Houston, out of this world story in the July 2010 Issue of Explore TACA

Houston, out of this world

By Jorge L. Oliver

Forget about rodeos, cowboy hats and barbecue. Being the fourth largest city in the United States can only mean you’re in a cosmopolitan, modern and vibrant place. And that’s just what Houston is: from fine art museums to cutting edge technology, the Space City skyrockets to please.

Sure, you can still enjoy Texas-style top-notch barbecue, but don’t neglect the excellent Vietnamese and Chinese restaurants, or the influx of European chefs; in fact, you can find finger-licking good cuisine from just about any place in the globe here. And yes, the annual rodeo is an event worthy of praise, but so are the theater festivals and the art exhibits. And the best part? It all comes with a decidedly non Texas-size price tag. Affordability is the name of the game in Houston, where a CityPass can get you into six of its main attractions for $39.99 and prices in general are considerably lower when compared to other major metropolitan areas in the U.S.

Despite its overwhelming size, Houston keeps some of its main cultural and family attractions within walking distance of each other. The nucleus that binds them together is Hermann Park, a 445-acre green oasis flanked by such mainstays as the Houston Museum of Natural Science, the Museum of Fine Arts, the Houston Zoo (all three included in the CityPass), a Japanese tea garden, a free admission amphitheater, a golf course and even a small railroad.

Truly an all-in-one attraction, the Houston Museum of Natural Science goes well beyond the displays typical of this type of gallery. Houston is recognized worldwide for its energy industry, particularly for oil and natural gas, and the museum’s Wiess Energy Hall serves as a great introduction by exploring the application of scientific concepts and advanced technology to this industry. And for those of us who aren’t petrochemical engineers, the exhibit does a superb job at explaining how every aspect of energy works by incorporating interactive learning methods such as computer graphics, touch screens, holographic video displays and virtual reality, fit for both children and adults.

Elsewhere in the museum, dinosaur skeletons tower high among the 450 fossils and fossil replicas in the Hall of Paleontology, while more than 750 precious stones dazzle visitors at the Cullen Hall of Gems and Minerals. Visitors will also find the Cockrell Butterfly Center, a three-story glass structure built around a 50-foot waterfall that houses a simulated tropical rainforest filled with exotic plants and hundreds of butterflies.

If you’d rather see modern, living animals as opposed to fossilized remains, the Houston Zoo sits just a small trek away from the Houston Museum of Natural Science. At 55 acres, it’s not a particularly large park, but what it lacks in space it makes up in content: over 4,500 animals representing more than 800 species including such critically endangered or otherwise rare specimens as the red panda, Malayan tiger, spectacled bear or a white American alligator (not due to albinism but to a skin condition known as leucism). Moreover, the zoo’s Natural Encounters exhibit and Meet the Keeper Talks go beyond the traditional experience by providing interactive opportunities where visitors get to learn more about the animals and in some cases, observe the creatures outside of their cages or watch the zookeepers feed them right before your eyes.

Also within Hermann Park is the Museum of Fine Arts, a stunning complex comprised of five separate buildings. Don’t miss the museum’s extensive collection of Indian, Chinese, Korean and Japanese art as well as the breathtaking displays of Indonesian and African gold artifacts.

But art in Houston is not confined to its museums and galleries. Discovery Green, a former parking lot-turned into a park in the heart of downtown, showcases public art exhibits along with a one-acre lake, a children’s playground, interactive water features, a multi-use amphitheater stage and a couple of restaurants. Another metropolitan park, Buffalo Bayou, offers beautiful views of downtown while displaying the work of local artists.

Ni hao and chào, Houston
Houston is located 8,648 miles from Hanoi and 7,000 miles from Beijing, but these distances shrink to the size of a snow pea in Asia Town. The city boasts the fourth largest Asian population in the United States and the second largest Vietnamese community in the nation. And the best way to absorb this rich culture is by taking the Asian Heritage Tour, a comprehensive visit through Houston’s Asian neighborhood highlighted by visits to Taoist and Buddhist temples as well as a traditional tea ceremony, a generous dim-sum lunch in the Ocean Palace, one of the city’s largest Chinese restaurants, and a quick lesson in Chinese calligraphy or kung-fu.

“This isn’t as much a sightseeing tour as it is a showcase of our culture,” says Taiwan native Christy Chang, organizer and guide of the Asian Heritage Tour. Contrary to other Asian neighborhoods in the United States, Houston’s Asia Town is not a confined, inner city area. Instead, you’ll find a six-mile-long corridor whose distinct heritage is given away by the occasional traditional Asian architecture and the Chinese spelling of street names.

Houston, Tranquility Base here…
If energy and medicine are two of Houston’s most well known industries, space exploration is without a doubt the most intriguing. Headquarters of the National Aeronautic and Space Administration (NASA) since the 1950s, the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center is your one-stop shop for everything you’ve always wondered about the life and work of astronauts. The regular admission, included as one of the attractions of the CityPass, allows you to discover the Visitor Center’s Astronaut Gallery, Starship Gallery, the Feel of Space interactive exhibit, Blast Off Theatre, Kids Space Place and a tram tour of the massive NASA complex.

But the real stellar (no pun intended) experience in the Johnson Space Center is embarking on the Level 9 tour, an intimate (maximum 12 people), four to five hour trip where you’ll get to boldly go where few non-astronauts or non-NASA personnel have gone before. You’ll get up close and personal with space vehicles, lunar bases, rocket ships and other space-travel related equipment. The tour also includes a stop at the Neutral Buoyancy Lab, where astronauts practice operations in a 6.2 million gallon pool to simulate the weightless condition that is experienced by spacecraft and crew during space flight. You will also stop by the Historic Mission Control Center, where Neil Armstrong’s transmissions were received in 1969 after landing on the moon, as well as the current operational mission control center, which monitors activity in the International Space Station and will serve as the control center for upcoming manned trips to the moon and Mars.

After the seriousness and information overload of the Space Center, now is a good time to take the family to some good old-fashioned amusement park fun. The Kemah Boardwalk, located a few miles east of the Space Center, features more than a dozen attractions, including an aquarium where you can touch and feed stingrays, plus plenty of shops and restaurants. And, of course, one can just take a lazy stroll down the boardwalk to take in the afternoon sea breeze, courtesy of the Houston Bay Area.

Where to stay
Alden hotel
1117 Prairie St.
Ideally located in downtown Houston, Alden is a luxury boutique hotel perfect for business and leisure travelers alike. The 97 elegant, spacious guestrooms feature state-of-the art technology and the hotel offers a 24-hour complimentary fitness facility, wireless Internet access and business services. Hungry? The menu at *17 restaurant will pamper your taste buds with delicacies such as duck confit, deconstructed beef Wellington, Australian lamb rack and pan-seared salmon. The truffle mac n’ cheese is a deliciously elegant spin on a classic.

Where to eat
There are more than 8,000 restaurants in the Houston area, so variety is not a problem. Some suggestions:

Breakfast Klub
3711 Travis St.
713.528.8561
Catfish with grits? Chicken wings with waffles? You bet. Drawing on his childhood experiences, when breakfast consisted of whatever was leftover from dinner, Breakfast Klub owner Marcus Davis firmly believes that any time is a good time for soul food and breakfast.

Ocean Palace
11215 Bellaire Blvd.
281.988.8898
This massive restaurant in Asia Town is famous for its authentic dim sum, just like the locals remember it from back home. The only difference? True to the spirit of Texas, the portions are somewhat larger than those commonly served in China.

Feast
219 Westheimer Road
713.529.7788
Labeled “Rustic European fare,” Feast will make you feel as though you stepped into an olde English tavern of yore. Braised lamb shank, crispy roasted pork belly, pickled sheepshead and cock-a-leekie (braised chicken with cream, leeks, plums and bacon) are some of the menu’s standouts, as well as a generous selection of beers.

Haven
2502 Algerian Way
713.581.6101
Who says earth-friendly food can’t be upscale? All doubts can be laid to rest in Haven, one of Houston’s newest restaurants. Try the wild boar chili, shrimp corn dogs or the baby iceberg lettuce salad with fried oysters.

Branch Water Tavern
510 Shepherd Drive
713.863.7777
Snacks like duckfat popcorn or chicken liver mousse pave the way for rich entrees, such as venison medallions, seared scallops and Long Island duck.

Bailey’s American Grille
2320 NASA Parkway, Seabrook TX
281.291.9100
Seafood, steaks, chicken… and plenty of wine. You can enjoy this Houston Bay Area favorite, located a stone’s throw away from the Johnson Space Center.

Shopping
Houston Galleria
5085 Westheimer Road
Set beneath glass atriums, The Galleria features more than 375 fine stores and restaurants, an ice rink and two Westin hotels. This top-notch shopping center showcases the best names in retailing including Neiman Marcus, Cartier, Gucci, two Macy's stores, Tiffany & Co., Saks Fifth Avenue, Ralph Lauren Collection, Louis Vuitton and Houston's only Nordstrom.

TACA flies directly to Houston from San Salvador and Roatán.

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