Aurora_25 said:
glad to hear everything is pretty much ok. I talked with my husband's family that is down in Houston, and they said the house is fine (a few shingles missing is all), but hadn't been back to check on the space center where they work.
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What to do in Houston TX?!
- Thread starter FanofDinsey1981
- Start date
glad to hear everything is pretty much ok. I talked with my husband's family that is down in Houston, and they said the house is fine (a few shingles missing is all), but hadn't been back to check on the space center where they work.
Hi Everyone! I just wanted to let you know that thursday my husband, in-laws, and myself are off to Houston. I promise to do a trip report when I get back! I took the posts and put everything into a word document to print out and take with us.
I do have one more question though! Since I am a HUGE white sox fan, and I will be there in houston for game 5, I am trying to find out the best way to get tickets for the possible game. What is the best way that you know of? Ebay is always my first try, does the Astros have a ticket exchange like the cubs and sox do?
I do have one more question though! Since I am a HUGE white sox fan, and I will be there in houston for game 5, I am trying to find out the best way to get tickets for the possible game. What is the best way that you know of? Ebay is always my first try, does the Astros have a ticket exchange like the cubs and sox do?
Atta83
Well-Known Member
Hey there i just saw this thread and being from houston i had to reply. If the stors play at home go and see a home game if you can, it will be insane but well worth it, i wish i was there to see them play. Space Center Houston is really really close to where you guys are going to be. I am from Friendswood which is just right by Leauge City and Clear Lake. Baybrook mall is ok but not all that great, if you wanna go ice skating there is an ice skating rink right around there as well. Galveston isnt all that great either. Lets see i know there was so much i wanted to do when i was there last month for my grandfathers funeral but couldnt do it due to the fact that Rita was heading this way and i had to fly back to fl. The boardwalk is fun as well lots to do there and experiene. Thats all i can think of right now. Have a fun trip.
that_L_do_pig
New Member
Have fun!! (grinds teeth on the White Sox fandom comment)
bsandersjr
Active Member
Well, there is a Rainforest Cafe at the Katy Mills Mall. There is also Dave and Buster's, and my favorite.....Fudruckers! Jillian's is also pretty cool!
bsandersjr said:
The Katy Mills Mall and Rainforest Cafe are on my list, my mother in law and I are both big huge fans of bargin shopping. and Fudruckers is one of my favorite burger joints, that used to be a family destiation when we went shopping in the far southern chicago surburbs. Where is it exactly at?
Atta83 said:
oo perfect. maybe I can convince the in-laws to go there on our way to the space center. my father in law is a big burger fan! Thanks for the info!
bsandersjr
Active Member
I know there is also one on the old katy freeway, and one in the parking lot of the katy mills mall.
Sara’s Houston trip report!
Day 0- Wednesday October 26th
Oh my, did that day go SLOW. I usually get fidgety the day before a trip, but add in the World Series to that…..
The minute 5 pm hit, I was out the door to subway to get some dinner, and then back to work to pick up my husband, who had a meeting till 5:30. I drove while he ate in the car, and we were off to our house to put our stuff in the car and get the dog. Of course, my husband really knows how to push buttons, and he took his sweet time getting his stuff ready to go. Just as I was threatening to leave him at home, he walked out the door, and we were off to my parents house.
We walked in just in time to see the first pitch of game 4. My parents, sister, and sister’s bf were all there, ready to watch the game. Watching the white sox play on HD is amazing, and I didn’t move but once to get some candy. I gotta keep my energy up! It was a great game, and my dad, sister and I got really in to the game. (Mom isn’t a big fan of sports, and the two boys are cubs fans. Boo.) By the end of the game, we three were riding high, and it was great to watch a world series win in the same room where we watch 4 of the 6 bulls championships, the come from behind victory the Illini had vs. Arizona, and numerous other great games and sporting moments. After some celebration at home, it was time for my sister and her bf to drive us to our hotel to meet my in-laws in Alsip (127th Street for those who know the area). Despite the fact that I was very tired, it took a long time for me to fall asleep that night, part because of the excitement of the world series win, the vacation, part because of the noise still going on outside with honking horns and people cheering, and part because my father in law can snore louder than a lion can roar. I kid you not.
Day 0- Wednesday October 26th
Oh my, did that day go SLOW. I usually get fidgety the day before a trip, but add in the World Series to that…..
The minute 5 pm hit, I was out the door to subway to get some dinner, and then back to work to pick up my husband, who had a meeting till 5:30. I drove while he ate in the car, and we were off to our house to put our stuff in the car and get the dog. Of course, my husband really knows how to push buttons, and he took his sweet time getting his stuff ready to go. Just as I was threatening to leave him at home, he walked out the door, and we were off to my parents house.
We walked in just in time to see the first pitch of game 4. My parents, sister, and sister’s bf were all there, ready to watch the game. Watching the white sox play on HD is amazing, and I didn’t move but once to get some candy. I gotta keep my energy up! It was a great game, and my dad, sister and I got really in to the game. (Mom isn’t a big fan of sports, and the two boys are cubs fans. Boo.) By the end of the game, we three were riding high, and it was great to watch a world series win in the same room where we watch 4 of the 6 bulls championships, the come from behind victory the Illini had vs. Arizona, and numerous other great games and sporting moments. After some celebration at home, it was time for my sister and her bf to drive us to our hotel to meet my in-laws in Alsip (127th Street for those who know the area). Despite the fact that I was very tired, it took a long time for me to fall asleep that night, part because of the excitement of the world series win, the vacation, part because of the noise still going on outside with honking horns and people cheering, and part because my father in law can snore louder than a lion can roar. I kid you not.
Day 2
Day 1 – Thursday the 27th
So with only 2 hours of sleep, I was up and 5:30 AM, we were up and at Midway by 7 AM, and I was reading the wonderful headlines of the Chicago Tribune and Sun Times, as well as USA Today by 7:45 AM. Yes, I bought all three. And yes, I kept all three. I got a chance to people-watch while in the food court area, and those wearing Sox stuff were walking on cloud 9 with me. It was a good day to be a white sox fan.
But enough about baseball. Our flight went perfectly, and we even had a few seats left open. My husband and I were able to put a seat in between us, and the flight went quickly. We were off the plane in no time, and with Hobby being on the small side, we were on our way to our hotel in less than 30 minutes. The area was quite easy to navigate, and we found our way to NASA 1, and our hotel, Comfort Inn in Seabrook. It was a nice hotel, an even nicer when I got to take a 15 minute nap before heading out to get some lunch. We went to the Kemah Boardwalk for lunch, and ended up at Landry’s. (We first went to another restaurant, but got NO service. So we left.) Landry’s was blah; the food selection was less than desirable. Even worse, our service was horrible. We left there feeling quite unsatisfied, but didn’t let it fester too long! We went back to the hotel, where I proceeded to put my stuff away (I hate literally living out of a suitcase!), unpack our travel bag, and then crashed for about 2 hours, face down, with my husband having to cover me with my jacket. It was the best nap ever.
There wasn’t big plans for the day, other than traveling, so it was nice to be able to lay around and watch tv. I brought my portable DVD player for the plane, but it got more use in our room. The tv had little to nothing on, so we plugged in the DVD player, and I watched a few episodes of CSI and Las Vegas (I just recently started watching the two shows off of the DVD releases).
My father in law’s mother and sister and brother in law flew in on a later flight from Chicago, and got to the hotel around 6 pm. They were starving, and we were happy to go and find a decent place to eat. Somehow, Dairy Queen was the destination. I am still unsure why, since most of us have a philosophy to find a place to eat that we can’t eat at home. But none the less, it was tasty.
I got to bed early that night, while my husband stayed up to do some homework and internet stuff.
Day 1 – Thursday the 27th
So with only 2 hours of sleep, I was up and 5:30 AM, we were up and at Midway by 7 AM, and I was reading the wonderful headlines of the Chicago Tribune and Sun Times, as well as USA Today by 7:45 AM. Yes, I bought all three. And yes, I kept all three. I got a chance to people-watch while in the food court area, and those wearing Sox stuff were walking on cloud 9 with me. It was a good day to be a white sox fan.
But enough about baseball. Our flight went perfectly, and we even had a few seats left open. My husband and I were able to put a seat in between us, and the flight went quickly. We were off the plane in no time, and with Hobby being on the small side, we were on our way to our hotel in less than 30 minutes. The area was quite easy to navigate, and we found our way to NASA 1, and our hotel, Comfort Inn in Seabrook. It was a nice hotel, an even nicer when I got to take a 15 minute nap before heading out to get some lunch. We went to the Kemah Boardwalk for lunch, and ended up at Landry’s. (We first went to another restaurant, but got NO service. So we left.) Landry’s was blah; the food selection was less than desirable. Even worse, our service was horrible. We left there feeling quite unsatisfied, but didn’t let it fester too long! We went back to the hotel, where I proceeded to put my stuff away (I hate literally living out of a suitcase!), unpack our travel bag, and then crashed for about 2 hours, face down, with my husband having to cover me with my jacket. It was the best nap ever.
There wasn’t big plans for the day, other than traveling, so it was nice to be able to lay around and watch tv. I brought my portable DVD player for the plane, but it got more use in our room. The tv had little to nothing on, so we plugged in the DVD player, and I watched a few episodes of CSI and Las Vegas (I just recently started watching the two shows off of the DVD releases).
My father in law’s mother and sister and brother in law flew in on a later flight from Chicago, and got to the hotel around 6 pm. They were starving, and we were happy to go and find a decent place to eat. Somehow, Dairy Queen was the destination. I am still unsure why, since most of us have a philosophy to find a place to eat that we can’t eat at home. But none the less, it was tasty.
I got to bed early that night, while my husband stayed up to do some homework and internet stuff.
Day 2
Day 2 – Friday the 28th.
The day started of at 8 Am with the alarm going off. I thought I was back home and I had to get ready for work. Boy, was I excited when I realized I was on vacation! Yay!
We decided to take a trip over to Katy Mills for the day. The drive over was nice, only about an hour from our hotel. Once there, we split up for 2 hours to shop shop shop! And we did. Gap outlet got most of our money that day. I found an orange sweater for 7 bucks. Yay!
I got to choose lunch, though I pretty much threatened with violence if we didn’t eat at the Rainforest Café. I know it is a chain blah blah blah, but I love it. It reminds me of Disney, with the excellent theme inside. And I love their food. We only had a 10 minute wait, and after I did a bit of shopping in the store, we were seated with drinks in hand. Our service was excellent, and we very much enjoyed our lunch. (The pita quesadillas are fantastic! One of my favorite dishes).
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped by the GIANT IKEA STORE. I have never been to an Ikea store, but I did see one on the Amazing Race one time. Wow. I can’t wait till we move to a new house in the next two years. My whole new house is going to be Ikea. The designs are fantastic, and I love the space saving ideas. Even my husband got very into it, he loves the bookcases and can’t wait to buy them. That was fun!
We got back to the hotel in enough time to relax a bit, change, and head off to the family out of town guest meal that was being so generously provided by the bride and groom. A real Texas bar-b-que! Hosted by a Canadian and a skinny Iowa guy! It was catered by a local place (which I cannot think of right now) and it was quite good. I am not much of a ‘que’ person, unless it is sweet baby rays on some chicken. But the meat was good, and the potato salad was unbelievable. I love potatoes. Yum. We didn’t have much room to move around to talk to people, so we pretty much sat by ourselves to eat and chat with a few of their friends from the area. My mother in law was starting to feel sick (she went down to Houston with a cold), so we left for the night. We had to make a stop at Walmart to get her some cold meds, and then to target to get my husband dress shoes and a belt. I think we went to target 3 times, and walmart twice while we were there!
I settled in for an episode of CSI, and it sucked my husband in too. It was so nice being able to chill out and watch tv without the phone ringing, or the dog whining to go out, or a cat wanting attention. Ah. Vacation.
Day 2 – Friday the 28th.
The day started of at 8 Am with the alarm going off. I thought I was back home and I had to get ready for work. Boy, was I excited when I realized I was on vacation! Yay!
We decided to take a trip over to Katy Mills for the day. The drive over was nice, only about an hour from our hotel. Once there, we split up for 2 hours to shop shop shop! And we did. Gap outlet got most of our money that day. I found an orange sweater for 7 bucks. Yay!
I got to choose lunch, though I pretty much threatened with violence if we didn’t eat at the Rainforest Café. I know it is a chain blah blah blah, but I love it. It reminds me of Disney, with the excellent theme inside. And I love their food. We only had a 10 minute wait, and after I did a bit of shopping in the store, we were seated with drinks in hand. Our service was excellent, and we very much enjoyed our lunch. (The pita quesadillas are fantastic! One of my favorite dishes).
On our way back to the hotel, we stopped by the GIANT IKEA STORE. I have never been to an Ikea store, but I did see one on the Amazing Race one time. Wow. I can’t wait till we move to a new house in the next two years. My whole new house is going to be Ikea. The designs are fantastic, and I love the space saving ideas. Even my husband got very into it, he loves the bookcases and can’t wait to buy them. That was fun!
We got back to the hotel in enough time to relax a bit, change, and head off to the family out of town guest meal that was being so generously provided by the bride and groom. A real Texas bar-b-que! Hosted by a Canadian and a skinny Iowa guy! It was catered by a local place (which I cannot think of right now) and it was quite good. I am not much of a ‘que’ person, unless it is sweet baby rays on some chicken. But the meat was good, and the potato salad was unbelievable. I love potatoes. Yum. We didn’t have much room to move around to talk to people, so we pretty much sat by ourselves to eat and chat with a few of their friends from the area. My mother in law was starting to feel sick (she went down to Houston with a cold), so we left for the night. We had to make a stop at Walmart to get her some cold meds, and then to target to get my husband dress shoes and a belt. I think we went to target 3 times, and walmart twice while we were there!
I settled in for an episode of CSI, and it sucked my husband in too. It was so nice being able to chill out and watch tv without the phone ringing, or the dog whining to go out, or a cat wanting attention. Ah. Vacation.
Day 3
Day 3 – the 29th
The day started with the alarm going off at 8 am, and a quick stop to get a bite to eat downstairs, then off to the Space Center. We were one of the first in the door at 10 AM, so we pretty much had some of the areas to ourselves. I tried my skills at landing a shuttle (I did quite well!) and my husband, who is a MAJOR space nerd, enjoyed the different space adventures he took (including taking a group to mars). We wandered around for a bit, then hopped on the first tram over to the Johnson Space Center. We had two stops on this tram ride, with the first being at the Historic Mission Control. Very Very cool! I was fascinated by the place, and we had a great guide (Derek maybe? I should have written down his name). He had an answer for every single question, and went into depth with each one. Nicely done!
The tram then took us to the mock training facility. That was also very cool. Since we were there on a Saturday, there wasn’t a single worker around, but it was amazing to see the mock-ups. The bride works for the Canadian space agency, so I think she does some work with the mock-ups.
I had tears in my eyes when we passed the trees that symbolized those who died on missions. They had audio from President Bush from when the last mission failed, and I think it was the most eloquent thing the man has ever said. I don’t think there was a dry eye on the tram.
Once back at the Space Center, we did a bit of shopping (as I put it, nerd shopping), and wandered around the rest of the building. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to see one of the movies since our time was limited by the fact that the wedding was that night. We left the Space Center, and we both agreed that it was quite an experience, and we would defiantly do it again.
We then went back to get his parents from the hotel, and then back to the Fudruckers across from the Space Center. I know, we have been to Fudruckers on several occasions, but I was dying for a burger and their delicious fries. My in-laws had never been to one, and they were pleasantly surprised at the food and the setup. I love getting the cheese for my fries, and the pico de gallo for my burger, and a LOT of pickles….just to eat. Mmm. Yum.
Then it was back to the hotel for one last rest and change, then off to the wedding. It was at Butler’s Courtyard, and it was beautiful. The wedding was outside, and it was such a nice night for it! The reception was inside, with an outside tent for overflow. The inside room is very small, but amazingly beautiful. They didn’t have to do much decorating, and the event staff was fantastic. We had a great time, and once the dancing started, we were full and ready to leave. We got back to the hotel, changed, and then I fell asleep. My husband and father in law went downstairs around 11 pm, and the bride and groom hosted an ‘after hours’ party with pizza and leftover cake. They did a great job with everything, an A+++ to the bride and groom!
Day 3 – the 29th
The day started with the alarm going off at 8 am, and a quick stop to get a bite to eat downstairs, then off to the Space Center. We were one of the first in the door at 10 AM, so we pretty much had some of the areas to ourselves. I tried my skills at landing a shuttle (I did quite well!) and my husband, who is a MAJOR space nerd, enjoyed the different space adventures he took (including taking a group to mars). We wandered around for a bit, then hopped on the first tram over to the Johnson Space Center. We had two stops on this tram ride, with the first being at the Historic Mission Control. Very Very cool! I was fascinated by the place, and we had a great guide (Derek maybe? I should have written down his name). He had an answer for every single question, and went into depth with each one. Nicely done!
The tram then took us to the mock training facility. That was also very cool. Since we were there on a Saturday, there wasn’t a single worker around, but it was amazing to see the mock-ups. The bride works for the Canadian space agency, so I think she does some work with the mock-ups.
I had tears in my eyes when we passed the trees that symbolized those who died on missions. They had audio from President Bush from when the last mission failed, and I think it was the most eloquent thing the man has ever said. I don’t think there was a dry eye on the tram.
Once back at the Space Center, we did a bit of shopping (as I put it, nerd shopping), and wandered around the rest of the building. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough time to see one of the movies since our time was limited by the fact that the wedding was that night. We left the Space Center, and we both agreed that it was quite an experience, and we would defiantly do it again.
We then went back to get his parents from the hotel, and then back to the Fudruckers across from the Space Center. I know, we have been to Fudruckers on several occasions, but I was dying for a burger and their delicious fries. My in-laws had never been to one, and they were pleasantly surprised at the food and the setup. I love getting the cheese for my fries, and the pico de gallo for my burger, and a LOT of pickles….just to eat. Mmm. Yum.
Then it was back to the hotel for one last rest and change, then off to the wedding. It was at Butler’s Courtyard, and it was beautiful. The wedding was outside, and it was such a nice night for it! The reception was inside, with an outside tent for overflow. The inside room is very small, but amazingly beautiful. They didn’t have to do much decorating, and the event staff was fantastic. We had a great time, and once the dancing started, we were full and ready to leave. We got back to the hotel, changed, and then I fell asleep. My husband and father in law went downstairs around 11 pm, and the bride and groom hosted an ‘after hours’ party with pizza and leftover cake. They did a great job with everything, an A+++ to the bride and groom!
Day 4
Day 4- the 30th
We were once again up with the alarm at 8 am, breakfast downstairs, and off to downtown Houston by 9:30. My husband and I had the car for the day, so we went on a date to the Downtown Aquarium. I love fish (I was a swimmer for 10 years), and I think I was a fish in a past life. I thought they did a great job with theming, it was very Disney-eque. Since we got there so early, we pretty much had the place to ourselves, and were able to get through pretty quickly. I loved the interactive area, where you could pet the stingrays and crabs (and nemo and dory!). I chatted with the gal who was working that area, and she said that the stingrays have become more like pets; they loved to be touched and petted. I stood there for quite a long time petting the stingrays as they came up and waved at me. My husband finally had to pull me away.
I also loved the white tiger area. There were only two in there at that time, and they were so beautiful. It amazed me, as they started to play together, how agile those huge creatures were, and how beautiful their movements. We sat there for a good 20 minutes just watching them play, and we had the place to ourselves that entire time.
After a bit of buying in the shop, we wandered around outside. We had the all-day pass that got us into everything, so we went twice around the ferris wheel, then we went on the shark train. That was very cool! I played a game and got a stuffed shark, and then it was time to leave. We were there for all of an hour and a half, but we both agreed we got our moneys worth. We had the place nearly to ourselves, and got to experience everything without anyone around.
Since it was well before noon when we got done, we decided to drive around the downtown area. I am so used to being in downtown Chicago, where everyday is a traffic jam. So it was nice to drive around and be able to get from one side to the other of Houston without any traffic. We went over to Minute Maid Park, and took a ton of pictures (I teared up thinking how my white sox won there….I am a total sap for sports!). and then walked around and peeked inside to check out the ballpark. It is a beautiful field, and the outside is amazing. I loved looking at the roof (which was open).
We then went in search of a sports bar, but alas, could not find one in downtown. So, we ventured back towards our hotel, in hopes of finding a bar to watch the bears game. Here in Illinois, you can hardly go a mile without seeing a sports bar, so we were starting to panic a bit when we couldn’t find one right away. Thankfully, I remembered a pamphlet that the bride gave me, which listed all of the eating places in the area. And, we pulled off at the right exit for Buffalo Wild Wings!! Yay! This is again, another place we eat at all the time, but we were just happy to find a place to watch the game. We sat down by some bears fans (and one Lions fan) and watched the game with a big glass of coke-cola, a delicious chicken wrap, and buffalo chips. Yuuuuummmm. We were able to get in during the 1st quarter, and stayed right through “Peanut” Tillman’s interception for the overtime win! Yay!
We then set out to explore the area again, this time coming up on the Fry’s Electronics. Now, keep in mind that my husband is a computer support guy, and we both love electronics and movies and the latest and greatest of cameras, etc. And we are frequent lovers…er... shoppers….of Best Buy.
But this place blows all Best Buy’s out of the freakin’ water! We wandered around in there for nearly 2 hours, amazed by the size and selection of everything electronic. The DVD collection was slightly smaller than Best Buys, but everything else was well stocked. Jason loved the fact that they actually had computer parts, and I loved the selection of televisions and camera accessories. Fry’s Electronics is now my favorite store.
After the excitement of football and big electronic stores, we went back to relax for a few hours with the family, and we ended up at some random steakhouse for dinner. (Tony’s Steakhouse maybe?) It was good, but my belly couldn’t take much more food. I had a chicken sandwich, which was very yummy. Some of the family members don’t really get along (my mother in law and her sister in law are very competitive in their Tupperware sales, and my mother in law and her mother in law don’t always see eye to eye). But at this dinner, everyone played nice.
That was pretty much it for the day, and our vacation. We went back to the hotel to pack (always a challenge) and sleep.
Day 4- the 30th
We were once again up with the alarm at 8 am, breakfast downstairs, and off to downtown Houston by 9:30. My husband and I had the car for the day, so we went on a date to the Downtown Aquarium. I love fish (I was a swimmer for 10 years), and I think I was a fish in a past life. I thought they did a great job with theming, it was very Disney-eque. Since we got there so early, we pretty much had the place to ourselves, and were able to get through pretty quickly. I loved the interactive area, where you could pet the stingrays and crabs (and nemo and dory!). I chatted with the gal who was working that area, and she said that the stingrays have become more like pets; they loved to be touched and petted. I stood there for quite a long time petting the stingrays as they came up and waved at me. My husband finally had to pull me away.
I also loved the white tiger area. There were only two in there at that time, and they were so beautiful. It amazed me, as they started to play together, how agile those huge creatures were, and how beautiful their movements. We sat there for a good 20 minutes just watching them play, and we had the place to ourselves that entire time.
After a bit of buying in the shop, we wandered around outside. We had the all-day pass that got us into everything, so we went twice around the ferris wheel, then we went on the shark train. That was very cool! I played a game and got a stuffed shark, and then it was time to leave. We were there for all of an hour and a half, but we both agreed we got our moneys worth. We had the place nearly to ourselves, and got to experience everything without anyone around.
Since it was well before noon when we got done, we decided to drive around the downtown area. I am so used to being in downtown Chicago, where everyday is a traffic jam. So it was nice to drive around and be able to get from one side to the other of Houston without any traffic. We went over to Minute Maid Park, and took a ton of pictures (I teared up thinking how my white sox won there….I am a total sap for sports!). and then walked around and peeked inside to check out the ballpark. It is a beautiful field, and the outside is amazing. I loved looking at the roof (which was open).
We then went in search of a sports bar, but alas, could not find one in downtown. So, we ventured back towards our hotel, in hopes of finding a bar to watch the bears game. Here in Illinois, you can hardly go a mile without seeing a sports bar, so we were starting to panic a bit when we couldn’t find one right away. Thankfully, I remembered a pamphlet that the bride gave me, which listed all of the eating places in the area. And, we pulled off at the right exit for Buffalo Wild Wings!! Yay! This is again, another place we eat at all the time, but we were just happy to find a place to watch the game. We sat down by some bears fans (and one Lions fan) and watched the game with a big glass of coke-cola, a delicious chicken wrap, and buffalo chips. Yuuuuummmm. We were able to get in during the 1st quarter, and stayed right through “Peanut” Tillman’s interception for the overtime win! Yay!
We then set out to explore the area again, this time coming up on the Fry’s Electronics. Now, keep in mind that my husband is a computer support guy, and we both love electronics and movies and the latest and greatest of cameras, etc. And we are frequent lovers…er... shoppers….of Best Buy.
But this place blows all Best Buy’s out of the freakin’ water! We wandered around in there for nearly 2 hours, amazed by the size and selection of everything electronic. The DVD collection was slightly smaller than Best Buys, but everything else was well stocked. Jason loved the fact that they actually had computer parts, and I loved the selection of televisions and camera accessories. Fry’s Electronics is now my favorite store.
After the excitement of football and big electronic stores, we went back to relax for a few hours with the family, and we ended up at some random steakhouse for dinner. (Tony’s Steakhouse maybe?) It was good, but my belly couldn’t take much more food. I had a chicken sandwich, which was very yummy. Some of the family members don’t really get along (my mother in law and her sister in law are very competitive in their Tupperware sales, and my mother in law and her mother in law don’t always see eye to eye). But at this dinner, everyone played nice.
That was pretty much it for the day, and our vacation. We went back to the hotel to pack (always a challenge) and sleep.
Day 5 and post-trip thoughts
Day 5- HALLOWEEN!
Again, an 8 am wake up call, and by 11 we were off to Houston Hobby Airport. The airport is quite easy to navigate, and in no time we had our bags checked in, and we were eating lunch that the bar and grill. Then the gate. And after listening to some people having fun with the loudspeaker (including voice appearances by Gullum of Lord of the Rings Fame, and Dracula) we were on the plane and off to chi-town. I got the window seat (as usual), and I was able to see INTO Minute Maid Park, (and on the way down, I saw into Reliant stadium!), and we had a great view of the skyline.
We left 78º and sunny weather to land in 40º and raining weather. By the time we made it to the car, we were nearly soaked. The trip out of the area stunk, since we managed to land right before rush hour. But an hour later, we were at my parents house, and 10 minutes after that, my in laws were off to their home in the Quad Cities. Jason and I stuck around to ‘help’ with trick ‘o treating. There were still a great number of kids that came by, and I got to chat with my family about our trip.
Nearly A Week Later………….
I am finally getting this finished up. And here are my final thoughts.
1. Zoning laws are obviously non existent in Houston. It was quite bizarre, especially in the outlying areas on 45. I saw ‘adult’ stores next to some random things, including a cell phone store, a hospital, and a restaurant. And there were a lot of them. Perhaps I don’t really pay attention to much in Illinois, but it seems like Texas has a lot more ‘adult’ stores than we do…..
2. I don’t think I would choose to go to Houston as a vacation destination, as one might do NYC or LA, or maybe even Chicago. It is not a diss on the area, it simply means that Houston needs some character development before I see it as a vacation spot. But, none the less, I did enjoy my time spent there.
3. I expected to at least hear a southern accent, and maybe see some cowboy boots and hats, but for the most part, Houston and the surrounding areas didn’t have that. I heard a few “ya’lls”, and I saw plenty of places to buy 10 gallon hats and cowboy boots, but nothing too Texan. A lot of people we met along the way were transplants from the north, does that have a lot to do with it?
That is all I can think of right now. I should have pictures soon!
Thanks again for everyone’s help, it felt like I knew the area pretty well before I got there, and it eased my nerves about the trip. Thanks again!
Day 5- HALLOWEEN!
Again, an 8 am wake up call, and by 11 we were off to Houston Hobby Airport. The airport is quite easy to navigate, and in no time we had our bags checked in, and we were eating lunch that the bar and grill. Then the gate. And after listening to some people having fun with the loudspeaker (including voice appearances by Gullum of Lord of the Rings Fame, and Dracula) we were on the plane and off to chi-town. I got the window seat (as usual), and I was able to see INTO Minute Maid Park, (and on the way down, I saw into Reliant stadium!), and we had a great view of the skyline.
We left 78º and sunny weather to land in 40º and raining weather. By the time we made it to the car, we were nearly soaked. The trip out of the area stunk, since we managed to land right before rush hour. But an hour later, we were at my parents house, and 10 minutes after that, my in laws were off to their home in the Quad Cities. Jason and I stuck around to ‘help’ with trick ‘o treating. There were still a great number of kids that came by, and I got to chat with my family about our trip.
Nearly A Week Later………….
I am finally getting this finished up. And here are my final thoughts.
1. Zoning laws are obviously non existent in Houston. It was quite bizarre, especially in the outlying areas on 45. I saw ‘adult’ stores next to some random things, including a cell phone store, a hospital, and a restaurant. And there were a lot of them. Perhaps I don’t really pay attention to much in Illinois, but it seems like Texas has a lot more ‘adult’ stores than we do…..
2. I don’t think I would choose to go to Houston as a vacation destination, as one might do NYC or LA, or maybe even Chicago. It is not a diss on the area, it simply means that Houston needs some character development before I see it as a vacation spot. But, none the less, I did enjoy my time spent there.
3. I expected to at least hear a southern accent, and maybe see some cowboy boots and hats, but for the most part, Houston and the surrounding areas didn’t have that. I heard a few “ya’lls”, and I saw plenty of places to buy 10 gallon hats and cowboy boots, but nothing too Texan. A lot of people we met along the way were transplants from the north, does that have a lot to do with it?
That is all I can think of right now. I should have pictures soon!
Thanks again for everyone’s help, it felt like I knew the area pretty well before I got there, and it eased my nerves about the trip. Thanks again!
mkepcotmgmak
Well-Known Member
I'm going to see WICKED in Houston tonight 
Atta83
Well-Known Member
Gald to hear you had a good trip, but yeah there really isnt much to do in houston. Now the FRY's store did you notice how they did it in an all space theme? Not many ppl catch that. Yeah about the adult stores not sure why we have so many around....need to slack off of them some lol.
that_L_do_pig
New Member
We actually have three Fry's stores. Just make sure you are not buying something refurbished without knowing - otherwise buyer beware.
Later, ya'll...
Later, ya'll...
mkepcotmgmak
Well-Known Member
just got home from wicked! ash- i got lost in downtown houston driving home! we ended up on the other side of 288 and i needed 59north... haha.