A week in Houston

We are going to spend a week in Houston in August to celebrate my passing the PE. Ive got some distant relatives we are going to spend a day with but other than that I dont have any knowledge of the area. We intend to go to the beach for a day or two and catch an Astros game.

What else should we "not miss"???

Astros game will be great. They have a promotion going on right now. For every adult ticket purchase, you get two free kids tickets (children under 14). If you have any kids, it's a good deal.

NASA is also a good place to check out. If your a AAA member, they offer ticket discounts (at least that was the case a few years back).

you pass the PE and the best place you can come up with to go and celebrate is Houston?

You could visit iconic landmarks such as the Space Center (WTF is Indiana Jones doing on their website?), the San Jacinto Monument (it's Texas version of the Washington Monument except it overlooks something much more interesting, oil refineries), and you cap your world wind week off with a trip to Astroworld (except they closed it).

Houston in August is miserable my suggestion would be to pick another destination. :2cents:

(although the idea of going to an Astros game is appealing).

From what I remember about Houston (not much), I'd just stay away from the South Side... We were driving back to Austin from Galvaston, and stopped in the middle of the night at a motel on the S. Side of Houston. When we stepped into the office, the guy behind the counter (behind bullet proof glass) stepped BACK. That should have been our first clue. We got a room because we were exhausted.

Went inside and it was a slum, paint peeling, carpet ripped, flipped on the light and massive roaches scattered in the bathroom. Didn't even want to sit on the bed. Got back in the car, decided it was best to just keep driving.

As we drove back to the on ramp, we noticed something we missed before - 1/2 of the hotel in the back was taped off. It was completely burnt out.

So, my first thought was "I'm never going to Houston again", but it was a single trip in a poor stopping location.

Good luck, if the guy at the hotel steps back from bullet proof glass, I'd just keep on going down the road.

Not all of Houston is as bad at TouchDown describes, just like any major metropolitan area it has it's nicer areas and it's not so nice areas. Sounds like TD found one of the later.

I grew up in Houston, it's not a bad city, it's just not what I would call a tourist destination. Don't get me wrong, there are things to do there, but nothing that stands out as being all that unique or overwhelming. You can go to a sporting event, but you can do that in any city. You can go see some historical sites relating to Texas' battle for independence from Mexico, but the most notable sites are in San Antonio (a.k.a. - the Alamo). Houston is the site where the Texans defeated Santa Anna and the Mexican army to gain independence, the San Jacinto Monument stands on that site now, but that historical location is now along the shipping channel and thus it is also surrounded by oil refineries. Not the nicest place for a visit. Galvaston is a short (1-2 hours depending on where you are staying) drive from Houston. But there is nothing great about Galveston. The currents in the Gulf of Mexico bring all the silt around from the mouth of the Mississippi river. The result is that Galveston Beach has a very fine sand which is brown in color. The surf kicks this sand up making the water a lovely muddy brown. It really doesn't look so great.

And worst of all you are planning to go in August. Do you have any idea how hot and humid Houston is in August? You may as well be planning a trip to a tropical rain forest.

TouchDown said:

From what I remember about Houston (not much), I'd just stay away from the South Side... We were driving back to Austin from Galvaston, and stopped in the middle of the night at a motel on the S. Side of Houston. When we stepped into the office, the guy behind the counter (behind bullet proof glass) stepped BACK. That should have been our first clue. We got a room because we were exhausted.
Went inside and it was a slum, paint peeling, carpet ripped, flipped on the light and massive roaches scattered in the bathroom. Didn't even want to sit on the bed. Got back in the car, decided it was best to just keep driving.

As we drove back to the on ramp, we noticed something we missed before - 1/2 of the hotel in the back was taped off. It was completely burnt out.

So, my first thought was "I'm never going to Houston again", but it was a single trip in a poor stopping location.

Good luck, if the guy at the hotel steps back from bullet proof glass, I'd just keep on going down the road.

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I see someone else had a similar experience in Texas that I did. While driving around, it was also evident that the notion of limiting Urban Sprawl was not a popular idea in Texas. But their roads were very good. You could get from one strip mall to the next barely ever seeing a pothole.

I don't even want to think about the weather in Houston in July/August. May was bad enough.

RW - being from Houston, did you go to aTm? I know it pulls a lot of students from Houston. Good friend who now lives in Alabama was from Houston and went there.

Kemah Boardwalk. Lived down the street from that place and walked to it occasionally for fun and food. Neat little attraction. HOWEVER, if you plan on going, be sure to get there early. Parking is a bitch the later it gets.

TouchDown said:

RW - being from Houston, did you go to aTm? I know it pulls a lot of students from Houston. Good friend who now lives in Alabama was from Houston and went there.

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A lot of students from Houston (or anywhere else in the state) end up at A&M or UT, I didn't go to either (although I almost ended up at UT). I left Texas and ended up at Georgia Tech.

I'd go visit the Alamo in San Antonio (it's like 2 hrs away)... Then I'd go visit the boardwalk

ps. Don't plan on driving home that night.

Kemah stinks, I'd sooner hit up Galveston and the strand. Hit up Moody Gardens if you like aquariums. The rainforest pyramid stinks though, don't waste your money unless you like staring at plants and two parrots.

Check ahead and see if there are any shows at the House of Blues. Overpriced food/drinks, but still a nice place. There is a comedy club a bit further out west right near the 610/I-10 intersection that's always got shows, and it's right next to a huge IMAX theater also.

Right in the heart of downtown is the Galleria, one of the biggest malls in the US. Everything from your regular stores to your uber-high-end stuff. Ice skating rink downstairs, blah blah blah. About two blocks away from the mall is the giant waterwall monument. Makes for some cool pictures, and a nice refreshing mist to boot.

The museum district isn't bad either. Museum of Natural Science is pretty good, the Modern Art museum stinks, Museum of Fine Arts is pretty good. Check and see if the Art Car museum is open. Definitely some cool stuff in there, and it's off the beaten path as well. Herman Park often does concerts/shows at night and is right across the street from the museum district, so see if anything is going on there as well. The zoo isn't overly impressive either, especially in the heat.

As for the roads in Houston... yikes. Most of I-10 isn't bad, neither is the Beltway, but 610 and most of the regular roads are TERRIBLE.

Space center is cool, both literally and figuratively. In all honesty, spend as much time as you can indoors. People are complaining about how "hot" it is here in NC, and I'm about ready to put on a sweatshirt. Houston is VERY hot and VERY humid, and there is a good reason you don't see many people outdoors in the summer. When nightfall hits is when you see a lot of people out.

BTW, East Houston and South Houston towards Pearland are notoriously bad, that's a given. When you get into the heart of downtown and go further west towards Katy, it's very nice. Take a drive down Memorial and some of the roads out that way, and you will see some VERY high end neighborhoods. I was in West Houston out towards Katy, and the only shooting around there was when someone tried to rob the bank in the middle of the afternoon.

Oh yeah, don't forget to go see the beer can house!

By the way, if you're looking for some adult beverages, check out this hole in the wall called Lola's. It's behind an Autozone, has no sign, and looks like an abandoned building. It is my all time favorite bar. Some very "interesting" people in there, and the cheapest, strongest drinks on the face of the planet. Happy hour goes until 11pm. I spent many a nights in Lola's, and never felt unsafe either.

Supe said:

Right in the heart of downtown is the Galleria, one of the biggest malls in the US. Everything from your regular stores to your uber-high-end stuff. Ice skating rink downstairs, blah blah blah. About two blocks away from the mall is the giant waterwall monument. Makes for some cool pictures, and a nice refreshing mist to boot.

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I don't recall the Galleria being "in the heart of downtown". I remember it being just outside 610 near hwy 59. Maybe downtown is bigger then I remember but that wasn't considered downtown 10 years ago.

we are staying in webster for most of the week. Bad idea? thanks for the input guys (even though youve put a downer on my getaway!)

It's all coming back now...

The Galleria is short drive from the Minute Maid Park (where the Astro's play). My daughter and I go there every once in a while, while the hubby and sons watch a game.

The Kemah Boardwalk is fun. The all day ride wristband is the best deal.

Kemah Boardwalk

If you can, stay at the Boardwalk Inn. It's pricey, but worth it. Get the room with the Fountain View because you can hear and watch the band from your balcony. It's also good because you can go take a break from the Boardwalk rides during the hottest part of the day. It's only a short walk away from the Boardwalk. Then, go back to the Boardwalk in the evening when it's cooler.

Kemah Boardwalk Inn

A word of caution. Kemah is a small town. So it relies on it's police dept. for revenue. Be sure to follow all the laws -- slow down at yellow lights, make complete stops at stop signs.

The Galveston pyramids (or Moody Gardens) are fun. It has 3 glass pyramids -- Aquarium, Rainforest, and Discovery. We've only been to the Aquarium. It was ok. The time we went they had a Dinosaur exhibit outside with life size, animatronic dinosaurs. The kids had a blast at this exhibit. Don't know if it's there this year.

Moody Gardens

Supe said:

Kemah stinks

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You stink.

roadwreck said:

I don't recall the Galleria being "in the heart of downtown". I remember it being just outside 610 near hwy 59. Maybe downtown is bigger then I remember but that wasn't considered downtown 10 years ago.

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Eh, I consider just about at the loop an inward to be downtown, but calling it in the "heart" is misleading. You're right in the sense that it's not "downtown" between the skyscrapers and all the Rice Village hoopla.

I just wasn't a fan of Kemah. I went there thinking it would be a pleasant alternative to Galveston, but unless you ride the dinky rides there, it's a very short-lived trip. I think within an hour I had already been around the boardwalk, in every one of the shops, and was ready to leave.

I live in the area and work for the City of Webster. Give me a shout if you want any info.

I sent you a PM with my contact info.

Webster doesn't look too far of a drive from Kemah. I forgot to mention the water fountain in Kemah (this is what I was referring to as the fountain view). They have these water spouts that shoot up water from the ground. These are free. Bring extra clothes if you're planning on these.

The boardwalk also has nice restaurants. We had mainly stuck to The Aquarium -- has views of huge aquariums while you dine.

rudy said:

Webster doesn't look too far of a drive from Kemah. I forgot to mention the water fountain in Kemah (this is what I was referring to as the fountain view). They have these water spouts that shoot up water from the ground. These are free. Bring extra clothes if you're planning on these.
The boardwalk also has nice restaurants. We had mainly stuck to The Aquarium -- has views of huge aquariums while you dine.

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The only downer with the Aquarium restaurant, is that a ton of people bring their kids, and it's VERY noisy in there, and they can be quite a disturbance. Later evening hours may be a better time to dine there if you do. And their fish tacos are pretty good (no dirty joke intended.)

I'm just wondering why Houston?

I think if it were me I'd go to Florida, New Orleans, New York, DC, Chicago, any other big city with cool stuff. I equate Houston to Atlanta and having lived there there is now way I would go there for vacation.