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!!

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TXBill



Former owner of a few diesel MB cars
1998 Lexus ES 300 In Chicago We Trust