Meet the new stars of Space City

BATS have had a bad press over the years. Most things you have heard about them are not true. They are not blind, nor is their waste product crazy, although it is hellishly difficult to remove should you find your clothes unfortunately flecked with any.

That warning was issued by conservationists working hard to restore the image of these lovable little creatures. There are around a quarter of a million bats living under the Waugh Bridge in Houston, making it one of the largest colonies in America.

After dusk each evening, thousands of Mexican free-tailed bats emerge every minute from under the bridge in search of food. It’s quite a sight, but it’s the sound more than anything that impresses – like a thousand oldschool kettles simultaneously whistling at breakfast. Houston’s parks department even provides stadium-style seating so you can enjoy the spectacle.

It wasn’t just my misconceptions about flying mammals that had to be re-examined. Houston itself turned out to be not quite the soulless place I had expected.

It’s much greener than advertised. The 1,500-acre Memorial Park is one of the biggest urban parks in America. There are miles of walking and cycle trails through the park, and if popular culture has taught us not to think of Texans as natural joggers, well popular culture may have got it wrong. There are thousands of them.

In summer the city is stiflingly hot and humid, so if you fancy some time out of the sun you could head to the home of Mission Control in the Apollo era of space travel, which culminated in the 1969 Moon landing.

The Space Center’s control room is currently being restored, although I thought the slightly careworn look rather appropriate. I also appreciated the fact that there was an ashtray by every seat, a sight that sets the historic room very much in its era. While the Space Center has the feel of a theme park for the kids, it’s also an impressive educational resource, and pays tribute to the extraordinary bravery of the space pioneers.

I spent only a few days in Houston, and from a sightseeing point of view that was just about right.

But if you are interested in flight – either of small mammals or adventurous humans – it’s definitely worth a visit.