Outdoors on the coast

6 best spots to hike, bike, or paddle in scenic Houston and Galveston

Paddle or canoe without leaving the city at Buffalo Bayou.

Photo courtesy of Buffalo Bayou Partnership

The Texas coastal plain surrounding Houston and Galveston contains a surprising variety of natural landscapes — along with a number of parks, preserves, and other opportunities to enjoy said landscapes. Late spring is a good time for getting out into nature, before temperatures start to melt pavement in the parking lots.

At places with visitor centers, take the time to stop in for maps, trail guides, and general advice from the staff. And be sure to check the weather forecast.

Armand Bayou Nature Center
One of the largest urban wilderness preserves in the U.S., this 2,500-acre property in Pasadena has more than 5 miles of hiking trails, including three through forested wetlands to the bayou: the 1.32 mile Martyn Trail, 1.4-mile Karankawa Trail, and 1.5-mile Lady Bird Trail. Guided hike offerings include night hikes, birding tours, and alligator viewing. The Center also has pontoon cruises, guided canoe tours, and an 1800 style farm site.

Buffalo Bayou Paddling Trail
A Texas Parks and Wildlife Department Paddling Trail, this route runs 26 miles from Highway 6 to Allen’s Landing Park in downtown Houston. Ten access points allow for a variety of trip lengths. Despite flowing through an urban setting, Buffalo Bayou has surprisingly diverse flora and fauna. Paddlers may see turtles, rabbits, herons, egrets, hawks, fish, and even alligators, along with a variety of types of trees lining the banks.

East End Lagoon
A 685-acre nature park and preserve on the eastern tip of Galveston Island, East End contains wetlands, ponds, upland prairie, and beaches — a rare piece of natural Texas coast. A work in progress, the park currently has trails, viewing platforms, and launch areas for canoes and kayaks, with plans for a pavilion and other amenities down the road. Artist Boat offers regular kayak tours at East End Lagoon, from two-hour guided tours to three- and four-hour outings that include watercolor demonstrations and painting.

Galveston Island State Park
Galveston Island State Park represents the only undeveloped land on the island with beach-to-bay public access that takes in coastal prairie and wetlands. Explore with its four miles of trails, observation platforms, bird blinds, and paddling trails. Staff lead regular beach and bay explorations for those who want to learn more about the critters and landscape, and a nature center is open on weekends. Stay overnight in beach or bay campsites or one of the park’s lodges.

Katy Prairie Indiangrass Preserve
The Katy Prairie Conservancy owns and manages 14 preserves covering more than 13,000 acres west of Houston, each with a unique history, geology, and wildlife community. Two of these preserves are open to the public, including Indiangrass Preserve, 55 acres of newly restored prairie with a 1.5 mile trail near Waller. The Conservancy has restored 3,000 acres of wetlands and now works to restore and improve grasslands on its properties, including Indiangrass Preserve. Grassland or prairie slows down floodwater, filters stormwater run-off, sequesters carbon, and provides habitat for hundreds of bird species and other wildlife. Dogs are not allowed.

Katy Prairie Matt Cook Memorial Wildlife Viewing Platform
Another of the 14 Katy Prairie Conservancy properties open to the public, this two-story viewing platform overlooks 140-acre Warren Lake, which teems with wildlife. The Conservancy’s properties have been designated a Global Important Bird Area (IBA) and Warren Lake is on the Katy Prairie Loop of the Great Texas Coastal Birding Trail - Upper Texas Coast (UTC). Bird checklists are available for download on the Conservancy website. The viewing platform is ADA accessible.

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Premium perk

American Airlines upgrades DFW Airport dining with help of Napa chef

Photo courtesy of AA

Wine-and-chocolate pairing created for American Airlines by chef Thomas Keller.

Fort Worth-based American Airlines is giving more premium travelers at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport access to one of its biggest perks: the sit-down dining experience in the Flagship lounge. And the Flagship menu itself is getting a glow-up with help from a famous Napa Valley chef.

Beginning September 15, those flying Flagship Business Plus and Flagship Business on qualifying long-haul international, transcontinental, and Hawaii routes will be able to enjoy restaurant-style dining inside American's Flagship Lounge at DFW, according to a release.

Flagship Lounge dining has previously been limited to passengers traveling in Flagship First. (Those flying Economy are out of luck, so sorry - but hey, new Portillo's!)

The expanded Flagship Dining experience is also available at American's Airport Miami International Airport lounge, with plans to reopen the private dining experience at Los Angeles International Airport in late 2026, the release says.

Menu changes
The expansion comes with a revamped four-course menu developed by American's culinary team. The seasonal menu will feature regional flavors and ingredients, including dishes inspired by the airline's various hubs, they say. Menu highlights include:

Texas pear and burrata salad
Roasted purple cauliflower steak
Flagship burger
Churro bread pudding
Mesquite-grilledbeef filet
California artisan board

AA Texas pear and burrata salad Texas pear and burrata salad.Photo courtesy of AA

Cheffy wine and chocolate
But perhaps the most notable addition is a wine-and-chocolate pairing created with chef Thomas Keller.

Keller, the chef behind California's three-Michelin-starred The French Laundry and co-founder of K+M Extravirgin Chocolate, is also a founding partner in KHK Wines. He curated a pairing for AA featuring KHK Hillside Cabernet Sauvignon with K+M chocolates and hazelnut dragées, which are also served at The French Laundry in Yountville, California.

The KHK Cabernet was made in collaboration with Napa Valley winemaker Thomas Rivers Brown, whose résumé includes more than 60 Cabernet Sauvignons that have received 100-point scores, the release notes.

Keller says the wine partnership grew out of longtime friendships between KHK's Jim Keller, a fourth-generation Napa resident with no relation to the chef, and the Hall family of Hall's Chophouse.

"KHK is a vineyard partnership and a tribute to the longtime friendships among Jim Keller, a fourth-generation Napan with no relation to me, and the Hall family, of Hall's Chophouse. My role is to lend a chef's palate and guidance. We all share deep roots in wine, food and memorable experiences, and our vision for the perfect everyday Cabernet has come together," Keller says in the release.

The KHK Cabernet will also be available in all of American's Flagship lounges, as well as The Chelsea Lounge at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

"At American, we're continually looking for ways to elevate the customer experience and create moments that make travel more memorable," says American's SVP of Customer Experience and Design Rhonda Crawford in the release. "By expanding access to Flagship Dining and introducing new menu enhancements, including an exclusive wine and chocolate pairing from KHK Wines and K+M Extravirgin Chocolate curated by Chef Thomas Keller, we're delivering an even more elevated hospitality experience that begins well before customers step on board."

Flagship Dining is available on a space-available basis, they say. Passengers can check with the host team inside the Flagship Lounge when they arrive. If no table is available, they can be placed on an electronic waitlist.

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