Sylvan Beach is the perfect place to frolic in the sand and sun when you need a break from the hustle and bustle of daily life. It’s a 31-acre park with two white sand beaches on Galveston Bay, perfect for swimming, sunbathing, boating and fishing. This La Porte park is just a short trip away from The Broadwater!

It also has a picnic area with pavilions that can be reserved for special events and gatherings, a skateboard park, a fishing pier, boat ramp, playground and restrooms with showers. There’s even a bait shop by the pier, so you gear up to catch that mammoth fish you’ve been angling for. Be sure to check out the Annual Sylvan Beach Festival and Crawfish Jam.

Sylvan Beach is open every day, and offers free parking. There is, however, a $4 fee to access the fishing pier.

Sylvan Beach
400 N. Bayshore Drive
La Porte, TX 77571
(281) 471-5705
http://www.hcp2.com/harriscountypct2community/parks?pid=127&sid=108:Sylvan-Beach-Park
http://www.yelp.com/biz/sylvan-beach-la-porte

Outdoor enthusiasts will love the La Porte Hike & Bike Trail. Traverse La Porte via bike thanks to this winding trail, stemming from Eastern La Porte all the way across the city, from the Fairmont Parkway to Little Cedar Bayou Park. The park features a multi-use recreation area complete with sporting fields and other facilities. What better way to see the scenic city of La Porte than on bicycle? Not only is it a fun ride, but it is good for you too. Whether you are attempting the entire trail or merely just a portion of it, you will find it a challenging enterprise. Eventually the trail will expand to include many more locales.

La Porte Hike & Bike Trail

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/dno1967b

The Don’Key Mexican Food is a small shack illuminated by bright neon lights. This place has been serving authentic Tex-Mex classics since 1984. To start, you’ll get thin and crispy chips and hot red and green sauce, and you’ll have a choice of favorites, from sizzling fajitas to enchiladas, tacos, and tostadas.

Fans call the food fresh, reasonably priced, and delicious. The Don'Key is most famous for their margaritas— called the Don’Keyrita— available in regular, strawberry, or swirl. Fans call the margaritas strong and delicious. There’s $2.50 Beer of the Day and mojitos, specialty margaritas, and a variety of mixed drinks are also offered. At The Don’Key, happy hour is more like a "happy day," as drink specials run Mondays through Thursdays, from 11 a.m. 6 p.m., and Fridays, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The Don’Key is busy on the weekends especially, but if you have to wait, you won’t be waiting for long. Parking can be a challenge, and take-out is available.

The Don’Key Mexican Food
5010 Spencer Highway
Pasadena, TX 77505
(281) 487-1253
www.findthedonkey.com
www.yelp.com/biz/donkeys-mexican-food-pasadena

CC-BY-2.0/Flickr/sweetonveg