

Kemah Boardwalk

Children's museum

Wed June 30:

Beaumont: Gator Country, Botanical Gardens

Thu July 1:

Swamp & River Airboat Tours in Orange into swamps, salt marshes & bayous-alligators

Shangri-La gardens

Fri July 2:

Galveston: Ferry to Port Bolivar

Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum, Galveston

Sat July 3:

Galveston Moody Gardens

Sun July 4:

Big Thicket National Preserve, hike & boat/paddling on Neeches River, Village Creek

Mon July 5:

Caddo Lake

More ideas:

Schlitterbahn Water Park, Galveston

Hamilton Lake near Austin

Caves near Austin

References:

https://yathra.blogspot.com/2021/06/houston-tourist-attractions.html

https://yathra.blogspot.com/2021/06/galveston-tourism-attractions.html

https://vacationidea.com/things-to-do-near-me/best-natural-wonders.html

Houston tourist attractions

 Houston Museum District

• Museum of Natural Science
• Menil Collection & Rothko Chapel
• Children’s museum
• Themed gardens & viewing hill at Hermann Park
• Museum of Fine Arts

Houston

• Orange Show Center for Visionary Art
• Tranquility Park
• The Galleria
• Buffalo Bayou Park
• Round Top
• Caddo lake
• Texas state railroad

Big Thicket National Preserve

Neeches River & Village creek

Museum of the Gulf Coast, Port Arthur

Kemah Boardwalk

Houston Zoo

Downton Aquarium

Beaumont: Gator county, Botanical gardens

Swamp & River Tours in Orange into swamps, salt marshes & bayous-alligators

Texas Energy museum, Beaumont

Caddo Mounds State Historic Site

Caddo Lake State Park, Lake Sabine, Port Arthur

Freeman Plantation

Sam Rayburn House Museum, Bonham

Eisenhower Birthplace State Historic Site, Denison

Sour Lake, Beaumont

Spindletop Gladys City Boomtown Museum, Beaumont

John Jay French Museum

McFaddin-Ward House Museum

Edison Museum

Fire museum of Texas

Babe Didrikson Zaharias memorial

Sabine Pass Battleground State Historic Site

Sea Rim State Park-birdwatching

Pompeiian Villa

Rose Hill Manor

White Haven mansion

Rainbow Bridge, Orange

Stark Museum of Art, Orange

WH Stark House

Texas Forestry museum

Millard’s Crossing historic village

Stone Fort museum

East Texas Oil Museum

Rangerette Showcase

RG Le Tourneau Museum

Museum of Natural Science & nearby Children’s museum

NASA Space Center

Kemah Boardwalk

Houston Zoo

Downtown Aquarium

Big Thicket National Preserve

Texas State Railroad

San Jacinto Battleground historic site OR

Nacogdoches, East Texas

Galveston

Houston summer travel ideas

To beat the heat, we can get to mountains, water (ocean/river/lake) or caves. Easy White-water rafting, river tubing & kayaking are available in Smokies & other neighboring states.

Idea 1: Congaree National Park, Great Smoky Mountains, Mammoth Caves, Hot Springs

This trip hits Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina, Tennessee & Arkansas. Except Smoky & Mammoth, all other areas are super hot.

Idea 2: Colorado: Rockies, Black Canyon, Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, possibly Arches in UT.

Idea 3 (Aggressive): Badlands, Wind Cave, Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Rockies, Black Canyon

Idea 3.1 (less aggressive): Yellowstone, Grand Teton

Idea 4 (laidback): Houston: Houston space center (Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center), Houston natural history museum, Houston zoo, Bayou place in downtown San Jose, Waco National Monument, Beaumont Gator rides, Beaumont botanical garden, Louisiana Bayou boat rides, Galveston (Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig & Museum, Galveston Railroad Museum).

Idea 5: (Hot but water based): Biscayne, Everglades, Dry Tortugas in Florida. Snorkelling trip

Galveston tourism attractions

 

• Moody Gardens
• High Island, Bolivar Peninsular Audubon bird sanctuaries
• Ferry to Port Bolivar
• Galveston Island State Park
• Pleasure Pier
• Schlitterbahn Waterpark
• Texas Seaport Museum, Galveston
• Bishop’s Place, Galveston
• Moody Mansion, Galveston
• Anahuac National Wildlife REfuge, East Galveston
• Brazoria National Wildlife Refuge
• Brazos Bend State Park
• Four bird sanctuaries by Texas Audubon on High Island such as Smith Oaks sanctuary
• Strand Historic district
• Ocean Star Offshore Drilling Rig
• Grand 1894 Opera House
• Mardi Gras Museum
• Railroad Museum
• Rosenberg LIbrary
• Lone Star Flight Museum
• Rollover Pass, Gilchrist

Houston

South East USA week tour from Houston: 10 states in 10 days

Fri, June 25 2021:

Evening: Start driving to Hot springs

Lodging in Shreveport, LA

Sat, June 26, 2021:

Caddo Lake (Natural wonder) in the morning

Arkansas

Hot Springs National Park

Other ideas: Alligator farm & petting zoo 

Stay near Hot Springs, AR

Sun, June 27:

Garwan Woodland Gardens, AR

Tennessee

Nashville

Drive to & stay in Nashville

Mon, June 28:

Kentucky

Mammoth Cave National Park

Stay in Mammoth

Tue, June 29:

Tennessee 

Drive to & stay in Great Smoky Mountains

Wed, June 30:

Great Smoky Mountains National Park, TN

Stay in Great Smoky Mountains

Thu, July 1

Enroute North Carolina (if time permits)

Biltmore museum, Asheville Pinball Museum, Craggy Gardens, Arboretum

Stay in Congaree

Fri, July 2

South Carolina

Congaree National Park

Skip: Middleton place, near Charleston. Then beach on East Coast.

Stay in Congaree

Sat July 3

Georgia:

Anna Ruby Falls

Atlanta Botanical Gardens

Skip: Stone Mountain Park (family friendly, rides, rail, laser show)

Alabama:

Skip: Alabama Safari Park (feed animals, petting), Hope Hull

Stay in Atlanta, GA

Sun July 4

Alabama:

Gulf Shores State Park, Bon Secour National Wildlife Refuge, Gulf State Park Nature Center (animals for kids), Hugh S. Branyon Backcountry Trail

Mississippi:

The institute of mammal studies, Gulfport

Beau Rivage Casino, Beauvoir museum, Biloxi visitors center, beach & lighthouse

Stay in Gulfport, MS

Mon July 5

Louisiana Bayou Swamp Tours, New Orleans

Back to Houston in the evening

References:

Best places in the Southern US to beat the summer heat - Lonely Planet

3 Mountain Towns to Escape the Summer Heat | En Route | US News

https://www.taketours.com/atlanta-ga/11-day-southern-wonders-tour-from-atlanta-fully-guided-228-3233.html

The initial part of this itinerary. https://www.taketours.com/new-orleans-la/11-day-houston-san-antonio-carlsbad-caverns-las-vegas-from-new-orleans-248-3387.html

https://www.nps.gov/maca/planyourvisit/cave-tours.htm

https://www.nps.gov/state/la/index.htm

https://www.nps.gov/state/ms/index.htm

https://www.nps.gov/state/al/index.htm

https://www.nps.gov/state/ga/index.htm

https://www.nps.gov/state/sc/index.htm

https://www.nps.gov/state/nc/index.htm

https://www.nps.gov/state/tn/index.htm

https://www.nps.gov/state/ar/index.htm

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g28939-Activities-Louisiana.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g28945-Activities-Mississippi.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g28922-Activities-Alabama.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g28931-Activities-Georgia.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g28954-Activities-North_Carolina.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g28961-Activities-South_Carolina.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g28963-Activities-Tennessee.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g28925-Activities-Arkansas.html

https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g28938-Activities-Kentucky.html

https://www.travelawaits.com/2546891/ozark-road-trip-from-osage-beach-to-eureka-springs/

https://www.travelawaits.com/2471435/hot-springs-arkansas-things-to-do/?_gl=1*1mz9nyh*_ga*SnlDQU8tYnlHR0wwR3phRWhNc1NENWdxUnpwbWZCYXY3WmE3TUNtZ2lUektXLWZjU2UyT3RyYVZtcFBxY3p0UQ

https://www.arkansas.com/articles/caves-caverns-spelunking

https://www.littlerockfamily.com/post/115342/6-caves-to-explore-in-arkansas

Thrissur, Kerala-attractions

Vadakkunathan Kovil, Paramekkavu Bagavathi Kovil, Thiruvambadi Sri Krishna Kovil, Arattupuzha Sree Sastha Kovil, Thriprayar Kovil, Avanangattil Kalari Sree Vishnumaya Kovil, Ammathiruvadi Kovil (foremost of 108 Kerala DurgAlayams), Trikkur Mahadeva rock cut cave temple, Punkunnam Seetha Ramaswamy Kovil, Punkunnam Shivan Kovil, Thiruvanaikavu Kovil-Krishnapuram, Mithranandapuram Vamanamoorthy Kovil (1500 yrs old vigraha), Peringottukara Devasthanam Sree Vishnumaya Kuttichathan Kovil, Vallachira Bhagavathy Kovil (with big pond), Shankara Samadhi, Shatrughna Kovil
Koodalmanikyam Kovil (to Bharatha, offer lotus)
Peruvanmala Shivan Kovil (hillock at Talakkottukara village near Kechery, 13 km from Guruvayur & 16 km from Thrissur on the Kunnamkulam route)
Sakthan Thampuran Palace, Archaeological museum, Vaidyaratnam Ayurveda museum, Kerala Kalamandalam (view dances)
Thrissur Zoo, Vilangankunnu (also has amusement park), Thumboormuzhi Garden, Peechi-Vazhani Wildlife sanctuary, Chimmony Wildlike sanctuary
Marottichal Falls, Ilanjipara Falls, Athirapally falls, Charpa falls, Vazhachal Falls
Pattathippara Falls (forest restricted, hard to reach)
Vilangan Hills, Peruvanmala
Chavakkad Beach, Snehatheeram Beach, Nattika Beach, Periyambalam Beach, Munakkal Beach, Vadanapally Beach
Cheppara
Chettuva backwaters
Peechi Dam, Chimmini Dam, Asurankundu dam
Heritage Garden, Kauthuka Park
Thrissur Pooram

Kalady, Kerala

Attractions around Kalady, Kerala

Adi Shankara Janmabhoomi Stambam, Stoopam, Ashramam
Sree Krishna Kovil, Thiruvairanikulam Kovil, Krishna Kovil-Chelamattom, Sree Datta Anjaneya Kshetram, Vamanamoorthy Kovil, Manappuram Shivan Kovil-Aluva, Manickamangalam Karthyayani Kovil
Crocodile ghat (Muthala Kadavu)
Kuzhipillykavu Jaladurga Kovil (Found Vigraha in pool, temple in pit)
Mahadev temple, Aluva (Parvathi Sannadhi open only 12 days/year during Thiruvathira)
Nayathodu Sankara Narayana kovil (Vishnu inside Shiva Vigraha, puja offered twice)
Kodanad Elephant kraal (training center)
Abhayaranyam Kaprikkadu Ecotourism-Zoo/animal rehab center with elephants & deer, butterfly park, tree houses
Pettamala Top Station (good scenery, dangerous for kids)

Perumbavoor
Perumbavoor Iringole Kavu & Bhagavathy Amman Kovil
Nagancheri Mana Park near Iringole Kavu
Kallil Villarvathi Devi & Jain temple (Shiva vigraha appearing gradually)

Haritha Bio Park (between Kodanad & Paniyeli Poru)
Paniyeli Poru-waterfalls (1.5 km hike, after 400 m-cross river by foot)

Yosemite, Las Vegas, Grand Canyon itinerary

Laidback: Starting with Grand Canyon

Kings Canyon/Sequoia

1. Bay Area to Barstow, CA.
2. Barstow to Grand Canyon. Stay in Williams, AZ.
3. Drive to Las Vegas. Stay.
4. Another night in Las Vegas.
5. Drive to Visalia
6. Sequoia & Kings Canyon, drive to Fresno/Oakhurst
7. Yosemite, Back to the Bay Area

Death Valley/Eastern Sierra

1. Bay Area to Barstow, CA.
2. Barstow to Grand Canyon. Stay in Williams, AZ.
3. Drive to Las Vegas. Stay.
4. Another night in Las Vegas.
5. Drive via Death Valley to Bishop.
6. Devils Postpile, Mono Lake, stay near Mono Lake.
7. Yosemite, Back to the Bay Area

Starting with Yosemite

1. Drive from Bay Area to Yosemite. Drive past Tioga Pass (closed in winter). Stay near Mono Lake.
2. Mono Lake, Devil's Postpile. Stay near Death Valley.
3. Drive through Death Valley. Stay in Las Vegas.
4. Another night in Las Vegas.
5. Drive to the Grand Canyon.
6. Drive back to Bakersfield.
7. Drive via Sequoia National Park & King's Canyon national park. Back to the Bay Area.

Utah Arizona Nevada itinerary from San Francisco Bay Area for a week

1. San Francisco Bay Area to Las Vegas. Reach night. Stay.
2. Another night in Las Vegas.
3. Drive to Grand Canyon South Rim. Stay in Page, Arizona.
4. Antelope Canyon (book tour beforehand), Glen Canyon/Lake Powell, Grand Staircase Escalante. Stay near Bryce Canyon, Utah.
5. Drive to Bryce Canyon, Utah. Stay in Torrey, Utah.
6. Drive to Capitol Reef, Utah. Stay in Aurora, Utah.
7. Drive to Great Basin, Nevada. (Book cave tour beforehand). Drive to Tonopah, Nevada.
8. Mono Lake, Devil's postpile. Stay near Mono Lake.
9. Yosemite, California. Drive back to Bay Area.