Tourist in Houston....Ideas?

[subseashooter]

Sooooo.....A little back story for those that don't know me.....

I've been working as an expat for about 10 years now. Spent most of that time in West Africa till i got fed up and transitioned to my company's St. John's (Newfoundland) base of operations.

Being gone like that does not make for a great social life and I've spent a lot of the last decade single. Got married once, most expensive 18 months of my life.

So I started working in Canada to see if I was as socially inept as I thought I was. Turns out, even chubby bald guys get lucky!!

I'm dating a young lady that grew up a few hours outside of Toronto and moved to St. John's to start an adult (-ish) life. Things are going as well as they can when I'm still gone offshore over half the time. We've gotten to the point where it's time to start getting serious or call it something else, and we decided to slip our toes in the serious category.

I'm coming home the second week of January for a few weeks of downtime, and she's going to be coming in a few days later (for just under 7 days) to see what she thinks of Texas. I'm planning most of the weekend in San Antonio, as she said that she wanted to do the Riverwalk and the SA zoo. And I have a few favorite places there that I think she'll like.

We've got the better part of 5 days in and around Houston. I asked her to Google things in Houston and let me know what she wants to check out....we are going to do the SBA tour at Houston Space Center (I've never been), and I have a list of restaurants on my side of town (NW) that I want to take her to....and we'll be hitting the Lockhart BBQ markets on our way to SA. Oh yeah, a buddy of mine will be putting my Raptor into the Houston Auto Show, so that's on the list as of yesterday, so there is that, too....

Oh yeah....and we are going shooting. She INSISTS!!

So.....where would you take a tourist that comes to Houston? I don't think of anything particularly pretty when I think Houston.....just metro, petro, and concrete....

Help?

 

[jrbfishn]

San Jacinto Monument

from an idgit coffeeholic

 

[robertc1024]

Houston space center is good - but the other side of town. Being an engineer, and looking at the equipment still in there makes one appreciate how incredible it was to put a man on the moon. The natural science museum is also pretty amazing. If you are going to Lockhart, let me know. There are a couple of ranges around there and I'd be happy to bring some toys. Blacks BBQ, Kreutz's, Smitty's - you can't go wrong.

 

[ray22]

San Jacinto Monument

from an idgit coffeeholic

+1 not to mention the Battleship Texas. The museum district, The planetarium is well worth it too.

 

[acorneau]

Memorial Park and the Arboretum are nice for in-town nature.

Museum district for the artsy stuff (modern art, natural history, childrens museum, zoo, etc).

Galleria and Uptown Park for the shopping thing.

American Shooting Centers (outdoor, almost everything) or Athena Gun Club (fancy indoor) for shooting activities. Collectors Firearms for a gun store with so much stuff you can spend an hour or two just looking around.

 

[BG1960]

Kemah Boardwalk is on our standard tour de Houston. Believe it or not, we get more ooo's an ahh's out the Ship Channel at night than anything else.

 

[bones_708]

Houston also has a world class opera and symphony and the Alley theater is reasonably impressive. I would second the Museum of Fine Arts and there are several other interesting galleries if arts are one of her things. There are to many great places to eat to mention everything form fine dining to authentic down home cooking so really it's all in what you want to showcase. I would make a overnight trip down to Galveston also. Off season so get a room in one of the resort hotels and enjoy the Strand during the day then some of the nightclubs later.

 

[cbigclarke]

Kemah Boardwalk is on our standard tour de Houston. Believe it or not, we get more ooo's an ahh's out the Ship Channel at night than anything else.

Concur

 

[cbp210]

Take your girlfriend to Galveston and take her to the beaches.

 

[IXLR8]

Kemah Boardwalk is on our standard tour de Houston. Believe it or not, we get more ooo's an ahh's out the Ship Channel at night than anything else.

+1 for Kemah, but also the Aquarium downtown.

Houston zoo.

Moody Gardens in Galveston. You will really like it. While in Galveston see the Strand an take the free Bolivar ferry if you have time. Just turn around on the other side and ride it back.

 

[Mike1234567]

"Adult-ish"? How old is this young lady, you perv?

 

[ZeR0BuG]

Schlitterbahn in Galveston has indoor parts... The houston Tunnel System, The Water Wall. The Theatre district. Museum district... Space Center Houston. Houston Arboretum

 

[Acera]

Kemah boardwalk a good idea for walking around and sightseeing, but the food all tastes like it came out of the same Landry's kitchen, mediocre at best. If you want to visit Kemah and get a romantic meal just outside the tourist area, try Opus Bistro or some of the other non-chain restaurants down there.

You might also consider taking her to the Improv Comedy Club it is inside the The Marq*E Entertainment Center, so there is other stuff to do right there.

A trip out to the The Woodlands Waterway can be a good date, lots of bars, restaurants, shops, theaters, etc.

Rainbow Lodge is always a good spot to take a special date.

If in the downtown area, think about Last Concert Cafe, Sambuca or House Of Blues if you guys like live music.

Not a 'special' place, but would be a good stop if out running the roads inside the loop. Armadillo Palace Be sure to stop in their company store (attached) and get a pecan pie for a late night snack.

 

[subseashooter]

Dangitman!! Now I'm wishing she was here for a couple of weeks!! LOL!

 

[subseashooter]

"Adult-ish"? How old is this young lady, you perv?

24. I'm on only a ltitle closer to her mom's age than I am to hers.

 

[ZeR0BuG]

Dangitman!! Now I'm wishing she was here for a couple of weeks!! LOL!

Flight plans can always be changed....

 

[subseashooter]

Yeah, I'm not going to ask her to burn all of her vacation in Texas though....I'm pretty sure she's going to want to go visit her family in Ontario sometime this year.

And if this trip goes well, I've got a feeling she may be coming back for an......extended stay. ;-)

 

[Acera]

This used to be good spot, have not checked it out since it reopened. Waiting for Ben to do a promised range report on it........now that his lady has reached legal age

Marfreless River Oaks Lounge




Or maybe a night here, with a full spa treatment. http://www.houstonian.com/

 

[cbigclarke]

Snake farm

 

[Flashcb]

seen the Houston Museum of Natural Science mentioned already, but don't forget the planetarium. yea the Pink Floyd show is still going on.Dark Side of the Moon