Best picnic spot within 100 mi of Houston
Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery - Brewery Trail - 4/16/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 1.50 Miles Duration: N/A
Though I wouldn't consider this a real hiking destination (It's only about 40 acres), it is well worth the visit, and I consider it to be among the top 5 day trips you can make from Houston. When I get tired of the flatness and lack of panoramic views of Houston, and want a taste of mountains, this is where I head. It only takes a little more than two hours to get there from Downtown Houston, and seems to be the closest hill with a vista to Houston. It is a great picnic spot, sitting on top of the hill with a commanding view of the Colorado River valley, and the spires of La Grange in the distance. The nature trail, the ruins of the brewery, and the old farm houses are also interesting to see. Bring a picnic lunch, or stop at Oakridge smokehouse in Schulenburg as you exit 1-10 for cheese, sausage, and bread. I also recommend driving into La Grange after you have taken in everything at the Hill. It's a pretty little town with an old courthouse in the town plaza and lots of little art galleries and shops. The gentle hills and nice views of the river valley and towns also make for good road biking. I recommend driving home through some of the back roads that take you through Round Top and other back roads. Even if you don't want to do that, though, and just go straight down I-10 and back, and just picnic at the monument and follow the hiking trail and visit the brewerey, and maybe take a brief trip to La Grange and back, it is a great way to spend a Saturday, and you can get on the road between 9 and 10 from Downtown Houston and still be back in Houston by mid to late afternoon, enough time to shower and get ready to go out on the town. I've done it many times. Most of the times I have gone, there have been no other visitors to the park, or at most one other family.

Best picnic spot within 100 mi of Houston
Monument Hill and Kreische Brewery - Nature Trail - 4/16/2005  [View Log Page]
Rating: Difficulty: Solitude:
Distance: 1.50 Miles Duration: N/A
Though I wouldn't consider this a real hiking destination (It's only about 40 acres), it is well worth the visit, and I consider it to be among the top 5 day trips you can make from Houston. When I get tired of the flatness and lack of panoramic views of Houston, and want a taste of mountains, this is where I head. It only takes a little more than two hours to get there from Downtown Houston, and seems to be the closest hill with a vista to Houston. It is a great picnic spot, sitting on top of the hill with a commanding view of the Colorado River valley, and the spires of La Grange in the distance. The nature trail, the ruins of the brewery, and the old farm houses are also interesting to see. Bring a picnic lunch, or stop at Oakridge smokehouse in Schulenburg as you exit 1-10 for cheese, sausage, and bread. I also recommend driving into La Grange after you have taken in everything at the Hill. It's a pretty little town with an old courthouse in the town plaza and lots of little art galleries and shops. The gentle hills and nice views of the river valley and towns also make for good road biking. I recommend driving home through some of the back roads that take you through Round Top and other back roads. Even if you don't want to do that, though, and just go straight down I-10 and back, and just picnic at the monument and follow the hiking trail and visit the brewerey, and maybe take a brief trip to La Grange and back, it is a great way to spend a Saturday, and you can get on the road between 9 and 10 from Downtown Houston and still be back in Houston by mid to late afternoon, enough time to shower and get ready to go out on the town. I've done it many times. Most of the times I have gone, there have been no other visitors to the park, or at most one other family.