Got Beef?

In team penning, three riders attempt to separate three pre-designated cows from a larger herd and pen them as fast as possible. Separating, or cutting, a head of cattle from the herd takes some of the most precise, athletic, and skillful horseback riding you'll ever see, and it's just one of the events scheduled for this year's Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo , taking place March 3–22. Some 30,000 livestock entrants make it the largest livestock show in the world, garnering some impressive numbers — last year's grand champion goat sold for $115,000. The event, which has raised more than $230 million for the education of Texas youth over its 77-year history, draws an average total attendance of about 1.6 million. They don't come just for the donkey and mule show (scheduled to start March 20). There are also wine competitions, barbecue cook-offs, bull riding, a carnival, and concerts from some of music's biggest names, including Rascal Flatts (March 3), Alan Jackson (March 4), the Jonas Brothers (March 8), Reba McEntire (March 11), Brad Paisley (March 12), Gary Allen (March 18), and Taylor Swift (March 20). Continental Airlines is an official sponsor of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. hlsr.com

— Andrew Eitelbach

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Raising The Bar

Last year Alberto Gonzalez left Argentina to open an organic restaurant and bar in New York. And he's delivered brilliantly. His GustOrganics at 519 Avenue of the Americas (at 14th Street) serves up healthful, farm-fresh, and eco-conscious dishes like organic pizzas, whole-wheat and gluten-free pastas, and Buenos Aires–style steak. Located ironically enough in a former Burger King space, GustOrganics is the first restaurant to use only USDA-certified 100 percent organic ingredients. The restaurant runs on solar and wind power, composts food, uses soy ink and recycled paper for its menus, runs tap water through a UV purification system, and uses biodegradable takeout containers. Most impressive: it has the world's first USDA-certified organic bar. gustorganics.com

— Gail Harrington

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Flower of the Hour

Orchids are prized for their rarity, perfume, and delicate, exotic beauty. There are more than 60,000 species and 100,000 hybrids, and no two look quite alike. Through March 29, hundreds of colorful blooms are on display at the Cleveland Botanical Garden in University Circle for Orchid Mania. Don't miss a chance to walk through the tropical splendor of the garden's Costa Rican rain forest display, where orchids and butterflies compete for attention. Home growers can bring ailing plants in for expert diagnosis Saturday, March 14 and 21, during the show, and buy new ones March 7, 8, and 29. cbgarden.org

— Laura Taxel

Getting There: All the destinations covered in “Go Explore” can be reached by flying Continental Airlines. To book your trip, visit Continental Airlines Vacations at covacations.com .

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