Discovering Houston's Great Outdoors

Anyone who may have questions about Houston's hospitality toward LGBT visitors wasn't reading the newspapers in April. Just last month a state district judge dismissed a court challenge to Houston's new protections for gay and transgender citizens. The city's openly lesbian mayor, Annise Parker, declared the ruling "a great victory" and "a great day for civil rights in Houston."

We hit the ground in H-Town to unearth our favorite picks and lassoed local LGBT leaders and entrepreneurs for an insider's perspective. But don't take our word for it -- head to Houston and discover your own Texas two-step.

Despite that Houston is one of the country's fastest-growing cities (currently ranked No. 4 in population according to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2013 report), it also has the most parkland acreage. Slather on some sunscreen and discover the nearly 50,000 acres of outdoor space.

Buffalo Bayou

While East Coasters boast of the High Line and Boston Common, and West Coasters own bragging rights to Griffith Park and Golden Gate Park, they've got heavy competition with the redevelopment of Buffalo Bayou Park, a 10-mile stretch comprising 160 acres of green space from Shepherd Drive to the Port of Houston Turning Basin.

The $58 million initiative is breathing new life into the area with the implementation of extensive hiking and biking trails, permanent and temporary art installations, a dog park, a skate park, cultural programming and more. Visitors can hop on a pontoon for a leisurely ride, or for a more vigorous viewing, rent a B-cycle as part of the city's newly initiated bike-sharing program.

Discovery Green

Once home to high-end residences in the late 19th century, then bulldozed into a parking lot a century later, Discovery Green is the epitome of how strategic urban development can transform a city. The 12-acre park adjacent to the convention center opened seven years ago at a staggering cost of $187 million to acquire the land then build and landscape the project. But the gamble paid off, and the park claims it has served as a catalyst for $625 million in downtown development.

For visitors, the park offers more than 500 free programs a year, including Land Rover Houston Central's Rainbow on the Green event on June 12. Or create your own Pride picnic with delectables from nearby Phoenicia Specialty Foods, a spectacular Lebanese market featuring prepared foods and homemade breads.

"Houston has never been more committed to green space, and Houstonians never more interested in getting outdoors, than we are today. When Discovery Green opened in 2008, the idea of a green public gathering place in Houston's core was unprecedented (and challenged). But with 7 million visitors in seven years, it's proven a success," says President and Park Director Barry Mandel.

"Today, thanks in large part to the model Discovery Green established, we are seeing a renaissance of -- and demand for -- urban park development. With the development of Market Square Park, Buffalo Bayou Partnership's Buffalo Bayou Park, and the Houston Parks Board's Bayou Greenways 2020 Initiative, more and more Houstonians are finding places to recreate outdoors, near where they live and work."