No matter what goes wrong on a holiday to Houston, it will be difficult to get annoyed when the phrase 'Houston, we have a problem' runs through your head every time there is a traffic jam, or the airline loses your luggage. It just never gets old – at least not to the tourists. Just don't bother trying it out on the locals.
Things to See and Do
Houston is, of course, a great place to learn about space exploration. The Space Center of Houston is a cultural repository of the history of the space race and has flight deck models of the Apollo rocket on display as well as a full size shuttle. These things are huge, and really need to be seen to be believed.
If the Space Museum doesn't quench your thirst for educational fun, go to the Children's Museum of Houston. Even if you don't have kids, the hands-on displays of history, fine arts, science and geography are still fun.
Get back into the present with a credit-card workout at the Galleria – a mall with 375 stores and an ice-skating rink, or relax and be contemplative at the Tranquility Park Fountain. This modern water feature is a slice of Zen in the middle of the city, and the park is named after the Sea of Tranquility (that's a spot on the moon, where the Eagle landed and humans stepped onto the lunar surface for the first time).
Parks
Houston has some gorgeous natural resources. The Anahuac Wildlife National Refuge (Southeast of Houston) is home to rich animal and plant life. It's pure bayou (wetland) and if you are a fan of birds and the occasionally alligator, this place is a treat. There are a few boardwalks for hikers and dirt roads for four-wheel drives.
Entertainment
All of that culture and learning will need some balancing, and the St Arnold Brewery can help you with that. Houston's only microbrewery (boutique brewers of small batches of the Liquid Amber) offer a tour every Saturday at 1pm. Grab as many tokens as you can when you get there – these are exchangeable for free beer. The brewmaster at St Arnold's loves what he does and loves to talk about it, so be entertained by his stories as you get gently buzzed.
Hotels
Hotels in Houston are reasonably priced. Stay away from the larger chains (unless they are offering online specials) and stick with the local owner-operators for the best deals and the nicest places. A room for the night will cost you an average of $120, which is a steal by the standards of most major metro centers.
Use the Hotelsio Rate Finder on the left to find cheap hotels in Houston.
(Photo:Fotolia/Rita)
