If you're looking for a good place to do some canoeing, you can't go wrong with Buffalo Bayou, where you can commune with nature right in the middle of the city. There are stretches — particularly the areas running through River Oaks (go figure) — that are still wild and verdant, so you can see great blue herons and take in the natural beauty of Houston that is so easy to overlook when you're navigating through the daily hustle and bustle. Put in at Sabine Street near downtown, paddle up to Shepherd at sunset and, from a view possible only on the water, watch the bats fly out.