Sunday Driving: Seeing the Sights Otherwise Not Seen

A Sunday drive around the Houston we never visit had me missing our camera. Fortunately, Google's all-seeing eye will eventually eliminate the need for cameras, eyes and and, eventually, memory. Included in our adventures were unexpected sculptures, roads less taken and a four-lane path to salvation. I'll start with the roadside art.

Near the 610 and 288 interchange, a collection of steel sculptures; a standing figure, flying planes, a roadrunner, a spider and more all live along the Frontage Road. Geocentric website Platial ("What and Who's Nearby") has a local user (ShootHouston) who attributes the works to the Texas Pipe & Supply Company. So... it must be true. Google Earth does seem to back it up, with a collection of industrial buildings and stacks of pipes neighboring the art.

View Larger Map

View Larger Map

After that, it was a visit to the Buddha Light Monastery, which we read about on Swamplot. The for-sale property had a big, unkempt lot, a cute house, a large garage/shed building, the temple structure and separate bathroom facilities. For a working artist with a desire to be removed from the Houston inner loop, this would be a great place to create far (but not too far) from the city and its distractions. Live in the house, make art in the garage, display it in yard or covert the temple to a gallery (easy!). When we stopped by, it looked like a black church congregation was looking at the property. It would be perfect for that too.

View Larger Map

Lastly, the large statue off Synott Rd. is part of the Sri Ashtalakshmi Temple Houston JET Vedic Learning Center.. This stretch of road is chock-full of churches, temples and houses of worship, making it a place that I hope to revisit once a camera is purchased.

View Larger Map