Above & Beyond Printing

Bask in the sweet sounds of jazz music at the Houston International Jazz Festival, which makes its annual return by celebrating a remarkable run of music, artists, education, and history. The festival, benefitting Jazz Education, Inc., a nonprofit organization, starts the summer with live music and a host of musicians and bands worldwide. The focus of the festival always seeks to honor the legends, the music, and the standards of tradition, shaping young minds and educating them for the future.

Take a tour through history at The Printing Museum, chronicled by the advent and modernization of printing methods, and learn how the printed word transformed modern culture. Your tour starts with the development of ancient Mesopotamian clay tablets, then the invention of moveable type and Gutenberg's printing press. Along the way, gain a better understanding of how newspaper accounts of major wars, the distribution of the Gutenberg Bible, the Declaration of Independence, and other pivotal documents chronicle the printing revolution and its impact on society.

Reconnect with nature today at Armand Bayou Nature Center, one of the largest urban wilderness preserves where you can learn, explore, respect, and help protect nature and its vital local ecosystems. Armand Bayou offers 2500 acres of natural wetlands forest, prairie, and marsh habitats and is home to over 370 species of birds, mammals, reptiles, and amphibians. They also feature hiking trails, exhibits, bat hikes, birding, a historic farm, a bison viewing platform, and Nature Photography.

Let your hair down and enjoy sand volleyball and pickleball at Bumpy Pickle, where you can enjoy five well-lit, regulation-size sand volleyball courts and nine pickleball courts. It’s a great place to unwind with friends and coworkers or even on an adventurous date. Bumpy Pickle offers a lip-smacking menu ranging from tacos to full-blown entrees. They even have something special for the kiddos. And you can bet they did not forget the sweet tooth, dessert-loving bunch.