This weekend I decided to trade in my usual 1,190 calorie Ham and Egg Griddle Melt from IHOP to engage in an activity that would not only enrich my body, but also my mind. I signed up for a bike tour of Houston with Bayou City Adventures.

The tour lasted a little over two hours and began just off Washington Avenue (a very popular night scene in Houston) and circled around Buffalo Bayou Park. We pedaled through inclined terrain and very picturesque scenery.

Along the way, we made about 13 stops at bridges, monuments, and buildings. The tour guide provided the history of each stop and allotted plenty of time for the bikers to take pictures (or “selfies” as many call it nowadays).

My absolute favorite was the Tolerance monument which consists of seven metal giants. I have seen the peculiar metal giants before, but I never knew the meaning behind them. The seven giants represent the seven continents of the world and together they symbolize the unity and diversity of mankind.

Another interesting stop was the Waugh Bridge Bat Colony. It is home to about 250,000 Mexican free-tailed bats that emerge every night to feed on Houston area insects. If you have a bug or insect phobia like me, you would find a deep appreciation for the bat colony and say to yourself, “Oh wow, thank goodness for all those bats.”

Aside from falling off my bike and into the mud twice (no worries; no injuries or broken bones), the tour was fun and educational. I hadn’t ridden a bicycle since I was about 13 and I must admit I was a bit hesitant when I hopped on, but it only took me a few seconds of pedaling to refresh my “motor” skills.

Tour guide Archie Wright has worked for Bayou City Adventures for over a year and encourages people of all ages to take the Leisure City Bike Tour because it is a great way to learn about Houston while participating in an outdoor activity.

“I definitely recommend to anyone to take a bike tour of Houston. The tour is full of information. You will learn something new and riding a bicycle is an excellent form of exercise. You will not lose anything from it except a bunch of calories. And heck, who doesn’t want that?” Wright said.

Just as an FYI, I burned 900 calories during the tour. As a reward, I decided to treat myself to that delicious Ham and Egg Griddle Melt from IHOP!