Sesquicentennial Park, Houston

Set along the banks of Buffalo Bayou in the Theater District of Downtown, this place was developed to commemorate Houston and Texas's 150th birthday. It may not be the biggest or best-known of the parks downtown, but packs a lot in a rather small space. The trails alone are worth the visit, but the campground is equally fantastic!

Another prominent feature here is the set of seven metal poles, called the Seven Wonders, featuring a collage of drawings by children all born in the sesquicentennial year, 1986. Each pillar represents a theme: agriculture, energy, manufacturing, medicine, philanthropy, technology, and transportation. You'll be stuck just looking at the metal squares at the bottom of each seventy-foot tall pillar.

At the far end of the park is the Baker Common, a large sloping grassy circle with a bronze statue of James Baker III, plus some interesting facts about him and his predecessors inscribed in stone for all visitors to see. If you look closely in the direction he is gazing, you can see President George Bush on the other side of the Bayou looking back. At the bottom is where you can take up the walking trail along the Bayou or just come down for lunch and have a peaceful time away from the sounds of the city. It's fascinating to have these trails travel along the water's winding path and underneath bridges that fill with downtown Houston's traffic.

The only bad thing about Sesquicentennial Park is that there are no bathrooms!