The wife and me are gonna do it finally, talked her into it. Will be the last week of April, first of May, Houston area. Any ones thoughts on places to see? I know I want to see the space center for sure.
Thanks, Bill

 

Welcome to Houston! Well, as a life-long Houstonian with family living here well over 150 years, I love this town. But I have to say, Houston is not a tourist city in the slightest. It's a corporate-America (and BIG OIL) town, so can be pretty boring overall except when it comes to meal times, which is a very hard city to beat on quality of restaurants, variety, and prices.

So with that in mind, Yes, Johnson Space Center is an excellent choice, and you should plan to spend all day there. As far as other things to do...well, technically you could go to the beach like Galveston, but as far as beaches are concerned, it's ugly due to the water being brown. It's not "dirty," but is just a lot of silt from the Mississippi River a few hundred miles away. Also, if you like zoos, we have an excellent zoo, and tons of great museums from Science, to multiple Art museums, and even a few Childrens museums (all in the same area). If you want evening events, maybe the Symphony, Ballet, or Theater Under the Stars (TUTS) has stuff going on. The San Jacinto Monument is so-so, and you could go on the Battleship Texas (same park as the monument) is cool.

Overall, if you're wanting a "Texas vacation," Dallas has more nice stuff, and the San Antonio / Austin area are simply awesome. New Braunfels (between SA and Austin) has river rafting and Schlitterbahn water park (the "old" park is AWESOME to go to). Vacationing towards San Antonio and Austin will keep you plenty busy, that's for sure.

 

You forgot the Kemah boardwalk!!! Also, there is a big GTG not far from Houston on the first weekend of May.

 

Come on over to the house the weekend of May 4-5 and enjoy others wrenching on vehicles. We should have some good grub as well. Not much else to see though, just a bunch of grease monkeys turning wrenches. The BS is good and the food is usually great.

 

Bill, I hope the timing is right for us to meet up with you and the misses while you're down here. Looking forward to seeing y'all.

 

Hey Roland, looking foreward to it as well. Been a few years since we were in that part of the country.

 

Can't beat the fishing at Sargent Beach. Just don't stay out near sundown. Mosquitoes the size of hawks will tear you apart!

 

Houston Attractions – Best Things To Do in Houston – 10 Best Things To Do in Houston

 

Thanks TCR, I'm sure the wife will especially like the mall idea. Thanks for the invite, Ted. The battleship tour sounds interesting as well.

 

If you're going to visit Mueckster and his wife, they live close to a place called "George Ranch." The George Family was one of the first families Stephen F. Austin got to come to Texas to help populate the state. Part of the ranch is something like an 80 acre museum with the original houses, equipment, etc. demonstrating life during the era in which the house / area represents. They have staff members dressed up in that garb, and they actually work using all the same equipment from that era. Anything they do work-wise benefits the greater ranch itself, but they demonstrate and explain how and why things are done that way. Some of it is really, really interesting, like the Blacksmith shop that makes things all day long for the working part of the ranch. If you go on a week day, you may be the only person in that part of the ranch, and can stay in that part talking to the worker as long as you want. It's different...never been to a place like it. They have a tractor that will move you from one part of the museum area to another.

Oh, and let me know if you're visiting Mueckster...I'm not too far from him either!

 

I'll keep you posted as our plans come together.

 

Golly Mark! ya missed yer calling son. Ya should have been a Tex tour guide!! Good ta hear ya back home!! Headed back to NC in a few days! God I hope its not to cold!!!


Smokie