The Great Outdoors

Picnic time: Winter's our reward for bearing the summer heat

Discovery Green's manicured grounds and Houston's mild clime set the stage for apicnic.
Two historic sites in one, the San Jacinto Monument and Battleship Texas, at SanJacinto Park
Hike your way through Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens.
Rollin' on the bayou at George Bush Park

The gloomy weather is expected to go away this weekend and be replaced with bright sunny skies and temperatures in the 60s — typical Houston winter weather.

To me, this seems like the perfect time to take advantage of the East Texas climate and get away from the pre-holiday frenzy. While our friends up north chip ice off windshields and think wistfully about the last time their trees had leaves on them, we can pack up the Thanksgiving leftovers — I bet there's till eight pounds of turkey in the freezer — and head out for a picnic. Here are four places that provide the perfect setting for a mid-winter outing:

San Jacinto Battleground
Just east of town, this 1,200-acre state park features a bevy of activities to stave off between-holiday boredom. See the site where Texas won its independence, have lunch in one of several picnic areas or take a hike on a coastal nature trail. You also can tour the almost century-old battleship Texas that floats nearby or learn more about the state it was named after at the San Jacinto Museum of History. The monument is usually open 7 days a week from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Admission aboard the battleship and at the historic site is free for kids 12 and younger. For everyone else, it costs $1 to visit the battleground and $10 to see the ship.

Mercer Arboretum and Botanic Gardens
More than 300 acres of forest and gardens lovingly tended by volunteers border Cypress Creek in Humble. In addition to two playgrounds, 58 picnic tables and two barbecue pavilions, the Harris County Precinct 4 park offers visitors miles of piney woods walking trails and regular horticulture classes. The botanical gardens even protect 24 endangered plant species. Open 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., daily, in the winter.

George Bush Park
Like the oversized lawns of the suburban homes surrounding it, the park boasts space aplenty, with a large lake, several jogging trails and room to spare. Beside the standard sports fields and picnic table, you can check out the amateur aeronautics at the Scobee Model Airplane Fields. Bring your dog to the bark park or bring your gun to the American Shooting Center just across the drive. Farther in the park, expansive wooded areas make it easy to forget it’s situated just south of Interstate 10 and west of State Highway 6.

Discovery Green
It’s hard to miss the frequent listings for performances, art exhibits and other events in this popular retreat. But don’t feel like you need a special event to visit. Andy Mann’s video Christmas tree has seen a rebirth in the park this holiday season. The permanent sculpture collection is also worth a look (check out Doug Hollis’ sound-amplifying Listening Vessels), and ice skating is available into January. You don’t even need to pack food to take advantage of a sunny day and stage an impromptu picnic downtown. The Lake House sells lighter fare, and you’ll still be eating in the park if you grab an outdoor table at The Grove.

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Memorial Groves restoration

Memorial Park previews new playground and visitor's center coming in 2027

Rendering courtesy of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects

Rendering of the new Camp Logan playground at Memorial Groves.

Nearly a year after announcing the restoration of the old Camp Logan as Memorial Groves, a section of Memorial Park that honors Houston's World War I veterans, Memorial Park Conservancy (MPC) unveiled additional information on the new playground and visitor center that will be on site, as well as improvements to a walking trail. The new details come on the heels of a $7.5 million donation from the Jerold B. Katz Foundation.

“We are deeply honored to be a part of this landmark project that will help bring Houston’s extraordinary history to life,” said Evan H. Katz, president of the Jerold B. Katz Foundation, in a statement. “Memorial Groves will offer a powerful place of reflection and learning – one that thoughtfully connects past and present, honoring service and sacrifice while strengthening the park’s role as a resilient, vibrant public space for generations to come.”

The donation will help fund the Camp Logan Playground, an innovative space for children that will draw on aspects of World War I training. Kids can play in oversized soldier helmets, talk through a tube shaped like an old camp bugle, and climb over giant army crates and a reproduction of hardtack, the "hard bread" fed to soldiers at the front. Each feature has real World War I insignias carved into them, giving visitors a chance to learn about the symbolism of the war. Designed by the Canadian company Earthscape, the playground will be located near the southern parking lot within easy distance of the picnic pavilion.

The visitor center, designed by Moody Nolan, will be located at the primary entrance to the park on the north side. It will house both exhibit spaces and MCP offices. The former will educate visitors about Camp Logan and Houston's role in World War I. A large breezeway between the two areas will welcome visitors into Memorial Groves. The Texas Historical Commission will provide historical markers to supplement the exhibition materials.

There's lots to learn about. From 1917 to 1919, Camp Logan trained roughly 70,000 men for service in WWI. Some 200 women were also employed at the camp, mostly as nurses and physical therapists for the wounded. In 1918, Black soldiers stationed at Camp Logan rioted against abuse and unfair incarceration from the all-white Houston Police Department.

The park's 3-mile Seymour Lieberman Trail (SLT) will also be upgraded. Approximately .7 miles of the popular running/walking trail will be moved further away from Memorial Loop Drive to allow for planting of new trees. As they mature, the trees will provide more shade for people using the trail.

“Significant enhancements will be made to the SLT within the Memorial Groves project area while maintaining the overall distance of the 3-mile loop,” MPC president and CEO Chris Ballard said. “This is one of the nation’s most popular running trails and one of Memorial Park’s top amenities. The upgrades we’re making will be enjoyed by the nearly 10,000 people who use this trail daily.”

Construction on Memorial Groves is expected top begin this year and be finished in 2027. The total cost of the project is $50.5 million, as is funded in part by the Kinder Foundation ($10 million), John L. Nau III ($7.5 million), Brown Foundation ($7.5 million) and now the Katz Foundation ($7.5 million).

Rendering courtesy of Nelson Byrd Woltz Landscape Architects

The playground will include elements inspired by WWI.