Going to Texas for a week... - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

iwrock · #1 07-13-2008, 03:48 PM

What cool stuff is there to go do in Texas? What cool stuff is there to see?

I am going down there for business related stuff, but should have a pretty good deal of free time....

TheDon · #2 07-13-2008, 03:49 PM

go to Fry's

iwrock · #3 07-13-2008, 04:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheDon

go to Fry's

I got like 2 Frys here in Sacramento, and there are like 12 Frys if I drive 2 hours to the Bay Area.....

They just built a new one like 5 mins from my house.

H-townbenzoboy · #4 07-13-2008, 04:03 PM

What part of Texas are you going to be in? What days? Flying or driving?

iwrock · #5 07-13-2008, 04:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by H-townbenzoboy

What part of Texas are you going to be in? What days? Flying or driving?

Flying into Houston, and am grabbing a rental car. I am gonna be all over checking on different things, but should have a pretty good deal of freetime.

I am gonna be driving back to california though.

Botnst · #6 07-13-2008, 05:03 PM

Texas is about 900 miles from Sabine Pass to El Paso and about 600 miles from Amarillo to McAllen. It has alpine mountains, desert, piney woods, tall grass prairie, coastal prairie, barrier islands and seashore.

It really is a whole 'nuther country. Pretty much whatever physiographical or ecological biome you might want to see in the USA except taiga, tundra, and rain forest is found in Texas.

Of all the American cities I've been to in the USA, Houston is the most ... whatever it is. Houston is the product of almost unconstrained, rampant capitalism fueled by vast oil wealth.

Dallas has cornered the market on pretentiousness. Austin thinks it is the the way people would live if they only could.

The real Texas is everywhere else.

B

TheDon · #7 07-13-2008, 05:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iwrock

I got like 2 Frys here in Sacramento, and there are like 12 Frys if I drive 2 hours to the Bay Area.....

They just built a new one like 5 mins from my house.

frign lucky. All I have are Radioshacks that are a shame on what is used to be and of course.. Best buy

300SD81 · #8 07-13-2008, 05:31 PM

I drove through Texas with the new car a few days ago.. Didn't stop much, but saw some pretty cool stuff... You haven't lived until you drive I-10/I-20... The only place I've ever been blown by while going 110+mph...

Diesel4me · #9 07-13-2008, 06:37 PM

If you're an art lover you might want to check out the Menil Collection, and also go see the Rothko Chapel. Of course we have malls galore, but every city has a mall so don't waste your time with that. I don't know much about the nightlife here in town anymore because we prefer to frequent the coffee houses and restaurants. If you like coffee like we do, the Montrose is the place to be. Brasil and Empire Coffee Co. are our favorites.

The refineries in Pasadena, Deer Park, and LaPorte are just southeast of Houston, north of Kemah. The lights from the refineries are spectacular at night. They say if Hell was beautiful it would look like Pasadena. Just hold your nose.

For touristy-fun you can check out the Kemah Boardwalk. Great (but overpriced) seafood and oyster bars, boat rides on the bay, and there's also an amusement park with a brand new wood rollercoaster. Also, in that general area be sure to go to NASA if you've never been. I have not been since I was a child but back then it was fantastic and since then it's only gotten better.

If you like Mexican food, or as we call it here Tex-Mex, there are MANY restaurants here that have great food and are reasonably priced. One of our favorites is called Spanish Flowers, on N. Main street just north of downtown Houston. The place is open 24 hours a day, and if you get there at the right time (right before 2am or so) the people leaving the bars are great fun to see. The food is excellent and the prices are nice. Beautiful girls in traditional-type Mexican dresses go from table to table passing out hot flour tortillas to enjoy with your meal, and be sure to try the sopapillas or some flan for desert.

Galveston is not far away. Our beaches leave alot to be desired so I would not bother, but a walk down the seawall is free and the people watching, especially on the weekends in the summer can't be beat. There's a historic shopping district on the east end of the island called the Strand. There are tours of old historic homes on the island, the Bishop's Palace being by far the best. Moody Gardens is also on the island, and they have nature exhibits, an aquarium, and a big paddlewheel boat that tours Galveston Bay.

DON'T bother going to the downtown aqaurium here in Houston. Tickets are overpriced, the restaurant there is WAY overpriced, and the only fun thing there is the huge ferris wheel. Not worth seeing IMO.

You can travel about 215 miles west of Houston to San Antonio and tour the Alamo and a couple of lesser-known missions, and be sure to check out the River Walk as well. For food, there's a place near the convention center there called Mi Tierra which is about the LARGEST Mexican food place around. Of course the food there is great, but it's a bit pricey compared to what you could get here in Houston.

My favorite place of all to be is away from all of this in the piney woods of East Texas, just north of Houston. I grew up on Lake Livingston, and I sure miss the scenery there, if not the small-town 'tudes. But I need to make money and money can't be made there, so Houston is it for me.

I hope you have a great time here!!

iwrock · #10 07-13-2008, 06:54 PM

Sweet. I definitely want to go stop by the Alamo while down in Texas. Anyone down to meet up for food/drinks while I am down there?

Emmerich · #11 07-13-2008, 09:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iwrock

Sweet. I definitely want to go stop by the Alamo while down in Texas. Anyone down to meet up for food/drinks while I am down there?

It is underwhelming (Alamo)

86560SEL · #12 07-13-2008, 11:06 PM

Must be nice.

I am on vacation this week and going nowhere. Too many other obligations and no one else wants to go anywhere. I did manage to get down to South Carolina to my aunt/uncles house about 3 weeks ago. I had to drive my grandmother down and we are going back for a couple of days in late August. Its only 3 hours drive from here and she is about 10 miles east of the South Carolina-Georgia state line.

My aunt and uncle left northeast Tennessee heading to Orlando Florida on Saturday afternoon and I was very close to going with them, because I have always wanted to go to Florida, but they have a pest for a kid (my wonderful cousin

) and I could not handle the 10 hour drive with him in the SUV.

I probably would have jumped out of the SUV in Atlanta or even sooner.

Well, I hope you have fun. Texas is another place on my want to go list, but not seeing that happen anytime soon unless I win the lotto. I am too cheap to get into my savings account to go anywhere. My dad has a friend in Austin and he has offered for us to come down and has even said he and his wife would give my folks some land if he would move down there.

Quote:

Originally Posted by iwrock

Flying into Houston, and am grabbing a rental car. I am gonna be all over checking on different things, but should have a pretty good deal of freetime.
I am gonna be driving back to california though.