1) Big Bend National Park Fossil Discovery Exhibit opens on Jan. 14, 2017, to give you a different view of the desert landscape. www.fossildiscoveryexhibit.com.
2) Curious in Palestine, Texas, is a new hands-on science museum that promotes creative and innovative thinking for all ages. www.exhibitcurious.org.
3) The Cistern in Houston takes visitors underground in a 1926 reservoir that has been turned into a performance space. www.buffalobayou.org/visit/destination/the-cistern.
4) Hermann Park in Houston has gone through some astounding changes in the last few years that will amaze you. www.hermannpark.org.
5) International Exotic Animal Sanctuary in Boyd, gives visitors a chance to see and help rescued animals. www.bigcat.org.
6) Big Thicket National Preserve Paddle the Lower Neches River to see the wild side of Texas. www.eastexcanoes.com/big_thicket_river_trips.html.
7) Fort Boggy State Park Spend a quiet night in the new rustic cabins, outside of Centerville. www.tpwd.texas.gov/state-parks/fort-boggy.
8) Trinity River Audubon Center in Dallas – hike the trails to say you’ve been in the largest forest within a city’s limits. trinityriver.audubon.org.
9) Sunken Rose Garden in Fort Worth is Texas’ oldest botanic garden; visit in late April or October for a spectacular show. www.fwbg.org.
10) Big Texan Steak Ranch in Amarillo: You don’t have to try to eat the free 72-ounce steak to have a good meal here, but it is fun to watch others try. www.bigtexan.com.
1,327th in a series. Collect them all. Day Trips, Vol. 2, a book of “Day Trips,” is available for $8.95, plus $3.05 for shipping, handling, and tax. Mail to: Day Trips, PO Box 40312, South Austin, TX 78704.
Follow “Day Trips & Beyond,” a weekly travel blog, at austinchronicle.com/daily/travel.
This article appears in 2016.
