An Hour in the Discovery Green

Here I was in Houston, Texas. I had spent the morning in a conference and was taking a break to catch my breath and eat some lunch. My mind was whirling from information I had taken in from the sessions I had attended already that morning. I hated that I was missing another session, but I could no longer ignore my grumbling tummy. So off I went to get something to eat.

I stepped out of the hotel lobby and into the wall of hot, humid air. Being from Northern Arizona, this was certainly a shift in climate for me, especially since it was only April. Back where I lived I'd still be living in jeans, with a light sweater in the early morning or at night. Here, however, the air was thick, heavy, and warm. I debated briefly which direction I should go to find a bite to eat and remembered seeing a park around the back of the hotel. Knowing there were places to eat in that direction, I decided it might be a good idea to take a walk around the park as well, just to stretch my legs. 

The Discovery Green was a lovely little park, a small area of fun and relaxation in the heart of bustling activity that was the Houston metropolis. I made my way past the first of many sights that would grab my attention. A piece of art perched atop a couple of concrete steps. It was a large rectangle comprised of many squares all differing in colors. It almost reminded me of pixilation you might see in a video. It was huge and I stared at it for a bit, wondering about its purpose and who had created this piece. I made my way further into the park under the cover of massive trees that provided welcome shade from the hot sun. As I walked I happily found a couple of fountains, a lake where many kayaks were paddled by happy people, and lots of green grassy areas where people relaxed, children played, and some even picniced. 

I spied a small glass building that boasted hot dogs and hamburgers that sat alongside the small pond where the kayaks were offered. Knowing that my view for lunch would be a nice one I decided that a hot dog would be in order for my lunch that day. I snagged an outdoor table, despite the humidity of the outdoors, I knew I wanted to take in the views the pond and those having fun in the water would afford. 

After my lunch was over I walked some more before heading back for the afternoon sessions at the conference. I spied a water pad area where fountains of water sprayed over a large flat surface. Several children dashed into the pad and out again laughing as they were sprayed. I laughed as a young boy braved the sprays over and over, shyly reaching the water then dancing away just before he was hit. As he grew bolder he stayed near the water longer, and before long he was racing through the sprays as they went along with other children.

My time in the park was over and I needed to head back inside to the convention, but this was an hour of fun to witness. I really enjoyed seeing the views the Discovery Green had to offer. I hope one day I can go back to explore a little further. Maybe I even get to rent a kayak and paddle around on the water too!