No credit cards accepted)(Jill B. Jarvis)Heres what I like about Bayou Wildlife Zoo:Its unexpected. (Jill B. Jarvis)Right along a busy road, back behind the trees, is the Bayou Wildlife Zoo. The main attraction is the tram ride through the 86-acre property where exotic wildlife is allowed to roam. (Jill B. Jarvis)Our tram ride lasted about 30 minutes and we had a minor break down in the middle. Oh, and if you want to buy the Bayou Wildlife Zoo, its yours!

A Cupcake ATM?! This is what I said when my friend told me about the Sprinkles Cupcake ATM a couple years ago. You can walk up at any hour, type in your order and have a freshly baked Sprinkles Cupcake! (Jill B. Jarvis)This is the Sprinkles Cupcakes on Westheimer… and the ATM is around the back of the shop. It’s a silly little thing… but silly little things are just our style.

The Trail Riders are about to head to Houston! Here is the official map, the routes and their break locations (where you might just be able to say hello to the riders)! If you want to find them, here’s the plan:Find the official map HEREOn the map, look for the Trail Riders in your part of town. On the left of the map, click on the name of the Trail Riders near you. If you want a quick look at the routes, below are the routes of all the Trail Riders!

Address: 20215 Chasewood Park Dr, Houston, TX 77070

Visiting the Houston Police Departments Mounted Patrol Stables might just be the coolest free thing to do in Houston. Mounted patrol barn (Jill B. Jarvis)Mounted patrol stable (Jill B. Jarvis)BigKidSmallCity had a Meet Up here in the Fall. A HPD officer was our guide and taught us all about the Mounted Patrol. Mounted patrol stable (Jill B. Jarvis)Mounted patrol stable (Jill B. Jarvis)We also learned that the Houston Mounted Patrol practices natural horsemanship and they feed the animals a natural diet and they are barefoot! After sitting on the bleachers and learning about the horses, we went back in the stables to feed all the horses.

Hindu Mandir Houston (Jill B. Jarvis)Drive through an industrial area off the highway, and then through apartment complexes, and then out of no where are bright white pinnacles, topped with flags. Rice University Lovett Hall Columns (Jill B. Jarvis)Pack up your explorers and start uncovering secrets at Rice University! Sisters of Charity Park (Jill B. Jarvis)This park does not have a playground… but it’s the most surprising thing you’ll find in Downtown Houston. Helen's Park (Jill B. Jarvis)This might just be one of Houston’s best kept secrets. Sam Houston Park (Jill B. Jarvis)Sam Houston Park is Houston’s oldest park.

Hong Kong Food Market (Jill B. Jarvis)2. Ice Cream: Chinatown shops do ice cream well! To start, find rolled ice cream at Class 502 and sea salt ice cream, wrapped in cotton candy at Aqua S! Chinese New Year outfits (Jill B. Jarvis)6. Tao Chew Temple (Jill B. Jarvis)This story was originally published on JillBJarvis.com and is being featured here as part of a partnership with BigKidSmallCity.