Night Hike

Houston Arboretum's winter solstice celebration is a respite from the holidaymadness

Tai Chi master Greg Illich, alongside two students, demonstrate movementsappropriate for the winter solstice at the Houston Arboretum and Nature Center.
Photo by Steven Veit
Dimly lit trails weaved through the 155-acre nature sanctuary...
Photo by Steven Veit
...onto the Meadow Deck, on the banks of the pond, where guests mix and mingledaccompanied by wine and nibbles.
Photo by Steven Veit
The spread.
Photo by Steven Veit

With multiple holiday fetes and socials nearly everyday, a change of pace was just what I needed to slow things down and escape from the shopping bacchanal that is the gift giving season.

One way to reconnect with the spirit of December's festivities is to rekindle what was inner loop Houston: A rich and biodiverse ecosystem. The Houston Arboretum and Nature Center's Winter Solstice Wine and Cheese Night Hike on Saturday did just that with a welcomed glass of wine to warm up, complemented by delightful amuse-bouches.

"The solstice is an occasion to get together and party, for fellowship and to offer devotion," Illich explained. "Many names are used to label its observance like Christmas and Yule by Germanic and Viking cultures."

After just a few steps, the buzzing urban hum faded into the distance, joining the sounds of critters, crunching leaves and footsteps as hikers trekked through the heavily wooded trails of the Arboretum.

With lighting kept to a minimum, guests had to rely on their senses to amble through the meandering path, curving through the 155-acre nature sanctuary and landing on the Meadow Deck alongside the serene pond accompanied by a waning crescent moon and the hideaway's canopy.

Tensions disappeared as a clear night sky twinkled with bright stars. Worrisome thoughts vanished in favor of savoring the sights, sounds and musky smells.

Celebrating the winter solstice

As temperatures dropped down to the mid 50s, the setting was optimal to experience the cultural traditions that celebrate the winter solstice, the moment when the tilt of the Earth renders the northern hemisphere farthest away from the sun. That will actually happen on Thursday exactly at 5:30 a.m.

The celestial phenomenon has inspired many festivities for longer than 150,000 years, according to tai chi master and 25-year practitioner Greg Illich, who was on hand to demonstrate ritual choreography appropriate for the time of year. He also teaches the Chinese custom on Wednesdays and Saturdays at the Arboretum and at his studio, Serendipity Tai Chi.

Add to that list the Beiwe Festival in Finland, Sweden and Norway, Chawmos in Pakistan, Goru in Mali, Hogmanay in Scotland and Inti Raymi in Peru. Located in the English countryside, the Stonehenge ruins pays homage, notwithstanding any metaphysical elements, to the solstice and other astronomical functions.

Illich's interest in tai chi began with back pain that other doctors and wellness methods failed to address, beginning a lifelong dedication to pursue and perfect the martial art form.

The goal of tai chi is not enlightenment as it is typically in yoga philosophy, he said. The martial art seeks acceptance and relaxation through the practice of meditative movement.

Alongside two students, Illich demonstrated slow, continuous flowing narrative gestures — both at a basic and highly advanced level — and encouraged visitors to join in. More wine and nibbles led to relaxed chit chat during which new and old friends commingled comfortably.

The Wine and Cheese Night Hike is one of the center's Arboretum at Night adult programs. May I suggest Tapas on the Trails? It's the answer to another uninspiring Valentine's Day, set for Feb. 11.

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Stretching the budget

A $100,000 salary in 2026 goes further in Houston than it did last year

Photo by Leo Yao on Unsplash

$100,000 stretches a little further in 2026.

A 2026 income study has good news for big earners in Houston: A six-figure salary goes further than it did last year.

A Houston resident's $100,000 salary is worth $84,840 after taxes and adjusted for the local cost of living, according to the new financial analysis from SmartAsset. That's about $1,500 more than Houstonians were bringing home last year.

The 2026 take-home pay is about eight percent higher than it was in 2024, when the same salary had an adjusted value of $78,089.

SmartAsset used its paycheck calculator to apply federal, state and local taxes to an annual salary of $100,000 in 69 of the largest American cities. The figure was then adjusted for the local cost of living (which included average costs for housing, groceries, utilities, transportation, and miscellaneous goods and services). Cities were then ranked based on where a six-figure salary is worth the least after applicable taxes and cost of living adjustments.

Houston ranked No. 60 in the overall ranking of U.S. cities where $100,000 is worth the least. If the rankings were flipped and the cities were ranked based on where $100,000 goes the furthest, that places Houston in the No. 10 spot nationwide.

Manhattan, New York remains the No. 1 city where a six-figure salary is worth the least. A Manhattan resident's take-home pay is only worth $29,420 after taxes and adjusted for the cost of living, which is 3.10 percent lower than it was in 2025.

SmartAsset determined Manhattan has a 29.7 percent effective tax rate on six-figure salaries. Meanwhile, the effective tax rate on a $100,000 salary in Texas (based on the eight cities examined in the report) is 21.1 percent. It's worth highlighting that New York implements a statewide graduated-rate income tax from 4-10.90 percent, whereas Texas is one of only eight states that don't tax residents' income.

Oklahoma City, No. 69, is the U.S. city in the report where a $100,000 salary stretches the furthest. A six-figure salary is worth $91,868 in 2026, up from $89,989 last year.

This is the post-tax value of a $100,000 salary in other Texas cities, and their ranking in the report:

Plano (No. 27): $72,653
Dallas (No. 47): $80,103
Austin (No. 53): $82,446
Lubbock (No. 59): $84,567
San Antonio (No. 62): $86,419
El Paso (No. 67): $90,276
Corpus Christi (No. 68): $91,110

According to the report, getting some "financial breathing room" by making six-figures really depends on where someone lives and what their lifestyle is. For residents living in the 42 states that levy some amount of income tax, their take-home pay dwindles further.

"And depending on how taxes are filed, reaching a $100,000 income may push a household from the 22 percent to 24 percent marginal tax bracket," the report's author wrote. "Meanwhile, locations with high costs across housing and everyday essentials may be less forgiving to a $100,000 income."

smartasset income finance six figures