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Houston on a Budget: 5 Free or Cheap Family Activities at Christmas

5 Free or Cheap Family Activities in Houston Texas at Christmas Christmas is great time to visit Houston, Texas. The weather was great, not sunbathing warm but definitely not cold either. We spent almost every day wearing T shirts and shorts. We travelled in December 2024. Brazos Bend State Park This was a wonderful first activity in Houston. The prices are very reasonable at US$7 per person 13 years and over, under 13 years are free. Marshland at Brazos Bend State Park, Houston, Texas There are many walks to check out and we even spotted an alligator in the wild, in winter. We also saw turtles and many birds. There is a playground, campsites...if you are game enough to camp in snake and alligator territory you are braver than me! Alligator at Brazos Bend State Park, Houston, Texas Picnic Area at Brazos Bend State Park, Houston, Texas The highlight for us was the incredible Nature Center! Its an unassuming small building but the staff make it amazing. For a start there is a tank with t...
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11 Days in Houston: Our Family Christmas

Hello Houston!  Boy am I excited to be back here! I was last in Houston in 2001 as a young 20 year old on a similar trip but on my own. I have family here in Houston and it has been way too long since we have seen each other. This post is a bit of a round up of everything we did in our 11 days in Houston. I will write a couple more detailed posts about parts of this trip and add in the links.  Houston on a Budget: 5 Free or Cheap Family Activities at Christmas As always all the cost will be in a table at the bottom! Flight Tracker United Airlines Los Angeles to Houston I have a love hate relationship with the flight tracker map on a plane. I wouldn't want to be without it as I really like knowing where we are but sometimes it just feels like it is not moving at all! This was a very relaxed and relatively short flight at about 3 and a half hours. After the 12 and a half hour flight from Auckland to LA this one was a breeze. A little bumpy on the landing, even though there didn'...

Los Angeles on a Budget for 1 Day - Family of 4

What to do in Los Angeles in 1 day on a budget? This was our conundrum when we had one day on our hands in LA. We arrived late in the evening yesterday and fly out early tomorrow morning. Do we go on a tour bus? Do we head for the city or go see the sights? We had just come from Las Vegas and had had enough of the crowded tourist attractions. We decided that since we still had the rental car for this day until 6pm that we would make the most of it. We chose to go on a drive through Hills and check out Malibu Beach. We travelled in December 2024, so after the first smaller fires but before the large fires. The Commons Shopping Center at Calabasas We were on the hunt for fancy cars and Calabasas did not disappoint! I'm sure the teenagers phone is full of photos but I was driving so missed the cars. We had a good look around the shopping center. Went into Ralphs (a supermarket) and bought some snacks for in the car. They had the most delicious bakery corner in the store, so we came ou...