There are so many things to love about Houston, but we asked local notables to name only one. In this, the latest installment, Mayor Annise Parker tells us about her favorite thing.

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There are many things that I love about Houston. I love the zoo. I love our restaurants. I love our diversity. I love our never-ending entrepreneurial spirit. Heck, I even love the weather! There are very few places where one can enjoy outside dining in the middle of February. However, if forced to choose what I love the most, it would be Buffalo Bayou.

I have kayaked and canoed on the bayou. I have served as a crew member during the annual Dragon Boat Festival. And, I have also enjoyed the Buffalo Bayou Partnership's evening pontoon boat cruise to the Waugh Street Bridge to watch our resident bat colony take flight for the insect-rich rice fields miles east of Houston.

From this great city's founding at Allen's Landing in 1836, to development of the ship channel, to the present, Buffalo Bayou has played a major role in Houston's development. I applaud the foresight that preserved the bayou in its natural state, and the ongoing efforts to restore its ecological balance and rebuild the native habitat. I hope to find ways to build upon that work with additional improvements that will bring more people down to the water.

In the meantime, experience the bayou by taking a stroll along the privately financed $15 million Sabine to Bagby Waterfront Promenade or peddling your bike along the hike and bike trails lining both sides of the bayou between Shepherd Drive and downtown. I know you will also fall in love with this incredible gift that brings nature right to the heart of the city.