Houston Art Car Parade

When we first arrived in Pearland,  our friend Tom gave us lots of suggestions for things to see and do in the area one of them was the Art Car Museum, and he mentioned that there was also an Art Car Parade.  It just happened to be the weekend before we were leaving, so we kept it on our list of possibilities.

As the weekend got nearer, we started debating whether we should go downtown for the parade.  It meant going back to downtown Houston . . . but it sounded pretty cool.  There was a chance for thunderstorms, but mostly north of town, so we decided to give it a try.

It turns out that driving TO downtown Houston is a lot easier than driving THROUGH or AROUND downtown Houston!  We took the non-toll highway right into town, and as soon as traffic started to backup, we exited and took surface streets the rest of the way (only a couple of miles).  We drove almost to where the road closures started, and found a place to park in a corner vacant lot in a nearby neighborhood.

We had targeted a location near the end of the parade route, and figured we would walk towards the beginning of the route until we found a good spot to stop and watch.  We got there right around the time that the parade should be getting started at the other end of town.

We were really surprised to see that the “line up” for the parade extended all the way back to where we were!  It was nice though – we could walk along the parkway and look at the cars while they were still stationary.

Some of them were pretty interesting – this was probably most unusual use of a Flex that we’ve ever seen!

Many vehicles were decorated to look like something else, and others were just decorated . . . with a variety of materials.

This one was covered in beer caps – really a work of art!

This motorhome and their tow car were also completely covered – in pieces of glass and metal . . . and who knows what else!

Very cool – and they really do live in it!

It would be interesting to run into them in a campground somewhere!

They weren’t the only RV in the parade, either . . . there was this cute little camper, too!

Then there were some “cars” that were just interesting . . .

Wow – I don’t think there’s an inch of available space on that car!!

We talked to the guy who brought this car all the way from Ohio – it’s the 4th art car that he’s created.

From works of art to  . . . well, just interesting!

The Crapper Car was pretty funny – and that was even a real guy sitting in there!

Then there was the Mystery Machine crew . . . they we having fun posing for pictures!

By the time we finished walking through the vehicles still waiting to start moving, we could see the beginning of the parade getting closer to us, so we found a good spot along the road to watch from.

The vehicles started rolling toward us . . .

the variety continued to amaze us!

Superheroes

a Party Bus,

and food – tacos and donuts!

Some were trying to send a message,

(Seriously, those are all PEEPS!!)

Art is everywhere . . . .

Then there were several versions of “hippie buses promoting love for everyone --

the classic,

the modern,

and the pre-historic!

And this “Piggy Bank” promoting earning and saving money!

We got about 3/4 of the way through the parade, and suddenly there was a quickly-moving blob of dark clouds gathering over our heads.  It started to rain lightly, and we were able to keep dry by standing under a tree.  Then the wind picked up, and and the rain started coming down a lot harder . . . we moved to a larger tree, but it didn’t provide much protection!

This guy stopped under our tree to tell us it was raining . . . lol!

The parade was advertised as continuing, rain or shine, but they saw lightning near the center of town, so the parade was halted for about 15  minutes.  By the time it started again, the rain had passed over us, and the sun was coming back out!  That’ll help dry us out!

We could have used them during the rain!

More theme vehicles . . .

bugs,

(this was was playing “La Cucaracha” as it raced down the street!)

space vehicles from NASA,

-- real and fictional --

and zombies!

A few more “normal” vehicles,

and a few more unusual . . . .

and that about wrapped up the parade.  It was fun, and definitely interesting!

It was about dinnertime by then, so we stayed downtown and looked for someplace interesting for dinner.  The Burger Joint had really good reviews online, and a long line when we arrived, so we decided it was a good option.

Good choice – our burgers and fries were delicious, although Tom says he probably wouldn’t get the Kimchi burger again!

It was a good day, and a nice way to wrap up our stay in the Houston area!