Clear Lake, Texas has the largest concentration of boats in the state, making it one of the most marine-friendly areas in the country. It's the result of being midway between Houston and Galveston and having nine distinctly different municipalities lining the shore. The 125 square miles making up the area includes 19 marinas with more than 7,000 slips. Boat ramps can be found on either side of the well-traveled Kemah-Seabrook Bridge which provides easy access to Galveston Bay directly to the east and Clear Lake to the west. In addition, there are boat ramps at the Lakewood Yacht Club in Seabrook and Walter Hall Park in League City (see ramp addresses at conclusion of this article). And there is a BoatUS Marine Center in the Clear Lake area as well (18313 Egret Bay Blvd, Houston).

Boaters will see the massive 17,000-foot Italian Renaissance mansion built in the 1920's by Texas oilman John Marion West overlooking Clear Lake. At one time, West owned all the land that is now the Clear Lake area.

While recreation revolves around the water, business and commerce are centered, in part, on the nearby Johnson Space Center, where astronauts train for upcoming shuttle missions. It is at the Johnson Space Center where Mission Control is located which handles all shuttle operations immediately after liftoff from Cape Kennedy in Florida.

Fireworks and festivals take center stage during the Fourth of July celebration on Clear Lake. Boaters watch the activities just after sunset and the event has become a popular tradition throughout the area.

Clear Lake residents and visitors have the opportunity in August to attend an open house at the JSC during the Ballunar Liftoff Festival. It is a weekend of activities including more than 100 hot air balloons; one of which is shaped like the Space Shuttle. During the festival, the area's 6 RV parks, 22 hotels and motels and campgrounds are filled with families taking in the water as well as the tours and exhibits.

During the weekend of October 21, the Wings Over Houston Air Show can be viewed from Clear Lake. This celebration of flight features a variety of aircraft including the A-10 warthog, the F-117 Stealth Fighter, an F-14 Tomcat and the B-52. The aircraft fly over Clear Lake during the air show providing boaters with a unique perspective

At the far east end of Clear Lake is the town of Kemah whose boardwalk is lined with 16 restaurants on one side (including more than 40 shops and boutiques) and a view of shrimp boats going out or coming in from Galveston Bay on the opposite side. Kemah began as a port for shrimp boats and, despite development, retains a portion of that atmosphere today. The boardwalk is the venue for the popular Jaguar Festival in November where more than 50 vintage cars will be on display.

On December 9th, the 39th Annual Clear Lake Christmas Parade will be held with more than 100 decorated boats on the water. The flotilla of yachts, sailboats, runabouts, dinghies and even kayaks, can be viewed all along the shoreline and from the cities of Kemah and Seabrook where the parade concludes.

A different kind of flight can be viewed anytime of the year at the Armand Bayou Nature Center. Here, more than 360 species of birds and animals (including armadillo and coyote) are found on the preserve's 2,500 acres. There are five miles of trails including a 500-foot teaching boardwalk.

The only surviving Navy warship that served in both world wars, the Battleship Texas can be toured at its mooring in the San Jacinto battleground. Texas spent more than 32 years traveling the world's oceans and is undergoing internal restoration now that its exterior has been renovated.

Trailer boaters will find the Clear Lake area interesting because of its high tech industry but, maybe more important, relaxing because of its waters. That's a combination not found very often.