What better way to build up an appetite for thanksgiving day feast? This is a great fun and…read moreexciting run. I am shocked at how crowded this thing gets! But people wake up early, dress up and run a 5K. The sponsors usually come packed and it makes it a sight to see thousands of runners with turkey heads in the streets near the galleria.

2014 was my first year running in the Turkey Trot near the Galleria, and it was quite an…read moreexperience! They offer both a 5k and 10k race option, so depending on your level of experience you can race whatever works best. There are also wheelchair and kids specific races happening, so bring out the whole family! The course wound through the Galleria area, and the weather was perfect for running. As a first timer, I thought the instructions were a bit vague and I wish there had been a little more structure to the begining/pre-race activities. There were lots of people running in a group dressed in costumes, so if you have a couple of crazy friends grab them, get creative with the costumes, and have some fun running before stuffing yourself full of turkey later that day. Post-race activities include a few snacks for runners, photo opportunities, games and inflatable slides/obsticle courses, and a lot of great vendors to visit and get free swag. Yelp was one of hte race sponsors, and they had a booth where you could get yelp branded merch as well. Fun!

This was my sixth time running this race and it's one of my favorites!…read more This race is exceptionally well-organized. The communication is clear, the expo is well thought out and both the start and finish lines are models of how large races should be managed. (I will note that this year they changed how you do bib pick up and that wasn't communicated clearly the day I went to the expo. Rather than going to a booth that corresponded to your bib #, you checked in with someone with a tablet and they told you which booth to go to. There were no signs directing people to the tablet folks the day I was there, so most of us just walked up to the booths corresponding to our numbers where the people had no idea what we were there for. They need to improve that next year, but I'm not going to knock them for it) There is always so much support on the course...even though it was cold this year, still a lot of people out there and that makes a huge difference when you're running. Water stations were great, signage on the course was phenomenal and you get a lot of encouragement the last two miles. Getting your finisher shirt and hot food from HEB after the race was a breeze. The finisher shirts are okay but I will say when they had Under Armour finisher shirts, those were excellent. I've already signed up for the 2020 race and I'm looking forward to it.

This was my first year to enter this run. Before it, the longest sanctioned run that I participated…read morein was a 5 miler about 30 years ago and it was at a small town spring festival with about 250 participants. Boy, is this one different!!! Registration opens the day after the event for the next year and I signed up in January of 2018. Also by registering that early the cost to do so is the lowest and increases later. Beginning last summer, the run committee starts sending out emails reminding you of your registration and to start preparing which is helpful in case you forgot. The first aspect of this run for me was the packet pick up on the Friday and Saturday before the run. The pick up is at the GRB and requires you or your proxy (limited to one) to come down and pick up your packet that contains your all important bib, run day instruction sheet, a pre run tee shirt and your large and clear gear check bag (which I decided not to use). That part I knew from emails sent from the committee and my experience went very smoothly as it was well organized. I went at noonish on Friday and experienced no delays. Also the Expo was fun to go through and see all of the vendors and their wares. The volunteers were all super friendly and said thanks many times for entering. This warm attitude was again demonstrated many, many times by the volunteers until I left the building to go home after the run was over the next day. That single trait impressed me the most. It gave such a small town feel to such a big town event. The organizers recommend that all runners be at the GRB by 5:30 a.m. the morning of the run. I arrived at 6:30 a.m. and still had plenty of time since I do very little stretching or warmups. While the GRB was full with people there was enough room to walk around, stretch and get some water or Gatorade. The lines for the many Port A Cans inside were long but moved quickly. The run begins at 7:01 a.m. and staggers the start because of the estimated 26,000+ runners. Remember that both marathoners and half marathoners are included in that total and run about the first 8 miles together before they split off. At the start line, runners are segregated into corrals (A,B,C and D) depending on how fast they expect to run. When registering you pick your corral depending on your expected speed. I know that the A and possibly B corrals require proof to be admitted. The D corral is the slowest group and the corral I was a proud member of. Like I said, the run began at 7:01 a.m. with the A corral. It was 7:48 a.m. when I finally crossed the starting line. I expected that and why I was in no hurry to arrive earlier to the GRB that morning or even leave the GRB to walk to my corral staging area when I did at 7:10 a.m. It was cold outside and the warmth of the GRB was appreciated! Remember your time begins when YOU cross the start line so if you need to go to the bathroom one last time do it before you cross the start (there are Port A Cans besides the corrals in the staging areas). The course was flat and well marked. Every mile and every 5k has a banner on the side of the road to help you know your location. After the run is over you can look online at your 5,10,15, 20k splits and finish time as the chip in your bib helps record them. I cannot say enough about how much the people of Houston support this event. All of the people cheering you on and calling you by your first name (which is on your bib), the musical acts and the funny signs were incredible. I would have loved to stop and talk to these people, take pictures of the signs, etc. but I didn't have time...lol! Also, there were plenty of drink stations and Port A Cans along the route. After the finish line, the finisher medals were handed out and then you proceed to pick up your finisher tee shirt. HEB was serving a free hot breakfast and I considered eating but the line was long and moving slowly. I estimated at least a 15 minute wait and left. After running 13.1 miles, I didn't want to stand in a line that long. In fact, with a total experience of an event that ran so smoothly from beginning to end the breakfast was the only snafu that I witnessed. In my review, I refer to this as a run not a race. That's because I wasn't racing anyone! But I did meet my goal....by 7 seconds. This was a great experience and I was proud to be a part of it.

Johnny Goyen Park is a small park located on the southwest side of the main building at UHD…read more It's where the university's sustainable garden is located. Not a bad place to sit and relax for a few. You can watch the water go by. But, there is a lot of traffic from the I-45 access road that runs by.

This is my first time ever playing on a co-ed team but Houston Women's Soccer Association has made…read morethe experience very enjoyable. HWSA is definitely "on top of their game" and are efficient and organized. If it's raining, they'll be sure to post the most updated information for you to inform you if your game is still on or if it's been re-scheduled. The parks that HWSA holds games at are safe, clean, and relatively easy to find. The referees are (for the most part) good at what they do... every now and then you'll get a ref that you just want to replace, but hey, it comes with the territory. I highly recommend coming out and joining HWSA even if you've never played soccer before in your life. They have divisions 1-5 co-ed soccer. I think 5 is the most beginner, so if you're more advanced, then you'd want to sign up to be in division 1. It's so much fun, and you'll meet a lot of new people for sure. If you want to "exercise" without having to run on a treadmill or elliptical machine at the gym, come chase a soccer ball around, you'll definitely get what you asked for, and the best part is, it won't even feel like exercising!

Always makes the start of a boat day seamless, everything is done and ready for you by the time you…read morearrive. Davis Atkinson and john hicks have particularly been amazing at the gas dock. Helping get trash out of the boat and even walking to go refill my ice, amazing workers!

Verified seller of non-ethanol E0 gas. E0 gas is required for classic cars, motorcycles, boats, and…read morelawn equipment and gasoline equipment that sits unused like generators. E10 gas varnishes quickly and will destroy pre2000 engines without nitrile gaskets and o-rings.

The individualized attention to ensure comfortability in the water as well as flexibility of the…read moreinstructors' time. The staff are knowledgeable and help find the perfect fit when it comes to your gear.

I've run this half marathon just about every year since I moved to Houston, and it's a great race…read more The race occurs every year on the Sunday before Halloween and provides a great warm up option for the Chevron/Aramaco race that occurs in mid-January, known to be the largest sporting event in Houston. The course is pretty flat, making a short loop around downtown before heading out along Allen Parkway and through Memorial Park and back, with only the few rolling hills near Buffalo Bayou park to slow you down. Half marathon runners get the chance to pass through the new Memorial Park tunnels which is a lot of fun. The race also offers a 10K option but these runners turn around at the end of Allen Parkway, missing Memorial Park and the tunnels. This race is also nice as the price is fairly low and includes free race day photos. Score! Having done the race several times, I will say that personally, I feel like I like it a little less since UTHealth has taken over as sponsor. The packet pickup now occurs at their Bellaire clinic and promotes a number of their health screening services. Don't get me wrong, I am all about preventive screening and public health, however I really enjoy packet pick ups as an avenue to check out running vendors to score some fun apparel and accessories. This is no longer offered with UTHealth. It feels very much like an advertising event for their health services. This year too their race day website went down for several hours the night before the race, when everyone wants to review the participant guide. They also promote live tracking, which I signed up to receive notification alerts at significant milestones, however there were no time clocks displayed on the course itself. Most runners have a sports watch or tracking app, however this was a little disappointing. Overall, I'm definitely going to continue to run this race but am a little disappointed with the new race sponsor.

I went to Gulf Coast Scuba after my dive in Cancun - my equipment had a slight malfunction. It was…read moregetting old. Thankfully nothing major happened under the water. BCD kept inflating little. Aiar did a wonderful job explaining options in fixing part that malfunctioned, and also pointed out the really old aging part of octopus, that would need to be replaced very soon. I decided to get it all done together. Aiar completed it several days before promised schedule , called with good news. I am looking forward to my next dive in 2 weeks! Thanks, Gulf Coast and Aiar!

I went in for a scuba tank. The staff was very helpful in my selection. I will be referring them…read moremoving forward.