Houston hasn’t been widely known as a tourist destination, no one will argue that. People aren’t necessarily clamoring to come visit The Bayou City like they are Austin, San Francisco, or New York. The immense sprawl of Houston coupled with the suffocating heat and humidity doesn’t invite people to go exploring around town. Jovan Abernathy is trying to change that image with her Up for Whatever fitness tours.
Abernathy, owner of the Houston Tourism Gym, is a native of the Houston area and has been in the hospitality industry for over 20 years. She also runs international marathons, which was the catalyst of a blog she wrote (I Hope I Come Back Alive) about touring unique countries. The success of that blog, coupled with her desire to give people a unique look at this city inspired her to start the Tourism Gym.
Abernathy said that during her time in the restaurant industry, she would frequently have customers from out of town, and they would always ask her: “what do you guys do here?” Her answer was always “eat!” From this, the hospitality tours of Houston was born. Most people are on a quest to find something they love and do it for a living. Abernathy knows hospitality, she can make connections with anyone she meets; her presence is inviting, fun, and she’s extremely personable — the perfect person to show you around the city. She’s also good at exercising, having trained people for marathons and long distance races. Her tours are like a mini marathon training: about five to six miles on foot, over hills and different terrains, but walking instead of running allows for conversation about the city.
We meet Abernathy at Holler Brewery, located in the same complex as Spring Street Studios in historic First Ward. Holler is a small brewery, and you can take your beer out onto their covered walkway and down into the back area where the walls are covered in art from artists like Vincent Fink, Anat Ronen, Jessica Rice, and many more — some of which have studio space at Silver Street studios and nearby Summer Street Studios. Abernathy talks a bit about the artists that are featured, the impetus to turn this area into Houston’s next art epicenter, and about events that they hold here. As a big fan of street art, I appreciate hearing more about it and the artists that call Houston home. Houston doesn’t jump out as a destination when people talk about art, but there are a ton of hidden gems around the city.
Park life
We then take off down Sawyer street in the direction of downtown. We pass Beavers and walk a bit through the neighborhood where Abernathy points out the historic street signs and talks a bit about The Blue Tile Project. Abernathy doesn’t blurt facts out at you as you’re walking, rather there is a lot of free-flow conversation about the neighborhood and the area in general. She works each individual’s interests about the neighborhood into the tour. Our walk through the neighborhood spits us out onto Memorial and we cross the pedestrian bridge into Buffalo Bayou Park by the Lee and Joe Jamail Skatepark. By this time it’s about 6 pm and the park is vibrant and loud. Skateboarders are heading into the skatepark, people are jogging or walking their dogs, and an ice cream truck is set up selling wares.
Local wonders
We stop at the Buffalo Bayou Park Cistern, a former drinking water reservoir that now houses art and cultural exhibits and Abernathy spends some time talking about its history and cultural significance. We head through the park and just before we get into the heart of the city we notice clothes and other linens still left from Hurricane Harvey, hanging down from the I-45 overpass as it goes through downtown over the bayou. Standing there under the bridge, seeing how high the water was as it flooded into downtown is jarring. We pass the Aquarium, climb the stairs up to Preston Street, and Abernathy chats a bit about the area stopping at a red button. The button is called The Big Bubble and makes the water down in the bayou start bubbling up. The mechanics are under construction, but if you think that stopped me from pushing that button you’re out of your mind.
We continue east toward Main Street, stopping to hear a fascinating story about the founding of Rice University and then through Market Square Park. It’s hard to believe the transformation this city has gone through over the past 15 years, but traversing it slowly, and on foot, the changes are magnified. Our next stop is Local Foods on Main Street right at the Preston Street light rail stop. It’s still happy hour and the restaurant is bustling with people winding down from their work week. The general manager, Vincent Torres, comes over and talks with us a bit while we enjoy drinks and get off our feet. This break is an absolute necessity for a walking tour in this city. I’m starting to get really sweaty but even 20 minutes in the air conditioning gives me a big boost.
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