Houston Archives - Only In Your State ®

These 7 Waterparks Near Houston Are Going To Make Your Summer AWESOME

Jennifer Young — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 15:30:22 +0000

Texas is home to many amazing waterparks, especially within the Houston area. Wave pools, lazy rivers, water slides and kiddie areas are popular attractions at most of these Houston-area waterparks. Listed below are seven waterparks near Houston that are among the very best.

1. Wet 'n' Wild SplashTown

facebook/Wet 'n' Wild SplashTown

At 40 acres, Wet 'n' Wild SplashTown is the largest waterpark within the Houston area. A few of its popular attractions include Stingray Racer, Big Kahuna and the Brain Drain. Kids love the waterpark's Blue Lagoon Activity Pool, which includes geysers with cannons, swings and a log walk. Wet 'n' Wild SplashTown is located at 21300 Interstate 45 N, Spring, TX 77373.

2. Pirates Bay Water Park

facebook/Pirate's Bay Water Park

Pirates Bay Water Park is the perfect summer destination for the entire family. This pirate-themed waterpark offers many fun attractions, including a lazy river, two large slide towers and the FlowRider surfing machine - the most popular attraction at Pirates Bay. Pirates Bay Water Park is located at 5300 E Rd, Baytown, TX 77521.

3. Palm Beach at Moody Gardens

facebook/Moody Gardens

At Moody Gardens' Palm Beach, you can beat the summer heat by floating down the lazy river, taking a ride down one of the Tower Slides, or by splashing around in the 6,100-square-foot wave pool. Palm Beach (Moody Gardens) is located at 1 Hope Blvd, Galveston, TX 77554.

4. Malibu Water Park

facebook/Malibu Water Park

Malibu Water Park is a 6-acre swimming area that's surrounded by a beautiful white-sand beach. This waterpark's attractions include three water slides, two mushroom sprinklers and several inflatable rides. One of the best things about Malibu Water Park is that you're allowed to bring your own food and beverages. Malibu Water Park is located at 2015 Grace Ln, Highlands, TX 77562.

5. Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Water Park

yelp/Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Water Park

This 26-acre waterpark features more than 30 attractions, including MASSIV Monster Blaster, Bahnzai Pipeline and the Torrent Beach Kids Area. Schlitterbahn Galveston Island Water Park is located at 2026 Lockheed St, Galveston, TX 77554.

6. Wake Nation Houston / Aquaglide Water Park

facebook/Wake Nation Houston

At Wake Nation Houston, you can wakeboard, follow an aerial ropes course, and even make a splash at the Aquaglide Water Park. At the Aquaglide Water Park, you can jump on the floating trampoline, or take a ride down the inflatable slide. Wake Nation Houston (Aquaglide Water Park) is located at 4411 County Rd 418, Rosharon, TX 77583.

7. Diamond Bay Water Park

ShadowCreekRanch.net

Diamond Bay Water Park is the perfect summer destination for Shadow Creek Ranch homeowners and their guests. This fun waterpark includes a picnic area, a colorful swimming pool and two twisty water slides. Diamond Bay Water Park is located at 2034 Trinity Bay Dr, Pearland, TX 77584.

Some of America’s best waterparks are in Texas. Have you been to any of these Houston-area waterparks?

The post These 7 Waterparks Near Houston Are Going To Make Your Summer AWESOME appeared first on Only In Your State ®.

10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Houston

Katie Lawrence — Mon, 01 Aug 2016 14:41:50 +0000

Texas has its fair share of oddities, some of which are hiding in plain sight in our biggest cities. Here are 10 interesting facts about Houston that you probably didn’t know before reading this:

1. There's a Quaker church in the Heights neighborhood.

Flickr/amberkennedy

2. Sam Houston wasn't the founder of the city, two entrepreneurs were. They did name it after him, though.

Flickr/Rick Willoughby

9. The breathtaking BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir Temple is the first of its kind in the nation.

Wikimedia Commons/ Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha, Swaminarayan Aksharpith

10. Austin isn't the only place to see bats - thousands emerge from underneath the Waugh Drive bridge every summer night.

Flickr/Norm Lanier

Did you know any of these facts about Houston?

The post 10 Things You Probably Didn’t Know About Houston appeared first on Only In Your State ®.

You May Be Surprised To Learn These 10 Famous People Are From Houston

Jennifer Young — Thu, 21 Jul 2016 15:03:36 +0000

Many celebs hail from Houston, Texas. From award-winning actors and producers, to professional athletes and singers, the amount of talent that comes from Houston is incredible! Listed below are 10 of the most famous people from Houston.

1. Jennifer Garner

wikimedia commons/Karon Liu

Jennifer Garner, a film and television actress, was born in Houston, Texas and is best known for playing the role of CIA officer Sydney Bristow in ABC's "Alias." A few of Garner's best known films include "Pearl Harbor," "13 Going on 30" and "Dallas Buyer's Club."

2. Matt Stone

wikimedia commons/Peabody Awards

Matt Stone, born in Houston, Texas, is an actor, animator, screenwriter, television director and producer. He's best known for his role in co-creating South Park.

3. Barbara Mandrell

wikimedia commons/U.S. DoD

Houston-born Barbara Mandrell is an award-winning country music singer. Before Taylor Swift entered the country music scene, Mandrell was the only performer to have ever won the Country Music Association's "Entertainer of the Year" award twice.

4. Patrick Swayze

wikimedia commons/photo by Alan Light

Patrick Swayze was born in Houston, Texas and was an actor, dancer and singer-songwriter. His most popular films include "Road House," "Dirty Dancing" and "Ghost."

5. Jaclyn Smith

wikimedia commons/Davidvieira85

Jaclyn Smith, born in Houston, Texas, is an actress and entrepreneur. Smith is best known for her role as Kelly Garrett in the hit television series "Charlie's Angels."

6. Kenny Rogers

wikimedia commons/Courtesy of Special Collections, University of Houston Libraries (Public Domain)

Houston-born Kenny Rogers is a singer, songwriter and record producer. Rogers has sold more than 120 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling music artists ever.

7. Alexis Bledel

flickr/Ed Schipul

Alexis Bledel, an actress and model, is best known for her role as Rory Gilmore in the hit television series "Gilmore Girls."

8. Jim Parsons

wikimedia commons/iDominick

Jim Parsons was born in Houston, Texas and is best known for playing the role of Sheldon Cooper on "The Big Bang Theory." Parsons has won a total of four Primetime Emmy Awards for this role.

9. Beyonce Knowles

wikimedia commons/Asterio Tecson

Beyoncé Knowles, born in Houston, Texas, is an award-winning singer, songwriter and actress. She's best known as the lead singer of the former R&B girl-group Destiny's Child. Knowles won five Grammy Awards for "Dangerously in Love," her debut album as a solo artist.

10. Howard Hughes

wikimedia commons/Acme Newspictures

Houston-born Howard Hughes, Jr. was a business tycoon, entrepreneur, aviator, inventor and philanthropist. During his lifetime, Hughes was one of the richest people in the world.

There sure are a lot of famous people from Texas. Did you know there were so many famous people from Houston?

The post You May Be Surprised To Learn These 10 Famous People Are From Houston appeared first on Only In Your State ®.

8 Absolutely Amazing Places To Visit In Houston

Katie Lawrence — Tue, 19 Jul 2016 15:51:15 +0000

Houston might be stereotyped as a ritzy, expensive metro, but it can be the complete opposite if you know where to look. There are plenty of fun activities you can do for little to no money that are still incredibly fun! These eight places to see in Houston in particular are absolutely amazing and are definitely worth a visit.

1. Gerald D. Hines Waterwall Park

Flickr/eschipul

This isn't just another stroll in the neighborhood park - it's an unforgettable experience. Standing in the enclosure with the sound of water rushing all around you is a feeling unlike any other.

2. Downtown Tunnels

downtownhouston.org

There's an awesome secret hiding underneath the Houston streets that office workers have been enjoying for years. Even if you don't work downtown, you should still experience the plethora of restaurants and shops in the tunnels. Taking your normal activities underground is definitely an awesome way to change things up if you're getting bored!

3. JP Morgan Chase Tower

Flickr/sarath_kuchi

You'll get a panoramic view of the entire city on the 60th floor of the tower, where you'll find an observation deck open from 9am to 5pm every weekday.

4. The Houston Zoo

Flickr/jan buchholtz

It's simply not summer without a trip to one of the country's largest zoos. They even give free passes on the first Tuesday of the month!

5. Visit the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Temple

Flickr/thomashawk

It's in Stafford, which is just outside of Houston, but the drive is absolutely worth it to see an essential replica of the Taj Mahal.

6. See bats underneath the Waugh Drive Bridge

Flickr/Patrick Feller

Who said Congress Avenue was the only place to see bats? Houston has a colony of its own (250,000, to be exact) underneath that come out at dusk.

7. Enjoy a day at Discovery Green

Flickr/Jerald Jackson

This is more than just a park. It's an experience that can take up an entire day if you let it. There are restaurants, interesting sculptures and other oddities to look at, and plenty of lawn to run around and play on - whether you're five or fifty.

8. Try some new fruits and veggies at Camino Market