When Sierra Vista residents want to commune with nature, they go to Brazos Bend State Park. Spanning more than 5,000 acres, Brazos Bend is one of the largest state parks in Texas encompassing trails, lakes and diverse habitats for animals. It’s the perfect place to spend the day or even an entire weekend and it’s less than 30 minutes away from our community.
Park hours are 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily. The entrance fee is $7 for ages 13 + and free for 12 and under. Here are a few of our favorite activities. Because of the camp’s popularity, reservations are recommended for camping and day use.
Hike and Bike
Grab your bike or put on your walking shoes and explore the more than 37 miles of trails traversing the park. All of the trails are ranked easy or moderate by AllTrails and circle the lakes, connect up with each other and head into the hardwood forest. Take a virtual tour on the Interactive Trails Map.
Explore Creekfield Lake Nature Trail
This half-mile paved trail is a family favorite. Traversing a wetland area, the trail boasts touchable bronzes of wildlife, an accessible boardwalk, observation deck and shaded rest areas.
Ride Your Horse
Got a horse or two? Trailer them into the park for a day of horseback riding you won’t forget. There are 13 miles of multi-use trails as well as 15 primitive equestrian campsites (no electricity) at the trailhead.
Fish
With three lakes available for fishing, Brazos Bend is the perfect place to spend a lazy Saturday. A fishing pier is located at Hale Lake. New Horseshoe Lake features ample shoreline access. Bank fishing is available along Big Creek at selected locations. No license is required to fish in the park but there is a two-pole limit when fishing from the pier.
Watch the Birds
Don’t forget to bring your binoculars or camera because Brazos Bend is home to more than 300 species of birds. The best viewing spots can be found near the three largest lakes. Elm Lake has a deck with panoramic views of the water and shoreline. 40 Acre Lake has an observation tower. Pilant Lake has several rookeries.
Commune with Nature
Brazos Bend is home to a lot of wildlife, including white-tailed deer, feral pigs, raccoons, bobcats, river otters, foxes and alligators (yep, alligators). The best place to learn about them is at the Nature Center, open weekends from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Camp
Pitch a tent at one of the many campsites located in the park. Most sites offer electricity, water hook-up, picnic tables, nearby restrooms, fire rings and grills. More luxurious accommodations are available in the screened shelters. A cabin is also available as are facilities for youth group campouts.
Star Gaze
Explore the final frontier at the George Observatory, located in the middle of the park. Three domed telescopes grace the facility, with the 36-inch Gueymard Research Telescope being one of the largest telescopes in the nation open to the public. There’s also a Challenger Learning Center for Space Science Education, which takes participants on simulated space missions, complete with a mission control center and a spacecraft simulator. A separate ticket is required to access the observatory.
If you like the idea of a vegetable garden more than the effort of maintaining a gardening plot, have we got a solution for you. Container gardens!
Container gardens take up less space and are easier to care for than your normal vegetable garden. Not only will you be using a spade less you may find pest management easier. If one plant gets a disease, it won’t spread and wreck all of your hard work.
As a bonus, the flowers and vegetables are beautiful and can spruce up the back patio of your new Sierra Vista home all year round. They are also great for introducing kids to gardening.
What can you grow in a container garden? Almost all vegetables can be grown in a small space. Your best bet, if you are new to container gardening, are herbs, tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, green onions, beans, lettuce, spinach, squash, turnips, carrots, broccoli, peas and radishes. You can also try cucumbers and pole beans, but they do require more space.
Here are a few more tips for starting a container garden.
Let There Be Light
Some plants need more light than others, so your covered patio might not be the best place for them. Tomatoes in particular need at least six hours of direct sunlight each day. Check with your local nursery or on the seed packet to see how much sunlight your plants will need. Then, check the location you want to put your container every 30 minutes throughout the day to see how long the sun hits that spot.
Choose the Right Container
You can grow vegetables in any container. However, bigger is usually better. Large containers are easier to maintain, and the soil will retain more moisture. If you decide to use terra cotta pots, lay down a plastic liner to help keep moisture in.
Wet But, Not Too Wet
Obviously, plants need water, but you don’t want to drown them. Make sure your containers will drain properly. That means enough or bigger holes so the water can get out. If you don’t, the soil will become too wet and the roots will rot. The recommended minimum size for a drainage hole is 1/2 inch in diameter for small or medium-sized pots. For larger containers, you will need at least an inch in diameter.
Quality Soil Counts
Digging up your backyard and throwing the dirt into the container seems like a cheap option but it will cost you in the long run. Your backyard dirt could have organisms in them that are detrimental to your vegetables. Spring for high-quality soil from a gardening center.
Feed Me, Seymore!
Even with good potting soil, you will need to add fertilizer. Some potting soils are more nutrient-rich than others, so talk to the staff at your local gardening center. Make or buy compost to add extra nutrition.
Need another reason to love Sierra Vista? Recent highway expansions have made surrounding areas even more accessible to our residents, meaning more food, fun and reasons to love living here!
SH 288: Additional Lanes, Additional Conveniences
With last year’s expansion of State Highway 288, residents can easily explore not only all the dining, entertainment and work opportunities that the Sierra Vista area has to offer, but those of Houston, as well. Sierra Vista’s ideal location near SH 288 and the short drive to Houston makes it the perfect location to get the best of both worlds. The calm ambiance of suburban life, with the conveniences of living near a major US city.
Start to Finish!
The project officially began in 2016 and after much planning, budgeting and hard work, the construction finally wrapped up in November 2020. The expansion features four new toll lanes designed to free up space for more drivers and give each the option of getting from point A to B a little quicker. Excess traffic is now in the rearview mirror. This is, of course, in addition to new direct connector and ramp bridges to Beltway 8, making navigation of the highway’s expanse that much easier.
The area is still receiving small improvements to ensure the longevity and smooth transition, but the main lanes are open and ready for you to hit the road.
With SH 288’s main construction project complete, residents of Sierra Vista can go straight from home to downtown Houston in only about 20 minutes. Dependent on growth of the areas along the highway, there may also be more additions later on to make everything that’s good even better.
For more information on Sierra Vista’s convenient location to Houston and the new roads to take you there, check out our location page.
If you’ve been spending the weekends touring pre-owned home after pre-owned home trying to find a perfect fit but only finding disappointment, we have a solution. Build from the ground up. There are a number of advantages to purchasing a new-build home in Sierra Vista, not the least of which is the ability to get the home of your dreams.
Affordable Customization
Building your home from the ground up means buying a home that fits your needs, not trying to shoehorn your family into a home that will work once you’ve done some remodeling. Sierra Vista builders offer multiple floor plans that can be further customized so you can turn a bedroom you don’t need into the home office you do.
You Choose the Colors
When you purchase a new construction home, you get to choose the paint colors, cabinetry, floors and light fixtures. Most builders offer a menu of standard options based on the latest home design trends. You can choose to upgrade these at the builders’ design center. Either way, your home reflects your design aesthetic, not the previous owner’s.
You Are the First Owner
There’s something to be said for being the first. Everything in your new-build home will be new, so everything will be clean and spotless. You also won’t have to invest in replacing stained bathtubs, lime-green appliances or a cracked patio.
Your Energy Bills Will be Lower
New homes are, on average, 20 percent more energy efficient than homes built 10 years ago. Why? New green energy standards incentivize builders to use higher-efficiency insulation, doors and windows as well as Energy Star appliances. All of which will reduce your energy bills.
It’s All New
Even a remodeled pre-owned home will probably have aging pipes, HVAC systems and roofs. All of these will need repairs sooner than will comparable items in a new construction home.
It’s Under Warranty
As a general rule, builders offer one-year warranties on workmanship and materials, two-year warranties on all mechanical work including the HVAC systems and a 10-year structural warranty. Which means if something breaks, it’s often covered.
It’s Probably in a New Community
Most new-build homes are sold in master-planned communities like Sierra Vista. That means you will have access to some great amenities. It also means that everyone in the neighborhood is new, so making friends is easier.
Ready to purchase a new home in Sierra Vista? Stop by our model homes and find the one that’s right for you.
Sierra Vista residents are lucky to have an array of shopping and dining just up the road at Pearland Town Center.
From fast food — Burger King, Dairy Queen and Popeyes — to more relaxed settings like Fish City Grill, BJ’s Brewhouse and ShoGun Japanese Grill & Sushi Bar, there are plenty of choices when you want someone else to do the cooking for you.
And while these restaurants are tasty, there are several local eateries even closer — and serving up equally delicious food. Here are some only about 10 minutes away for Sierra Vista residents:
Manvel Seafood & Grill
Loosen the belt and get ready to dig into Manvel Seafood & Grill’s tempting menu of appetizers, fried seafood platters, burgers, pasta and a lot more (they even have Chinese food!). For those watching their waistlines, there are also salads and grilled seafood entrees. Don’t pass up the crawfish queso — a house specialty — and the fried shrimp.
Honore’s Cajun Café
Order up some of Brook’s Famous Boudin Balls and a Hurricane and you could almost believe you’re in N’ Awlins when dining at Honore’s Cajun Café. You’ll find all your favorites, including gumbo, etouffee and red beans and rice as well as fried, grilled and boiled seafood. Not a fan of seafood? The menu of freshly made food also includes burgers, pasta and chicken.
Corey’s Kitchen
Corey’s Kitchen serves up the ultimate Southern comfort food. From sausage balls and chicken and waffles appetizers to smothered pork chops and country-fried steak, this menu does not disappoint. Burgers, wraps, grilled chicken and other choices round out the menu. Check out the daily specials and craft sodas!
Nana’s Tortilla Factory
Nana’s is also open for lunch, but it’s breakfast that really has people buzzing. The small restaurant offers 15 varieties of breakfast tacos as well as breakfast platters and gorditas. The most popular breakfast item, however, is Nana’s breakfast burrito stuffed with eggs, bacon, sausage, chorizo, potatoes, cream, beans, pico de gallo and cheese. (Note — you might be skipping lunch.)
Old Bucs BBQ
Our advice if you want to indulge in Old Bucs’ brisket, sausage and ribs — get there early. Bucs is only open Saturdays and Sundays and they remain open until they sell out, which is usually around 1 p.m. Be sure to save room for the banana pudding.
