Houston/Texas things to do that are very Texas?

[PeterPan]

We're going to cruise out of Galveston and I thought we'd come in a bit early to do something very Texas. I have this sort of mystique about TX and have no clue. Do you have steer there? What is a very TEXAS thing to see? Like when we went to Colorado, we saw prairie dogs.

I found the space center where we can see the shuttle, but I think that will go over my ds' head. And I was kinda surprised because when I'm driving the area virtually with google maps there's GRASS. I didn't know Texas had grass even. I thought it was all like cactus and cowboys or something, lol.

So can you see something very Texas somewhere around Houston? What would you do for a day? I thought about just going over to those islands and sitting on the beach. Galveston seems kind of awkward, with a 4 lane road separating the hotels from the beach. Am I seeing that correctly? Farther to the north was 4X but nicer. Where would you stay while waiting for a cruise and what would you do?

[Janeway]

My 7 and 9 yr olds liked the Space Center a lot. I don’t know how old your son is.

[chiguirre]

31 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

We're going to cruise out of Galveston and I thought we'd come in a bit early to do something very Texas. I have this sort of mystique about TX and have no clue. Do you have steer there? What is a very TEXAS thing to see? Like when we went to Colorado, we saw prairie dogs.

I found the space center where we can see the shuttle, but I think that will go over my ds' head. And I was kinda surprised because when I'm driving the area virtually with google maps there's GRASS. I didn't know Texas had grass even. I thought it was all like cactus and cowboys or something, lol.

So can you see something very Texas somewhere around Houston? What would you do for a day? I thought about just going over to those islands and sitting on the beach. Galveston seems kind of awkward, with a 4 lane road separating the hotels from the beach. Am I seeing that correctly? Farther to the north was 4X but nicer. Where would you stay while waiting for a cruise and what would you do?

Texas is a big state. Houston is a swamp. It's called the Bayou City because it's built on a bunch of bayous and they flood regularly. Harvey was just the worst one. The area around Nasa is very green. The Johnson Space Center has quite a few open fields and a couple of longhorn cattle grazing near the Saturn rocket park. There are kid friendly activities at the space center and I've been with both my boys. They liked it but we skipped the tour when we took GW. Geezle has been on it during a homeschool day and did fine. There are IMAX style movies, hands on exhibitions and a huge play space.

I guess the most Texas thing you can do around Houston is go to the San Jacinto Monument and Museum. It's where the Texians beat Santa Anna and there are lots of interesting artifacts in the museum. It's close to the petrochemical plants and the industrial port which is our major industry. They are a very impressive site at night with all their lights lit.

In Galveston, you could go to Moody Gardens. They have a nice man-made beach that's very clean and calm. Or you can head out past the Seawall (the 4 lane street runs on top of the wall that protects Galveston from storm surge during hurricanes) toward Jamaica Beach. There's also a Schlitterbahn water park in Galveston but I wouldn't dare take GW there although Geezle has been to the one in New Braunfels and done fine. You can also visit The Strand which was the main street of Galveston when it was the most important city in Texas (before the 1900 storm destroyed it and they built the Seawall.) Another Galveston thing is visiting the Ocean Star Drilling Rig and Museum. It's a tour of an old oil platform and is, of course, very Texas.

If you're here in March, go to the Houston Rodeo.

Edited July 4, 2019 by chiguirre

[vonfirmath]

The rodeo plays in Houston. Though I'm not sure what parts of the year it is there.

I grew up in Houston and, yes, you'll see cowboy hats and cowboy boots there but real cows? Not so much. Drive north towards College Station and you might start seeing them on the roadside once civilization thins out.   It's not a desert until you travel quite a bit farther west so no cacti.

You could see if the Houston Zoo has any cows. https://www.houstonzoo.org/  We enjoyed it when we were there last.

The San Jacinto Monument and Museum is where the final battle was fought that Texas won its Independence from Mexican and became an indepedent nation.

Houston is well known for NASA.

 

Here's a link to some ranches in the Houston area that can be visited:  (Some of these are not really the Houston area anymore though!)

https://www.mommynearest.com/edition/houston/article/6-farms-and-ranches-to-visit-near-houston

 

 

Edited July 4, 2019 by vonfirmath

[PeterPan]

1 hour ago, chiguirre said:

Texas is a big state. Houston is a swamp. It's called the Bayou City because it's built on a bunch of bayous and they flood regularly. Harvey was just the worst one. The area around Nasa is very green. The Johnson Space Center has quite a few open fields and a couple of longhorn cattle grazing near the Saturn rocket park. There are kid friendly activities at the space center and I've been with both my boys. They liked it but we skipped the tour when we took GW. Geezle has been on it during a homeschool day and did fine. There are IMAX style movies, hands on exhibitions and a huge play space.

I guess the most Texas thing you can do around Houston is go to the San Jacinto Monument and Museum. It's where the Texians beat Santa Anna and there are lots of interesting artifacts in the museum. It's close to the petrochemical plants and the industrial port which is our major industry. They are a very impressive site at night with all their lights lit.

In Galveston, you could go to Moody Gardens. They have a nice man-made beach that's very clean and calm. Or you can head out past the Seawall (the 4 lane street runs on top of the wall that protects Galveston from storm surge during hurricanes) toward Jamaica Beach. There's also a Schlitterbahn water park in Galveston but I wouldn't dare take GW there although Geezle has been to the one in New Braunfels and done fine. You can also visit The Strand which was the main street of Galveston when it was the most important city in Texas (before the 1900 storm destroyed it and they built the Seawall.) Another Galveston thing is visiting the Ocean Star Drilling Rig and Museum. It's a tour of an old oil platform and is, of course, very Texas.

If you're here in March, go to the Houston Rodeo.

Thank you! I was looking at some of the things you listed, so it sounds like I'm on the right track. Nope, won't be there in March, but yeah the rodeo would have been neat. 

31 minutes ago, vonfirmath said:

Here's a link to some ranches in the Houston area that can be visited:  (Some of these are not really the Houston area anymore though!)

https://www.mommynearest.com/edition/houston/article/6-farms-and-ranches-to-visit-near-houston

Thank you, I'll go check this out!

 

[Lanny]

Our family is "into" NASA and we would go to the Johnson Space Center. However, I do not believe they received one of the Space Shuttles. I am sure they have many other interesting things to see, but a Space Shuttle isn't one of them...

My wife and I had the spectacular experience of being on Kennedy Space Center on May 19, 2000 to see the launch of the Space Shuttle "Atlantis" (STS-101) and when we were at the Visitors Center there, at the end of April 2016, we saw "Atlantis" up close, which was quite an experience for us. 

I have enjoyed going to Rodeos since I was a boy, so if there's one going on when you are there, you DC might enjoy watching that.

There will be many places where you might spend your time and your money.

Enjoy your trip!

[Jann in TX]

Texas is a BIG state...

Houston is definitely boggy... hot and humid in the summers. 

I would also recommend the Space Center... there are 'beaches'-- but not white sand-- more brown with brown water (water gets a tad more blue in South Texas (near Padre).

While you may see some cowboy hats/boots-- the vast majority of people do NOT wear them!  Houston is actually a VERY culturally diverse city-- a typical BIG City.

Driving from Houston to Galveston you will seen a developing area-- lots of strip malls and HUGE shopping centers going up along the highway and new 'traditional' neighborhoods being built... if you drive just a few miles west of the highway you will see some small towns where most people have a few acres and maybe some horses/cows... nothing spectacular-- the land is also VERY flat.

As far as giving one a 'Texas experience' I would choose San Antonio and then the Texas Hill Country over Houston any day! (But then I've lived in the Hill Country for the past 25 years!  It is a completely different world (and not as hot and humid!)--spectacular wild flowers this year....  East Texas (really north east part of Texas) is beautiful and full of pine forests...  West Texas is what you were thinking of-- pretty much NOTHING but dirt/rocks and LOTS of wind farms!  North Texas ( north of Dallas/Ft Worth) still has some good sized cattle ranches...

Small town Texas does exist...

As far as cows go we had to call 911 last night while driving home from a movie-- there were a few cows out in the road... at dusk.  Serious road hazard-- thankfully they were not longhorns as those are HUGE!

This morning we are going to our small town's Fourth of July parade.  It will be very 'country' with lots of pickup trucks pulling trailers ('floats') and people waving-- kids stock up on candy and ice pops thrown from the floats.  There will be a marching band (my dd will play in it)  horses, and fancy cars and will end with a firetruck-- it should last about an hour.  There will be a rodeo/fireworks at the VFW tonight...

Fun fact about Galveston-- my MIL was the ORIGINAL Galveston gal-- she won a local contest and had a song written about her even (Sammy Kaye).. she was Galveston's sweetheart for most of her teen years...headline: What hat will Rena choose for Easter?' accompanied by a FULL PAGE headshot (I think she was 16-17 yrs old-- this was in 1940's).  We have boxes and boxes of old newspapers with pictures of her...

 

[Rachel]

Texas is huge and each region is quite different. Houston is kind of its own world compared to other parts of the state. My cousins that have grown up there rarely leave the state.  

Eat BBQ or gulf shrimp, that’s very Texas. Also Dr Pepper and Blue Bell ice cream and stop at a Buc-ees. I remember visiting the San Jacacinto monument as a kid and the Johnson Space Center.  High Island is on the coast and is a popular place for birding depending on the time of year you are there.

If you want to do a little driving you could go to College Station and see the Bush Presidential library, I haven’t been but have heard it’s nice. 

[Rachel]

@Jann in TX is right about about Hill Country, that and east Texas are my favorite parts of the state. 

[Lecka]

This is in Dallas/Ft Worth but I think a train goes right to this area, if you really wanted to do this, it might be something to plan around and go early or something.

https://www.fortworth.com/the-herd/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Worth_Stockyards

Edit:  my mom took my oldest son and nieces a couple of years ago, and at the time they were able to go by train, spend one night, and not need to rent a car.  

Edited July 4, 2019 by Lecka

[Pen]

Oil fields? In Houston area.

 

 

[Lecka]

My sister and BIL and nieces were in Corpus Christi last month, and there pictures were gorgeous.  I have never been, but always heard really good things about the beach there (I’m from Oklahoma).  

[Lecka]

For the rodeo — keep in mind not every event is going to be exciting if you don’t know what you are watching.  If you know about horses you will like all of it.  If you don’t know much about horses and aren’t with someone who does — some of the events can be boring.

Like — I know from people telling me, that barrel racing is really impressive and people can watch heats upon heats and not be bored because they know about it.

I am someone that has never ridden so it goes over my head, but I will have a good time if I go with someone who knows anything at all about horses.  

[Lecka]

I also think rodeos are kind-of dirty, but maybe I have not been to the right rodeos?  There has always been a lot of walking in dusty hay over mud, whenever I have been.  And it is LOUD.  Lots of banging sounds from sitting in metal bleachers, and talking over a loudspeaker, etc.  They might play loud music between events or heats.  

Anyway — I think it’s worth investigating events and learning a little about them before you go, and see if you will be interested.  

And think about the sensory side if it would be a lot, and not made up for by a love of horses or admiration for horsemanship.  

Edit:  I can barely tolerate it when I have been, but it is worth it if it is overall a fun time, but it would be hard for me to go on my own and take my kids.  I would rather take them to a county fair or state fair to see animals and probably see some 4H competitions.

 

Edited July 4, 2019 by Lecka

[Selkie]

Also, there is a lot of animal cruelty that goes on at rodeos. Just something to be aware of if you haven't been to a rodeo before.

[Bambam]

Houston isn't going to be what you think of as most people think about Texas.

So, I'd suggest some very different things.

Beer Can house and the Orange Show - weird, quirky - https://www.orangeshow.org/beer-can-house

Art Car Museum - There are lots of these in Houston, and they are fun to look at. You may see some around town, but to make sure you see some, stop here. https://artcarmuseum.com/

The Houston Children's Museum is pretty neat - but not especially Texas or Houston. They do have a couple of the life-sized painted cows outside. For a period of time, these were all over Houston. https://www.cmhouston.org/

If there is any kind of cuisine that you want to try, you can find it in Houston. The Mexican food here is different than that in San Antonio or California or Mexico, but I like it. 

 

[vonfirmath]

7 hours ago, Lecka said:

This is in Dallas/Ft Worth but I think a train goes right to this area, if you really wanted to do this, it might be something to plan around and go early or something.

https://www.fortworth.com/the-herd/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Worth_Stockyards

Edit:  my mom took my oldest son and nieces a couple of years ago, and at the time they were able to go by train, spend one night, and not need to rent a car.  

 

Yes, Ft Worth has cows and a cow drive. but it's a 5-6 hour drive from Houston (More from the South end of Houston)

 

Corpus Christi is our preference for beaches (actually Mustang Island State Park).  We may well be there the weekend of August 10 depending on how other plans firm up.

Edited July 5, 2019 by vonfirmath

[PeterPan]

11 hours ago, Jann in TX said:

As far as giving one a 'Texas experience' I would choose San Antonio and then the Texas Hill Country over Houston any day! (But then I've lived in the Hill Country for the past 25 years!  It is a completely different world (and not as hot and humid!)--spectacular wild flowers this year....  East Texas (really north east part of Texas) is beautiful and full of pine forests...  West Texas is what you were thinking of-- pretty much NOTHING but dirt/rocks and LOTS of wind farms!  North Texas ( north of Dallas/Ft Worth) still has some good sized cattle ranches...

Say we were talking mid-late January... where would you be thinking? Yes, I looked into that option of flying into another city, doing a couple days, and then driving over. Once my friend comes in, I'll need a bigger vehicle or bigger Uber to accommodate her scooter, so I'm sorting out whether I want to rent or uber or what. Just saying I'm open-minded. 

7 hours ago, Lecka said:

I also think rodeos are kind-of dirty, but maybe I have not been to the right rodeos?  There has always been a lot of walking in dusty hay over mud, whenever I have been.  And it is LOUD.

Yeah, that's what my friend said, that an indoor rodeo is definitely out with my sensory.

6 hours ago, Bambam said:

Houston isn't going to be what you think of as most people think about Texas.

That's what I'm realizing, sigh. 

7 hours ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

What time of year are you coming? That can also impact recommendations. 

Mid-january-ish. My ideal temps are about 75, so I'll be leaving 0 for the caribbean. 

6 hours ago, Bambam said:

Beer Can house and the Orange Show - weird, quirky - https://www.orangeshow.org/beer-can-house

That's hilarious!!

7 hours ago, Lecka said:

Corpus Christi

I'll have to look up where that is.

8 hours ago, Pen said:

Oil fields? In Houston area.

 

 

That would actually be his speed. I saw the one on Galveston island. It may be a back-up plan. 

8 hours ago, Lecka said:

This is in Dallas/Ft Worth but I think a train goes right to this area, if you really wanted to do this, it might be something to plan around and go early or something.

https://www.fortworth.com/the-herd/

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Worth_Stockyards

Edit:  my mom took my oldest son and nieces a couple of years ago, and at the time they were able to go by train, spend one night, and not need to rent a car.  

That all sounds really cool. Now if the train would then take me to Houston, we'd be in business...

[PeterPan]

11 hours ago, Jann in TX said:

East Texas (really north east part of Texas) is beautiful and full of pine forests...  West Texas is what you were thinking of-- pretty much NOTHING but dirt/rocks and LOTS of wind farms!  North Texas ( north of Dallas/Ft Worth) still has some good sized cattle ranches...

That explains it. 

[PeterPan]

8 hours ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

In addition to the excellent suggestions you have already had, if you're around NASA/Clear Lake area, I'd highly recommend going to eat at one of our fabulous Mexican Food restaurants. Or BBQ. We rock at both. I'm guessing you will get a lot of seafood on the cruise, so take advantage of our amazing restaurants and have something different before you ship out!  🙂

Pappsito's and El Tiempo are both great Mexican restaurants and they're less than 15 minutes from NASA. Killen's BBQ is the best in the area, but there are a slew of other amazing BBQ restaurants if you venture more toward Houston. I will warn you that some people are shocked at how pricey BBQ is around here though. 

If you aren't a fan of either of those, there is a restaurant on the water called Villa Capri on Clear Lake that has great views and good Italian you could go to after NASA. You can sit outside on the water and watch the boats. It's very nice and relaxing. 

Personally, I think Galveston is gross- it stinks and isn't a nice beach- for that you'd need to be further south to Corpus at a minimum. Space Center Houston is probably your best bet for a day trip, because Houston is so spread out, and even from Clear Lake, you're still looking at a 45+ minute drive to Galveston, much less downtown. 

But yes, we have grass everywhere and trees,  and if you want to see cows, just drive toward Alvin, Angleton, or anywhere in that general direction. There are cows everywhere still. 🙂 Although you probably won't see any steroytpical cowboys- just men in Wranglers, boots and baseball caps. That's more how we roll around there. If you want to get really crazy you can come to my house and we'll let you ride around on our tractor. 😂

Ok, ok, I said cows but it's not like we've never seen cows, lol. It was more like this Texas mystique with a cowboy and steer and ropes and dust and I don't know. Maybe Glen Ford or something. 

So yes, thank you. It sounds like we should content ourselves for this trip with NASA and that San J monument. That gets us the bonus battleship and oil rig. That's enough.

Super thanks for the food recommends!! I'm looking at that Killens, and I think I'm gonna have to park there a couple days just to eat enough that I felt like I really DID it! Looks de-lish. Then we'll see if your TX bbq can hold up to our Ohio bbq.  

Do you have the street for the El Tiempo by NASA? They don't have a map up and I can't find it on google maps. Food looks fabulous, mercy. Like my belly is full from today and I'm sitting here drooling...

Yeah, that's what I suspected that Galveston is kind of skippable and that you're really only there to catch the cruise. 

Well thanks ladies, sounds like I'm on track now! 

[Pen]

Are there whooping cranes or other interesting birds to see in January?

lighthouse?

boats?

houston Marathon?

[PeterPan]

12 hours ago, Rachel said:

Eat BBQ or gulf shrimp, that’s very Texas. Also Dr Pepper and Blue Bell ice cream and stop at a Buc-ees.

Sounds like a plan! Now to look up Buc-ees. Ok, that's crazy. How do they stay in business? LOL So what is it you like from them?

[vonfirmath]

35 minutes ago, PeterPan said:

Sounds like a plan! Now to look up Buc-ees. Ok, that's crazy. How do they stay in business? LOL So what is it you like from them?

 

Buc-ee's is great for clean bathroom, Buc-ee's souvenir items, cheap drinks, good foods, clean bathrooms, the snack nuggets, and knick knacks.

 

In January you might not want to go to Dallas/Ft Worth. it ices there.

Though, if you are from Ohio, you might be used to that.

 

Not a great time for beaches either.

Edited July 5, 2019 by vonfirmath

[Shellydon]

I would fly into San Antonio and go see a couple of things in the Texas Hill Country the Lyndon B Johnson Ranch, a half day tour through Fredericksburg Texas, then  the Alamo and the San Antonio Riverwalk. I would then drive to Galveston which takes about 5 hours. 

[Pen]

 

Quote

Not a great time for beaches either.

 

Why not?

?

Ive not been in TX for years. 

My recollection is it would Not be good for going in water. But iirc winter beach temp in south TX is about same as summer beach temp in PNW.  Maybe would be Pleasant  to walk along, or run, look at water, boats, water birds, lighthouse...   And it might be a good non over stimulating activity for a kid on the spectrum or with adhd etc.        and seabirds could be memorable like prairie dogs

Edited July 5, 2019 by Pen

[vonfirmath]

24 minutes ago, Pen said:

 

 

Why not?

?

Ive not been in TX for years. 

My recollection is it would Not be good for going in water. But iirc winter beach temp in south TX is about same as summer beach temp in PNW.  Maybe would be Pleasant  to walk along, or run, look at water, boats, water birds, lighthouse...   And it might be a good non over stimulating activity for a kid on the spectrum or with adhd etc.        and seabirds could be memorable like prairie dogs

 

I guess because the only reason I can think of to go to a beach is to go into the water (I Really dislike sand). And I wouldn't want to go into water in TX or the PNW in the winter!  We generally get our coldest weather in January to February.  Though I don't live right on the water. I grew up in Houston and live in Austin now.  I lived for 14 years in between in Seattle.

 

 

 

[Rachel]

13 hours ago, PeterPan said:

Sounds like a plan! Now to look up Buc-ees. Ok, that's crazy. How do they stay in business? LOL So what is it you like from them?

Ok, I’m not actually a Texan, you just asked about very Texas things to do. 😊  My husband travels to Houston for work quite often and since I have lots of family within an hour or two I get to visit somewhat regularly too.  My Texan relatives adore Buc-ees, I have had the Dr Pepper icee and it is delicious, but only if you are a Dr Pepper fan. Really though it’s just a huge gas station with a fan following.  

[PeterPan]

1 hour ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

Here is the website for the free Houston Ship Channel tour if it's something you would be interested in. 

https://porthouston.com/sam-houston-boat-tour/

Here is El Tiempo's address and website: 20237 Gulf Fwy, Webster, TX 77598, https://www.eltiempocantina.com/webster/

Also, if you are looking for the equivalent of prairie dogs here, that would probably be armadillos. We saw two last night crossing our road on our way home from fireworks and I thought of your thread. They are everywhere around here. Except maybe Galveston......

January is a good time to come through- the weather will be tolerable most likely- especially compared to where you're coming from. If Galveston is something you want to tour, you might as well do it then as I'd never recommend getting in the water anyway. But you won't be dealing with heat or crowds at that time, so your options are wide open.

Ooo, thank you! And yes, armadillos. Definitely need to see those if possible. That would be awesome. He's kinda outdoorsy, so that's all it would take to enchant him. Are they nocturnal? I'll have to look them up.

 

[PeterPan]

1 hour ago, Æthelthryth the Texan said:

Here is the website for the free Houston Ship Channel tour if it's something you would be interested in. 

https://porthouston.com/sam-houston-boat-tour/

That does look really good, thanks!!

[almondbutterandjelly]

Buc-ee's chopped brisket sandwiches are amazing!  My nearest Buc-ee's is 3 hours away and I seriously consider the drive.

[City Mouse]

Sounds like you have gotten some good suggestions of Houston activities.  My husband would always recommend a sporting event depending on what time of year you are there (I hope not in the summer 🙂).

Galveston beaches do smell because of the Sargasso seaweed. It is cleaned off of the paid beaches in town, it is not cleaned off most of the rest of the beach. All beaches are public beach, so you do not have to use a paid beach. Just a couple of blocks from the port you will gained an area called “The Strand” which is a bunch of historical buildings that are full of shops. La Kings is a must do stop for us anytime we are in Galveston. https://lakingsconfectionery.com/ 

Near the cruise terminal is Pier 21 http://www.pier21galveston.com/ which has a few museums and a place that shows a movie about the 1900 hurricane. A couple of years ago I did a dolphin tour from there.

The public library has a very nice free museum on the 3rd floor all about the History of Galveston.

The Bolivar ferry is free and allows pedestrians to ride.  Sometimes dolphins can be spotted from the ferry. 

The Kemah and Seabrook area is kind of near NASA. The Kemah Boardwalk might be fun, but I haven’t been in years https://www.kemahboardwalk.com/. I was just watching Diners, Drive In’s and Dives today and a restaurant from Kemah was included, T-bone Tom’s, I have never been there, but I have seen it. There is a burger joint in nearby Seabrook called Tookies, that has also been on the show. It has been around since I was a teen going to the Girl Scout camp down the road. They have an awesome burger that includes bacon in the ground beef not just on top.

if you are ever in Lubbock Texas, the ranching heritage museum at Texas Tech University might be more of what you are looking for as traditional Texas.