Houston

April 3-5, 2019

TL;DR: Houston gets a bad wrap, but we actually really enjoyed it. It has a nice mix of beautiful green spaces with sprawling oak trees and a bustling downtown where all the Astros fans were congregating for opening day.

The sights

The Centennial Gardens

Looks like a very pretty spot to walk around. We did not get the chance since it was inconveniently closed for maintenance both times we passed it.

Natural History Museum

The outside is very deceiving, and it’s actually an incredible museum. Dino fossils abound, and they’re set up in real-life poses. We also went to a special exhibit called Natural Death, which is just about as morbid as it sounds. If you really want to freak yourself out, look up the assassin’s bug.

Rice University

The area around the school is beautiful, with oak-lined paths and huge houses.

The Contemporary Art Museum

This was right across from the Modern Art Museum, which was our original destination. But it was free, so we decided to pop in. There was a show going on in the upstairs space, but we were free to explore the basement, which had some very interesting pieces.

Modern Art Museum

Free during happy hour of 6-8 pm, which was obviously wonderful. So many great exhibits and regional collections: India, Asia, Islamic, Korean, Japan.

La Taverna

Fun little old bar that’s dark and cool inside, with a few outdoor seats and outdoor fans.

8th Wonder Brewery

Got three beers for $12, which is good by us. It was apparently the opening night for the Astros (lovingly called the “stros”), so it was a sea of orange. Jess even thought there was an official event going on. But no. Just a lot of fans. The brewery also had a delicious cold brew.

The Pastry War

Favorite place in Houston. Our bartender, Saul (sounds like Raul) took very good care of us. Tasted all of the mezcals, margs, micheladas. Wth many different species of agave, mezcal is very similar wine. One tasted like sake, others were smoky, some tasted like tequila. There was even one that was supposed to tasted like chicken (don’t ask).

Details, details, details

We got up at 5:50 AM to avoid the Houston traffic, which rivals LA and Austin.

And then this happened…

After getting up early to avoid said traffic and find a good parking spot in Hermann Park, we learned all the gates were closed until 8:45. So we slept in a closed Fuddruckers parking lot while we waited.

Once we started parking, the security guard said we might get a ticket if we stayed. “It just depends on who’s around.” Helpful. We did not get a ticket though.